klstewar

my tank is fully cycled, chem levels are all perfect, so we introduced a blueberry painted tetra (which my boyfriend bought and hadn't researched, so didn't know the controversy. don't worry, we won't ever buy another!) and two black widow tetras. the blueberry is actually the most adventurous and swims all over the tank, but the black widows, especially one, are far less active. the one has literally sat in the same corner of the tank & only moved in about a 5 inch radius. the other one is becoming more active,but neither are as adventurous as the blueberry. ii'm thinking that he's probably just scared of the new surroundings, but 'm just worried that he's sick or in shock or something. any thoughts?

0morrokh

Thank you for deciding not to buy any more dyed fish!! That is a terrible thing they do to them just for money.

Anyway, I wouldn't be too worried about your fish right away as they need some time to settle in. Often new fish don't eat or hide all the time. Just give them time to get used to their new home.
Also, tetras need to be kept in shoals (groups) of at least six. Don't add any new fish for a while now, but you should eventually add some more Black Widows to help them feel secure. Sorry if you already know this, I just automatically tell it to everyone. Oh, and I'm assuming the painted tetra is a dyed albino version of the Black Widow, so I think he should shoal fine with the regular ones. And good luck with your new fishies!

klstewar

this morning is 100% better! they're all over the tank and even ate this morning! thanks for calming my fears yesterday. and yes, the blueberry shoals VERY well with the other two. he's actually quite the ring leader. they follow him everywhere! thanks!!

klstewar

another question:

i knew that tetras should be kept in groups of 6 and plan to add 3 more in a week or two, but i'm wondering if they have to be black widows? they're are plenty of tetras with the same body shape as the black widow, like the albino (which is what the blueberry probably really is), the bleeding heart, and the red cardinal to name a few..........

the blueberry/albino fits in great, so i guess i'm just wondering if other kinds would too or if they'd be better off all the same?

vin

It all depends on the species. Some will cozy right up, some won't.

0morrokh

Different species of tetras won't shoal, they can tell the difference even if the two kinds look similar to you. So Bleeding Hearts or other tetras wouldn't complete the shoal, if you want them you would have to get a separate shoal of them. However, different color strains should shoal together, so getting 3 albino Black Widows should work. Many people would prefer getting six of one exact type because identical fish look better in a shoal...but the fish won't care. By the way the dyed tetra will loose his color pretty fast and leave you with a regular albino tetra.

vin

Brass tetras and neons look great together in a shoal.

0morrokh

What are Brass Tetras??

vin

They look exactly like neons, except they are gold/brass in color. Very cool.

0morrokh

cool, never heard of those before.