tetra question, ID   8/24/08 Hello guys! I bought some really pretty Tetra's today; Pristellas and some that I can't remember the name! I called the aquarium shop, but they were too busy to go look for me. <?> They look very similar in color to Pristellas, but instead of yellow, white and black on the fin, they have orange/red, white and black on the fin, and they are a little bit rounder in shape. Very similar to a Serpae Tetra, but the same color in body to the Pristella. Sort of like a Bleeding Heart, but without the red heart spot! Haha.....so, can you please help me identify my cute new friends? Thanks, Anne <Mmm, not from this description (perhaps a photo...). Do try placing these words one at time in your search tool: Hyphessobrycon, Pristella... and select "Photos"... do you see your fish? Bob Fenner> Re: Tetra Question -08/24/08 I have one picture, but it's not very good. I have tried to search online for two days, and can't figure out what the fish is. If all else fails, I'll go back to Dallas North and look for myself. What do you think? Thanks again! <... I think you should re-read the first corr. and look... it's there. B>

Hyphessobrycon bentosi?

Difference between FW fish species...    2/24/08
Hi! I just wanted to know what is the difference between an albino Buenos Aires tetra and an albino tinfoil barb. They look so alike and I want to make sure my LFS didn't give me the wrong fish. Thanks
<This is easy. Buenos Aires tetras (Hemigrammus anisitsi) have an adipose fin, whereas
Tinfoil barbs (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) do not. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Mystery fish! 12/30/07 Thank you so much for your suggestions. I've searched Fishbase, but so far haven't come up with a match. I was, however, successful in getting a couple of half-decent photos now that he seems more comfortable in the tank, and I'm attaching them here. It's a dark tank, so the quality isn't what it could be, but you can identify the number, shape, and placement of all fins if you look hard (they're unpigmented), see the markings (the upper band of black is more a trick of the lighting), and the mouth shape. Perhaps someone will see the picture and say "oh, of course!" <For what it's worth, I have no idea what this fish is. I'm a bit confused by the anal fin/pelvic fin arrangement. If it's a gonopodium, then it is most probably a Poeciliidae of some sort; Goodeidae tend to have less well developed gonopodia. But at first glance the fish looked like some sort of Characidium or perhaps some sort of Cyprinidae. The problem with the Cyprinidae is that there are literally thousands of species there, and many are elongate, small, and have a black bar along the midline of the flank. Does he have an adipose fin? Is there a gap between the pelvic fins and the anal fin? Is the mouth equipped with teeth or not? Cheers, Neale.>

Characidium my guess. RMF

Can you identify this for me 10/14/07 I am curious to know what kind of fish this is. I found it on the web, but so far haven't found out what it is...Thanks so much! Tamara <Tamara, would be happy too... but you sent no photo or link to photo on the web. Try again, and we'll give it the old college try! Cheers, Neale.> Re: can you identify this for me my apologies, I guess I didn't click the attach button...here it is again. Thanks!! Tamara <Greetings. That's an Emperor Tetra, Nematobrycon palmeri. And yes, they do look like that... but only when mature, and only in well-maintained tanks with a dark substrate and lots of plants. Ideally, with blackwater extract added or peat granulate in the filter. Too often they are kept in generic aquaria with plain gravel and not enough plants, and in response their colours become much more subdued (this is actually very, very common with freshwater fish, and one reason people *think* freshwater fish are less colourful than marines). So, you need a tank with lots of plants to produce shade, black sand (non-calcareous of course), good water quality, and water chemistry around 6.0-7.5, low to moderate hardness. As with any other fish, they get the best colours when well cared for, and that includes a nice varied diet including both meaty (bloodworms, daphnia, etc.) and green (algae-based flake) foods. The males are quite feisty, so keep a good size group with more females than males if you can. Six would be a good start, but ten would be better. (People often just buy males of these and other fish, but paradoxically this does nothing to enhance the look of the tank: You need enough males that they all "colour up" while displaying to one another, but also enough females that the males get "in the mood" in the first place, and also enough females that aggression between males is diluted throughout the school.) Colour also depends on what lighting you use: blue lights (like Tritons) will accentuate the blue colours on the fish, while purple lights (like Gro Lux) bring out the red/purple shades. So a mix of lamps in the hood would be ideal. Lovely, lovely fish, though often underrated when seen in bare, brightly-lit tanks at the shops. There's a look-alike species called Inpaichthys kerri, sometimes sold as the Emperor, but among aquarists better known as the Blue Tetra. As its name suggests, it is more blue than purple, but otherwise the two species are very much alike in requirements and habits. Both are excellent community fish. Cheers, Neale>

Tetra ID
How can I identify tetra.  I've tried to find out but found nothing.   It's important.
<browse through our archives at www.wetwebmedia.com to find your fish or a similar fish. Take note of similar genera and then carry them over to http://www.fishbase.org to search a huge database for the species you seek. Best regards, Anthony>

Mystery Tetra - 08/04/2005
Hello,
<Hi, Lynn!  Sabrina sleuthing with you today....>
You guys seem to be my last hope.  I've been to fishbase, Googled the web and searched your site extensively.  I found a fish when I was at one of the local Fish stores, and I decided to come home and research the fish first.  There was nothing on the tank other than the common name, and all the fish people were up to their elbows in questions.  The name of the fish is the Similan Tetra.  On the tank was a note saying that although they look like neons and cardinals, they are not the same fish.  I assumed I would be able to track the fish down on Fishbase, so I didn't bother any of the fish store employees to get the Latin name (last time I do that).
<Can you describe this fish in detail?  I'm familiar with a great many tetras, and I've got a few friends that are tetra freaks, so among us, perhaps we can figure this out.>
I would really appreciate any help you may be able to give me identifying what the Latin name is so I can do more research before I try to add it to my stocking list for my brand new Tetra tank.  The fish store is 2 hours away, so I can't just run over there and ask.  My tank is cycled and my quarantine tank will be up this weekend (sponge filter in the main, cycled tank) all per the guidelines y'all have on your website.
<Excellent!>
You guys are my only hope on identifying this Tetra!  I've delayed stocking any fish for the last week while I tried to track down this fish.  Thank you for any help you might be able to give me with this question.
<None, without a very detailed description....  If you write back, put my name in the subject line.>
~Lynn
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Mystery Tetra - II - 08/07/2005
Sabrina,
<Hello again, Lynn!>
Sorry for not describing the fish.  It looked like a neon tetra, but with Blue and Green stripes (kinda blended together) instead of the red and blue.  The ones they had were between a tank on neons on the left and cardinals on the right.  I don't know the ages of the fish, but the neons were smaller and the cardinals  were bigger than the Similans.  The Similans were under an inch long maybe .75 inches or so.  Other than that, they pretty much looked like neon tetras with green & blue bodies.  
<Mm, a number of possibilities, here; take a look at Paracheirodon simulans, the "green neon" tetra - http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12394&genusname=Paracheirodon&speciesname=simulans .  Also Boehlkea fredcochui - http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12341&genusname=Boehlkea&speciesname=fredcochui .  Be sure to do google image searches on the Latin names.  P. simulans' species name does indeed suggest it might be a match.>
If I can figure out what this little guy is, and if he is compatible, I would like to house him in a 55 gal planted tank.  I'm thinking about stocking Clown loaches (3 for snail control),
<Any chance you would consider a smaller species of loach?  I find that Botia striata are one of the most efficient snail eaters I've ever met - and they top out around a couple inches.  Clowns are slow growers, but I've seen 'em well over a foot in length.  Just something to consider.>
Otos (6 - start with 8 with one or two heading over to the Beta Tank when it starts looking green), Corys (4- start with 7 because 3 will move over to the Beta tank in a month or two) false rummy-nose tetras (8), black neon tetras (8), neon tetras (8), and maybe these little green/blue mystery guys (8).  
<To be quite honest, I would assume these mystery fish are quite compatible and have similar care requirements.  P. simulans should be a fine addition, if that is what they are.  Worst case scenario?  Take 'em back to the store if they don't work out.  I normally do NOT advocate purchasing something you know next-to-nothing about, but when faced with a brand new fish I've never, ever seen in stores before, I often will start rearranging tanks so I'll have a quarantine for them. ;) >
Thanks Sabrina for your help!
<You bet!  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Freshwater fish identifications, ChuckR
Hi there
I need to identify two fish to find out more about them.
The one was called a "black widow" in the shop I bought it from. Its shape is very similar to a silver dollar. It is mostly black on the top half of its body and the tail is silver. Aprox 2cm long. I've looked everywhere for information on this fish but can not get anything, except black widow tetra, which I do not think it is. (saw a picture somewhere)
< The black skirt tetra is sometimes called the black widow tetra. If this is not your fish then you will need to provide more info like a photo.>
The other fish is definitely a goby, no doubt about that. It is white with black spots, and a small black "stripe" at the back of its top fin. The sizes are aprox 3 & 5cm each. The shop owner said its a spotted goby and that the female is the bigger one of the two, but alas, I can find no information/pictures on what it actually is. It is a very shay fish.
<Look at photos of the knight goby (Stigmatogobius sadanundio ). Males have longer fins.>
Both are freshwater fish.
I've got two male guppies in the tank and sometime during today, the one lost half of its tail fin.
I doubt that it will be the "black widow" because they've been sharing a tank for 2 months now.
< The gobies are capable of biting the tail of smaller fish thinking that they are food.-Chuck>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Jaco
Ps. If it is a stupid question or I can find the info somewhere else, please tell me so.

Freshwater fish identifications, BobF
Hi there
I need to identify two fish to find out more about them.
The one was called a "black widow" in the shop I bought it from. Its shape is very similar to a silver dollar. It is mostly black on the top half of its body and the tail is silver. Aprox 2cm long. I've looked everywhere for information on this fish but can not get anything, except black widow tetra, which I do not think it is. (saw a picture somewhere)
<Likely a Black Skirt Tetra... there are varieties, differences within this species: http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characins2/a/blackwidow.htm>
The other fish is definitely a goby, no doubt about that. It is white with black spots, and a small black "stripe" at the back of its top fin. The sizes are aprox 3 & 5 cm each. The shop owner said its a spotted goby and that the female is the bigger one of the two, but alas, I can find no information/pictures on what it actually is. It is a very shy fish.
<Maybe a knight goby: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracgobioids.htm>
Both are freshwater fish.
I've got two male guppies in the tank and sometime during today, the one lost half of its tail fin.
<Could be from either of the above>
I doubt that it will be the "black widow" because they've been sharing a tank for 2 months now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Jaco
Ps. If it is a stupid question or I can find the info somewhere else, please tell me so.
<Be chatting, Bob Fenner who encourages you to investigate before you buy livestock>