Flame Tetra (Von Rio Tetra) Fish Species Profile

Origin and Distribution

Flame tetras are present in South America within the coastal rivers of japanese Brazil and round Rio de Janeiro within the Guanabara bay area, Paraiba do Sul, and the Guandu River basins in addition to Sao Paulo within the higher Tiete River basin. These tetras choose slow-flowing creeks, river tributaries, and backwaters. Flame tetras have been first imported to Europe in 1920 and to the USA quickly afterward. 

For some cause, this seemingly everlasting group aquarium favourite waned in reputation over the past quarter of the 1900s and was virtually uncommon on the flip of the millennium. Its reputation is once more rising, and the Von Rio tetra can now be discovered at most tropical fish retailers.

Colours and Markings

This fish’s physique is elongated, barely compressed, and is shiny silver in colour. Its sides are bronze to crimson, and its again is good crimson as are nearly all of its fins. The anal fin has a black forefront and tip.

Tankmates

Flame tetras are extraordinarily peaceable in nature. They’re happiest in faculties of six or extra. Different potential tankmates for flame tetras are many of the livebearers, danios, rasboras, different tetras, and peaceable backside dwellers.

Flame Tetra Habitat and Care

One cause flame tetras have been in style was their capability to outlive in temperatures as little as 64 and as excessive as 85 degreed Fahrenheit, whereas they like temperatures of round 72 levels. Additionally, this fish accepts very low gentle conditions; dim lighting will really develop this fish’s greatest coloring. 

Flame tetras choose some plant cowl and darker gravel. For the substrate, use river sand with some driftwood and twisted roots. Add some dried leaves to the sand, which is able to stain the water a lightweight brown. Exchange the leaves each few weeks.

Flame Tetra Weight loss program and Feeding

One other wonderful attribute of this fish is its capability to eat virtually something. Since they’re omnivorous, the flame tetra will typically eat all types of residing, contemporary, and flake meals. Feed brine shrimp (both dwell or frozen) or blood worms as a deal with. Feed this fish a number of instances a day and solely feed what this fish can eat in three minutes or much less.

Gender Variations

The two sexes of the flame tetra are a lot alike, each in colour and form. The male has a tiny hook on his anal fin, which might catch on a tremendous mesh web. If this occurs, nice care have to be taken to not break the hook off within the web. This hook is used for mating.

The male is smaller and its anal fin is distinctly edged with black. Its physique is considerably pudgy, tapering to the tail, which expands into a substantial caudal fin. The male colours, in prime circumstances, are pearly lilac on the ahead stomach with yellow glints in an vague horizontal line to the tail. On all sides of the ahead a part of the physique are two darkish spots, one behind the opposite, that seem like smudges.

The decrease stomach and the anal, dorsal, and caudal fins, reasonably than being precisely flame-colored, are suffused with flame coloring. The distinction between men and women is even clearer when the male turns virtually completely brilliant flame crimson

Many observe some extent within the anal fin of the feminine, however this isn’t definitive or constant from fish to fish. Additional, there’s a broad, black border to the anal fin of the male; this border is both utterly absent within the feminine or just narrower and lighter in tone.

The feminine’s stomach area is thicker and rounder, which makes them deeper within the physique than the slimmer males. At breeding time, the females might be very plump with eggs.

Breeding the Flame Tetra

One other prime cause for this fish’s reputation is its ease in breeding. It breeds in a small tank; it has no explicit want for freshwater; it spawns as much as 500 eggs, and the younger are fairly hardy. When breeding tetras, nice care have to be taken to search out specimens with good physique form and those which are most crimson in look.

Whereas breeding live-bearers is less complicated general, this fish is often really easy to breed that it’s the beneficial species for the newbie who’s breeding an egg-layer for the primary time. The breeding tank generally is a 10-gallon tank planted with thickets of small-leaved crops; if doable, use Java moss. Hold females remoted from the male, and situation each tanks on dwell meals for every week. The temperature of the spawning tank must be introduced as much as round 80 levels Fahrenheit earlier than introducing the well-conditioned feminine.

Introduce the feminine within the afternoon, adopted by the male about one hour earlier than darkish. Breeding will in all probability happen quickly after daybreak the subsequent morning. The hook within the anal fin of the male is used to carry the feminine shut as the feminine deposits eggs on a tremendous leafed plant. If the male fish has misplaced this hook, the fertility fee of the eggs may be low.

After laying wherever between 150 and 500 eggs, the mother and father might wish to feed on the eggs. You will need to take away the breeding pair instantly after spawning. Eggs hatch inside 24 to 48 hours. Fry cling on the crops and on the glass of the tank for about two days. They’re free-swimming by the third day.

The fry must be fed infusoria the primary week, after which child brine shrimp and business child powdered meals. They’re very hardy within the third week, although they have a tendency to remain towards the underside of the tank, devouring virtually something. After about 4 months, they start to seem like their mother and father and are almost half-grown. At six months, they are often launched right into a group aquarium as a brand new shoal of fish.

Extra Pet Fish Species and Additional Analysis

If the flame tetra appeals to you and you have an interest in comparable fish, you may additionally contemplate:

• Danios Species Profile
• Rasboras Species Profile
• Tetra Species Profile

Take a look at further fish breed profiles for extra data on different freshwater fish.