Animal Stories - People Talking About Characins



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Latest Animal Stories on Characins (473)

Jared - 2010-09-14
Hey- Today is Tuesday and I got my first tank on Saturday. The fish came on Sunday, 2 of them being diamond tetras. We were told that these fish would be OK with the other choices of fish we had(4). But, this morning, one of the diamond's was found dead on the bottom of the tank. Since we got them into the tank, they haven't really eaten, been active, or swam forcefully. They just kind of lag around and float in a pair. We need to know why!! We can't get any more until the Nitrogen Cycle ends, but we would like to know if getting more diamond's is a good choice based on what happened 2 days after getting them.

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Michael - 2010-11-12
Diamonds are a fine choice but I wouldn't add anything until the nitrogen cycle is fully working. I highly recommend fishless cycling. It's really easy with a test kit, a bottle of ammonia, and some time.
Johann - 2010-11-18
I think your problem would be putting fish in the tank too soon. You should let the tank cycle, without any fish, for at least a couple weeks.
Jeremy Roche - 2012-10-17
Tank should be cycled a bit longer before adding any fish. Mollies are always a good fish to cycle with.

T - 2012-10-06
These fish definitely need regular water change. I recently lost 3 large females suddenly with no sign of disease. Thanks to your website, I will refresh their water every week. My original 6 have multiplied to 12. Hornworth is hardy enough to survive if you have a large amount. Amazon swords also. I am going to introduce some giant danios. That should provide some action.

nm123 - 2012-01-30
i would buy as much of these fish as you can and breed them so they dont get a chance of being dyed again by another fish store lisen to me no one has a chance of stoping tetras glofish exc from being dyed but you can make the fish hapier by only bredding it with non painted white skirt tetras that will eventually cause the colored skirt tetra to be less and less populer in your area

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erin - 2012-09-04
Glofish are genetically altered, not artificially dyed. and if people start buying a whole bunch of the dyed fish, there will be more demand so they will start making even more. I have 2 of them (I didn't know they were artificially dyed until after I bought them) but with the proper care they are happy and act like un-dyed white skirt tetras

Veronica - 2008-08-21
I got a few of these by accident in a large group of Lemon Tetras. Now I buy them on purpose! They are really lovely fish when full grown and even stand up to my bully Angelfish and Pakistani loaches. Everyone asks what they are since they flash and sparkle gold, violet, and green.

Kathleen - 2010-07-27
I had a couple ( I didn't know any better, I was only 12 ) in my first aquarium many years ago and they did very well. But these are schooling fish - it's unkind to keep less than 5-6. Some people seem to equate surviving with living a good life. Most humans aren't hermits and if kept in solitary confinement are pretty miserable. What makes you think an animal that has evolved to live in social groups wouldn't be miserable without others of it's species. They swim in schools for protection from predation - on their own they must not feel fully comfortable. So even if one hatchet can survive alone I wouldn't do it to them.
And I feed live foods to improve their quality of life also. There are some pretty good flake/pellet foods available now but I feel my fish enjoy live foods.

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my own - 2010-11-15
What is a hatchet fishes favorite defense?
A hatchet! hahahaha! Hope you like the joke!

fish boy - 2009-12-30
I love my 3 glowlights very much. When I bought them they're fins were almost gone, but now their fins are back to normal. They are pretty active and look extremely beautiful when they school with my 3 rummynose tetras. Extremely hardy and attack flake food

Glow - 2011-04-07
One of my Glowlight Tetras has a with film covering its eye. Any ideas what it might be? None of my other fish have it

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Charlie Roche - 2011-04-07
Check out Animal-World information on Fish Diseases and Treatment. They specify a disease where the cloudy eye is a symptom and recommended treatments.

Benzoca - 2009-10-16
From my experience I don't think bettas should be with black neons since black neons like to be in shoals. I suggest having them with neon tetras like I have, also if you don't have any plants, try getting some with gravel, its better for them.

brady - 2012-08-07
Well I have a black tetra and I got him at walmart. He was the biggest and the fastest. He is as cute as ever. Right now he seems to not be eating can someone please help me. Well my mom forgot the filter. I've been thinking that was the problem. I just love him too much to let him die because I got him last year not too long ago so anyways if you help me I will be gratefull for that. So if you did. Thank you I appreceate that so bye see you later maybe I don't know well bye.

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David Brough - 2012-08-08
You could try tasty treats like brine shrimp or bloodworms. They come in freeze-dried or frozen varieties. Otherwise, check for abmormal behavior like gasping at the surface, white spots on the fish, darting about the aquarium etc. These are signs of bad tank conditions or disease.
Jeremy Roche - 2012-08-08
Is this a new tank set up? I would get a water tester and a filter. Water conditions as a tank cycles will greatly affect a fish.

jon - 2009-05-21
I currently have 4 glowlight tetra in my tank along with 9 neon tetra, 1 plecostomus, 2 dwarf gourami, 1 siamese fighter, 1 corydoras catfish and 1 albino corydoras. The glowlights look amazing when they school with the neons. They are a beautiful fish that look even better when the tank is backed with black plastic.

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