Sexing Gymnocorymbus
To Bob F
Hi Bob it's me Louis again.  I wanted to know how to tell the gender between a white skirt tetra, if you can try to show a picture other websites make no sense.
<At size, maturity, females are much larger, shinier... males darker, smaller with longer un-paired fins. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/tetragonopfaqs1.htm  and search WWM, the Net under the names: Black Skirt Tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi. Bob Fenner>

Dull Neons...
Hi there, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on my neon
tetras. Today I noticed that they are looking very dull in colour and not
swimming about as much as they usually do, also one of them is bloated. I
thought this could be neon tetra disease, do you think this is the case? If
so, should I carry out euthanasia?
< If the disease is only affecting one fish then I would get rid of it. If it looks like it is going to spread to the other fish then I would treat with Nitrofuranace of Myacin. Make sure you follow the directions on the package.-Chuck>
Thanks
Fran

Getting Neons to School (drive them there?)
Hi,
<Hello>
I have a 75 gallon tank with about 18 neon tetras and am planning on getting another half dozen or so.  Currently, I also have 4 peacock gudgeons and am planning on getting a few rams and maybe Apistos.
<Sounds like a very nice assortment>
My problem is that my Neons are not schooling, at least they don't form really tight looking school.  I have a moderately well plastic planted tank and I think the Neons just feel pretty safe in the tank.  Can you recommend any easy to care for fish that would scare the Neons into schooling.
<Mmm, not scare... I suspect some aspect of water quality is at play here... what's your water chemistry, temperature?>
Not something that would eat them, but just something to make the neighborhood seem tough enough to rekindle their schooling instincts.  I've thought about discus, but only want to do at most 5 gallon water changes each week.  Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Nate Terry
<Raise the water temperature to the mid 80's F... check that the water is not too hard... Bob Fenner>

Tiger Barbs and Black Neon Pregnant Questions
Hello. I really enjoy reading your site and I can only marvel at the dedication (and politeness) of your crew in answering questions to help out people like us. I wrote because I have a question on breeding. I am trying to get my tiger barbs to breed. I do have a separate tank and tried to follow what I have read on various websites on how to breed them but nothing seems to be happening. Is it absolutely essential to separate the male and female? Is it ok to leave the males in the main tank, put the female in the breeding tank, and when she's ready, that's when I put the male in? How do I even know if she's pregnant or just fat?
I am also concerned about the female being kept too long in the breeding tank. When I first placed her there, she looked miserable. When I added two companions, she perked up.
I also have black neon tetras. I think they are females and they look like they are going to burst in their bellies. I am not sure if they are fat or pregnant, or if that is even possible since I don't have male black Neons. They eat fine and I feed only once or twice a day. Do I leave them like that? They swim fine but I'm not sure if it is healthy for them to look/be that fat or pregnant.
< When tiger barbs get ready to breed the female will fatten up and the male will be paying lots of attention to her. If you see the two side by side making runs at bunches of plants then they are getting ready to breed. The Neons do a similar motion but don't make the runs at the plants. To get egg scatters to breed I feed the fish heavily with live food for about a week and then heat up the tank to 80 to 82 degrees F. I clean the filters and do a large 50%  water change with soft to medium hard water. This usually gets them going but creates another problem. The eggs become scattered all over the tank and they now become a food source for the adults. To separate the eggs from the adults old timers lined the bottom of a bare breeding tank with marbles and allowed the eggs to fall between the pore of the marbles and then remove the parents from the tank. A coarse mesh suspended an inch or two off the bottom of the aquarium will do the same thing. It is nearly impossible to get the tiny fry out of an existing community aquarium. Females may become ripe with eggs without a male being present and will absorbed the eggs after awhile without spawning.-Chuck>
Mei

STUPID NEON TETRA?
I have 5 zebra danio 5 neon tetra 2 Cherrie barbs and a bloodfin tetra in a 10 gal. tank. But the one neon tetra stays with the female Cherry barb and darts through the school its supposed to be in breaking it up and returns to the female. Is this normal or is it just stupid. This has been occurring for 2 days now so please help.
< Normally fish school together for protection. It could be that their is a dominant male tetra in the school chasing away a rival male. The rival male does not want to be left out because in the wild that usually means it will soon be somebody's lunch very soon. So it has probably tried to school with any fish that will tolerate it while trying to break up the other males happy harem.-chuck>

What this? Blackskirt
The nice man at the pet shop told me this was a "Blue Widow", but it seems that he was the only person on the planet that knows this species by that name.  He also seemed to think s/he was a great addition to my tank set up - but needless to say I'm beginning to doubt his word.
What is it?  S/he's no more than an inch and a half long, and flat like a Silver Dollar - and an awful lot prettier that my crummy picture suggests!
<Actually a very nice pic... of a xanthic variety of a Black Skirt Tetra, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi... you can look these names up on the Net, Fishbase.org, WetWebMedia.com... a very nice aquarium species.>
Superb website, by the way.  An unbelievable wealth of information.
Melinda
<Thank you for being part of it. Bob Fenner>

Angel Finds Neons a Tasty Treat (4/22/04)
Hello - I cannot thank you guys enough for the awesome website! <It's an honor to play a small part. Steve Allen here tonight.>
I've had a planted 29 gallon freshwater tank running with only an Angel (about 4 inches) and a balloon bellied molly for quite a while. All of the other fish died of velvet and these two were the survivors. Today I decided that the tank could use some new inhabitants and I really wanted small schooling fish. I purchased a 3 pack of neon tetras and finished acclimating them about 2 hours ago. Unfortunately my 3 pack is now a 1 pack and my Angel fish now has a pot belly, so he got a very colorful snack. <Tasty too.>
I really want to keep some sort of schooling fish in this fairly small tank. My question is if I buy more of the neon tetras will they have a better chance of survival in a bigger school (maybe 6-9 of them to create confusion) or am I just buying an expensive snack? <Number two. The Angel will pick them off one-by-one in that small tank.> Are there other small schooling freshwater fish that are better at escaping or a bit bigger so they wont fit in the angels mouth? <Not small ones. You could put maybe 4 or 5 somewhat larger tetras such as Lemon or Serpae. These ought to be OK, but since your Angel is already rather large, start out with near-adult size ones. Another possibility would be Golden or Cherry Barbs, but these could get a little too big. The angel will continue to grow somewhat bigger, so you need to be careful not to put too many other fish in there.> Thanks in advance for the advice :) <Hope this helps.>

Blind Cave Tetras and Algae
Hello, love your site--
<Thanks for the kind words!>
I’m planning a single species, blind cave tetras, 46 gal bowfront, and have a couple questions.  What would be a good filtration system?  I was considering using two Whisper 30-60 Advanced--the kind with the bio-sponges—or would I be better off with something else?
<You may be able to get by with just one such filter.  Two may offer too much flow for the tetras.  You could certainly try it, and see how they do with the added water flow.  My own personal preference in power filters is with Marineland Penguin and Emperor filters, but the Whisper will do quite well for you, too.  Not to mention, the bonus of being able to remove carbon - the Marineland filters unfortunately do not offer that ability, unless you get creative with scissors.>
Also, I say single species, but should I get something for algae control?
<Well, that certainly depends on your tastes on lighting, in this case!  The tetras don't need a huge amount of light for obvious reasons.  Though, I don't see any problems with peaceful algae eaters, like Ancistrus plecs or any of the various algae-eating shrimp.  Lots of options for you.  Sounds like a fun setup!>
Thanks, Les
<Sure thing.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Big Neon Tetra - Big Lack of Info
help my neon tetra she got big eyes is something wrong.  she looks full of eggs
<If there's any way you can tell us more about your fish and setup, including information like water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH), tank size, what other fish the tetra is in with, how long you've had it, how often/how much you change water, we'll be better able to help you.  As it is, the information you've sent us (big eyes, possibly distended belly) isn't a whole lot to go off of, and I really can't recommend a treatment without knowing more.  The best I can do for now is suggest that you follow this link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsubwebindex.htm and read through any of the articles there pertaining you your fish, your system, etc.  Please be sure to take a look at the FAQs linked to those articles, as well, as there is a great wealth of information stored here.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Tetra issues
Hello,
<Hi, Glenda - Sabrina here>
I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank, submersible pump w/air filter. All levels are good.
<Could you be a little more specific about water parameters?  What are your readings for ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate?>
Temp is a steady 82'. Fish include 1) redeye tetra , 1) bloodfin tetra, 1) fantail tetra and 1) nice orange tetra w/ black fins. I have had these fish for about 1 month now, do weekly water changes and vacuum the gravel.  I do use aquarium salt in the water
<I've learned not to assume this - so I'm going to just briefly mention, only add salt when you remove water and replace with new, never when just topping off - salt does not evaporate, and adding salt in the top off water will just add to the salt already in the tank>
and feed granule Tetra Min 1 to 2 times per day depending on hunger.  My problem is the little fantail tetra, she (or he) is now just sitting on the bottom most of the time (2 days now), eats okay but I have just noticed (what looks to me) string type feces  that I have seen twice today.  Is my little guy sick?  
<Hmm, could be....  do be certain that your ammonia and nitrite both check out at zero, do water changes if necessary to fix.  But yes, this could be an illness of some sort, possibly internal parasites, possibly dropsy.  Does the fish look bloated?  Anything else amiss with him/her?  I'd also like to mention, I don't know of 'fantail' tetras....  can't even find it in a google search.... do you know any other common names for your fish?>
What can I do for it?  
<If it is not related to environmental conditions (water quality), it may help to try feeding with Pepso food (made by Jungle), or perhaps try feeding a frozen (thawed) pea.... the former may help with internal illnesses, the latter is rumored to help with constipation>
Also how can I tell if one of my guys is pregnant?
<Well, first off, don't expect any young since you only have one of each species.  But a female with eggs will be much more rounded in the belly - kinda "U" shaped when looking head-on.  I'd also like to mention here that tetras are schooling fishes, and really ought to be kept with others of their own species.  In larger tanks, many schools could be kept, but in a tank your size, I'd suggest to pick the two species you like best and get a couple more (three total) of those species, and find homes for the other two if you can (I know that would be difficult - it's easy to get attached, and I understand that - but do try to accommodate each species to the best of your abilities)>
I 've grown to adore these little fish, and am fairly new dealing with aquariums. I do have a pond that has done very well, but the aquarium is a whole different situation.  
<Indeed....  Two seperate worlds entirely, it seems, sometimes.>
Thanks in advance, I am looking forward to your response. I've just spent the last two hours reading things on your website and found very much useful information.  Sincerely, Glenda

Neons, Frogs, & Snails
Hello to all at WWM,
I have a few questions. First I have a 10g established tank with three neon's.  I wanted more so I went to the pet shop and bought 3 more neon's, a blue mystery snail and 1 African dwarf frog.  They assured me this would not overcrowd my tank (but they have given me bad advice in the past so I thought I would ask you guys)
<This should be fine as long as you don’t add anything else to the tank. Also make sure the tank is fully covered so your frog can’t escape.>
I am getting very conflicting info on the frog.  They told me at the pet shop that it would eat fish flakes but what I've been able to find on the web suggests otherwise.  I guess what I need to know is what's some really good food to feed this little guy.
<This site http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwarfs.html has a lot of information and suggests frozen bloodworms as an excellent food for them.>
They also suggested frozen brine shrimp when I asked about frozen treats for my neon's. Your site said these are junk food and when I asked if there was anything else that would be suitable for my neon's they said no.  
<As a treat once in a while brine shrimp will be fine, just don’t count on it providing much nutrition. Frozen Daphnia is also small enough that your neons should be able to eat it too.>
Another question do I need to buy special food for the snail?  
<Nope, he’ll eat stuff that’s in the tank.>
One last question, the new neon's I got are a lot bigger than my original ones.  One of my original neon's is hiding out in the weeds.  It has done this on and off since I have had it (about 3 months) and seems fine but just seems to be hiding more since I added the others.  Do you think they could be bulling it since they are bigger?  
<The bigger one might be bullying it but probably not. The original one is probably just nervous and will come out more as he adapts to the new critters in his tank.>
Thank You So Much for all your help. Amy
<You're welcome! Ronni>

Help with my brackish water tank
Bob
<Amanda>
I read your recommendations on plants for brackish water and I just wanted
to see if what you thought about my situation... I recently introduced
bumble bee gobys to my formerly VERY happy fresh water tank ... now after
some research I am learning they need brackish water...
<Yes>
ok I don't want them
to die... but the tank is doing so well ... I have some Japanese shrimp,
vale, Sagittarius, and neon tetras... plus the new bumble bee's will
everyone be ok with a little more salt?
<Actually... most all, but not the Neons. I would put them in a system with softer, more acidic water... with no added salt. Bob Fenner>
Thank you
Amanda

Re: brackish water question...
Here is my problem... I recently bought five bumble bee goby's even more
recently I learned they need brackish water... (no one at the pet store said
a thing)
<Mmm, must be the same tank, Amanda>
The tank they are in is my favorite - it is well planted with fast growing
Val and Sagittarius... there are two Japanese shrimp and about ten neon
tetras... will adding a small amount of salt for the bumble bee's harm the
others?
<Just the Neons>
I am hesitant because the tank is so well balanced I never have to clean any
algae ... just remove the Val when it starts to take over...
Thank you so much for any ideas....
Amanda
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner>

Re: neon problem
Hello to all at WWM,
<Good morning! Ronni here with you today.>
I have a question about one of my neons.  I have 3 along with 3 mollies in a 10g tank  I've had them about a month and so far everyone is still alive.  Tank is finally cycled and water quality is good. My problem is one of my neons has a colorless eye.  I don't know if it has always been there or just happened.  I hadn't noticed it before.  It seems to be fine, playing, schooling, eating, and its color is good. From what I've read it doesn't sound like pop eye.  The eye isn't swollen.  I'm wondering if you know if this is just genetic or some sort of infection or what.  Thank you so much for all of your help.
<Is they eye cloudy? If so, it could be an injury of some sort. Keep watching him to see if it gets better or stay the same. If it gets worse, you’ll need to isolate and medicate him.>
Thanks, Amy
<You're welcome! Ronni>

Black Widow Tetra
Hello,
<Greetings>
Maybe you can help,
<Will most certainly try!>
We have a 55 gal tank with a few fish, among them we have 4 black widow tetras, one of them is getting "fat", so just in case we isolated the fish in a plastic floating tank designed so the eggs fall in the bottom and cannot be eaten.
<I would venture the guess that this fish is just getting fat and is not actually pregnant. I have about 30 of these fish and certain ones remain fat all the time while others are fairly slim looking.>
Here is the question, I read a lot of stuff about how long it takes the eggs to hatch, but what we want to know, is how long we have to wait for the female to lay the eggs? Or should we let her go w/the other fish, and if so, will they eat the eggs?
<I would go ahead and let her back into the main tank. If you don’t have plants in there, maybe add a few so that if she is going to lay eggs she has a place to do so.>
Thank you for your help. Patricia
<You’re welcome. Ronni>

Black Skirt Tetras
I have a 50 Gal. Freshwater I have had 3 black skirt tetra in the tank for about 5 months. They have started to turn gray because of age. The larger one lost half of its back fin about 6 days ago don't know why it also has a large belly. Why the large belly? Also just noticed one had a large black bump on its side. Can't figure that out any ideas?
<Hard to tell without a picture, maybe pregnant, maybe sick, the bump could be a tumor or something similar.>
Also one last Question I bought 3 smaller ones yesterday they all got along fine yesterday. But today the smaller ones are constantly like picking on the older ones mostly the bigger one with the big belly. They chase him all over the tank mostly up by his head. Any idea why they are doing this?
<They could just be trying to establish dominance, or if the older one with the large belly is sick, they may be picking on him because he is weak.>
I took the new ones out and put them in a breeder basket
<I would test my water to make sure the parameters are good, and maybe add some more decorations the tank to provide hiding places for the fish that are being picked on.  If you add the new fish back into the tank the beatings should stop in time.  Best Regards, Gage>

Going To School
Will cardinal tetras school with neon tetras?  What other types of tetras will school with neons?
<Well- as far as schooling "with" the neons, any tetras of similar size could join up. However, I have seen neons school with Cardinal Tetras, Glowlight Tetras, and even Rasboras on a few occasions, so anything is possible. Usually, in my experience, anyways, the neons seem to school with neons, Glowlights with Glowlights, etc. Keep an eye on these little guys- their behavior is very interesting! Enjoy! Scott F.>

School's In Session
Long story. I have a 5gal tank, for lack of expenses, though I have heard that 20gal is better. Last week, out of compassion or whatever, I tried to save some goldfish some people on my college campus were not treating right. Oops. Found out later that they are not good starter fish. Well they all died within a few days. I had not given the tank enough time to cycle. I was told that I could get a couple fish to put in here for starters. Three days ago I got one Serpae tetra and one black skirt tetra. The man at the pet shop said they were his favorites to use. Later that day, I found out online about the schooling fish, and that they need to be in groups of six minimum. What do I do? They seem healthy so far, active.
<Well, I would give your tank a little more time to finish cycling, then you might want to add maybe two more of each. Not exactly a school, but small groups>
I realized yesterday that I was overfeeding, so I have cut back to once a day, smaller pinch. Water is clear, but there is a smell, reminds me of urine. No other way to put it... Here are my questions.
is the smell something bad? how do I get rid of it?
<Well, if it smells like urine, it may not be a good thing. A healthy tank has an "earthy", pleasant smell, not an ammonia-like smell. What kind of filter are you using? If you are not already (and assuming your filter can accommodate it), try using some activated carbon. That will help remove discoloration and odor. And, of course, in a small tank, you should be diligent about regular water changes! Acquire some test kits: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. By regular water testing, particularly in the early stages of your tank's existence, you can really get a handle for what's going on.>
Would the two groups work good together, or do I need eventually to get a separate tank?
<I think that they will work with diligent attention to maintenance, but you will eventually have to get a larger tank to accommodate these fish at full size. Maybe neon tetras would be a better choice for the long run?>
To add fish, how big a tank do I need for a good number?
<Maybe a 10 or 20 gallon tank. This would give you more flexibility>
Don't have the gages yet, but will be getting them soon. Any help will be so appreciated. Thanks for everything. I've been reading and it's good info. Amy
<Keep reading and learning! You're doing great! Scott F.>

my fish (Tetra color change)
Hi
My name is Krystal and I want to know about black skirts I have notice
that their fins change colors. Why?
<Black Skirt Tetras fins do become clear to glassy with age, growth... this is their genetic disposition... that is, their natural development. Perhaps by having part of their bodies transparent, it makes them harder for predators to detect. Bob Fenner>

"OSCAR" 08-2000 - 02-2002... rest in peace
O.K. I'm crying about a fish.. My little red eye tetra (his name is Oscar) I've had since I started my tank died and I am just overwhelmingly sad.. I need to know if it was my fault.. I noticed he wasn't looking so hot the other day.. He wouldn't eat and he was not swimming well and God bless her, the head light tail light tetra (Ginger) was trying to help him by nudging 
him around the tank.. I started treating him with Melafix fix 
<a nice move... I like this tonic just fine>
and by the time I got home tonight he was floating and barely breathing so I am euthanizing him now in the freezer. Before a couple of days ago he was one of my fastest fish.. Him and Ginger and my Tiger Barbs would chase each other all over the
tank. I had had some fish disappearing and found out through my pet store
that the catfish I had were the likely culprit, so they have been traded in..
I also got some great advice from y'all and have been trying to adhere to it.. Water conditions have not changed. Ammonia, non existent, ph 7.5, temp 78 20-40% water change every 2-4 weeks. I fed a diet of shrimp pellets, micro pellets, Tubifex and blood worms alternating and being careful not to overfeed.. I did get a nitrate tester on the advice of my pet store and it said my nitrates were high, but I called their advice line and they said that that is normal in a tank w/ biological filter and actually healthy and not to
worry about it.. They said they are finding it is common in home aquariums.. He did look a little beat up. (bottom side of body somewhat red, so were gills.. Looked like some scales were missing) Could he have gotten in a fight w/ the catfish or the barbs? 
<possible, but old age is more likely. Most tetras only live a few years and you bought him as a young adult, no doubt... indeed two years is very good for some tetras>
He did seem to chase the barbs a lot, but they seemed to get along.. Of course when he started swimming slow, one of the barbs nipped his fin. not bad though, just a little nick. He was a year and a half old and I read his life span should be five years. I'm really upset because he is one of my original fish.. Now I'm worried that the head light
tail light tetra won't fair well, because they were always together. I have a 20 gal tank now w/a silver tip shark, three barbs, 2 common Plecos and a rhino pleco a green Severum cichlid and the tetra and up until today Oscar, the red eye tetra *sniff* Do you think I have room for one more tetra to be the survivor's tank mate or does she need one? and why did Oscar die? *sniff*
<honestly.. I don't think any tetras belong in your tank... the Severum and rhino pleco grow to be monsters! You need to pick a theme for the tank and stick with it, my dear>
Sorry for the long email.. Trying to avoid going to the freezer and
disposing of his remains. Anyway, even though I'm bummed I love my aquarium. I love to just sit and watch it and want to make sure I take care of it.. I am sending two pictures if you want to see them..
<a lovely and fun little fish. May I suggest that if you are sensitive to such losses that you stick with cichlids like your Severums... they can easily live more than ten years! Kindly, Anthony>

Oscar 8-2000 to 02-2002 II
Thank you so much.. Feeling much less emotional today. Perhaps not a good idea to send an email right after you've scooped the fish out of the tank *grin* I am going to take your advice.. I originally got my two tetras to see if I could care for a tank properly as they are pretty hard to kill.:) 
<indeed...lovely and hardy fishes, albeit naturally short lived>
and have been moving up to more difficult fish.. I really like the fish I have now and think I may end up getting more barbs, couple of cichlids, my shark and my Plecos when I get a bigger tank. Does that sound good? 
<absolutely... as long a space allows>
Of course I'll read and research each species before adding them 
<you do yourself and your charges a great service and respect in so>
(learned my lesson on that the hard way!) Anyway thank all you guys for answering all my questions.. YOU ROCK!!!
<a pleasure. Kindly, Anthony>

Sick black skirt tetra
I have had a group of 5 black skirt tetras in my 37 gallon community for about 6 months. One of my tetras has developed some sort of growth (tumor maybe?) on it's tail. the tail itself is completely intact, but there is a growth, a couple mm in diameter, that is red with white spots and protrudes about 1 mm from each side of the fin. I am very confused about this as I have seen quite a few common fish diseases, and this seems to match none of them. At this time I have isolated the fish in a 2 gallon tank and am feeding antibacterial food. Do you have any ideas as to what this growth might be?
<Good description. This may well be a tumor of some sort... could be a "worm" parasite like one of the many trematodes of fishes... other possibilities of internal parasite groups... My best guess, perhaps a Lernaeid (crustacean) called "anchorworm"... You might try "teasing" the area with a sharp forceps, needle with the fish underwater, light low, in a net... to see if the mass can be easily removed... then topically treat the area with a daub ("Q-tip") of antiseptic (the mercury-based ones for humans: mercurochrome, merthiolate, merbromin... will do). Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Ariel