Lemon Tetra Keepers - What Do You Feed Them?

HI all, first time poster here.

I've had a school of nine lemon tetras for about nine or ten months now. After this long, I still have trouble getting them to eat. I usually feed Omega One Super Color Sinking MinI Pellets, but sometimes flakes. They simply don't seem that interested. They never come up to the top to eat, and only seem to go after food if it sinks down right in front of them. With the pellets, I often see them grab them and then spit them out. They often don't even seem to notice flakes. Obviously, they're getting some kind of nutrients because I've had them this long.

Is there anything in particular that those of you who own lemon tetras feed them?

I settled on lemon tetras because they were recommended by my local fish store as good tank mates in a community with a betta. I sometimes wonder if they're not stressed due to the betta, but he seems to leave them alone, and vice versa. They're may be some kind of a stress factor, though. I'm currently battling an infection in one of the tetra's gills. However, I'm treating with Fin & Body Cure and he seems to be improving.

• Tank is 20G high, with a SunSun HW402B filter (264GPH with UV sterilizer).
• Started about a year ago, via fishless cycle.
• Planted, with swords, java fern, moneywort, ludwigia, and cryptocoryne.
• The water usually around 7.9 pH. I usually do a 25%-30% water change every 1.5 - 2 weeks.
• Stock is:
  • 1 male paradise betta
  • 9 lemon tetras
  • 3 peppered corydoras
  • 1 albino bushynose
  • 1 golden mystery snail.

Thanks all

 

I have I think 18 lemon tetras. I feed them flakes and pellets. The flakes are omega brands. They seem to like it.

Your fish might be picky if you recently changed foods. They might be stressed to if they feel like they might get attacked.

Eventually they’ll have to eat. They might be eating whatever they find in the water column.

The BN worries me with your tank. Tank is kind of small for that fish that produces a lot of waste.

 

Mine are piggies, they go NUTS for brine shrimp though, maybe pick up some frozen to try? (Your betta will enjoy too

 

I have I think 18 lemon tetras. I feed them flakes and pellets. The flakes are omega brands. They seem to like it.
Your fish might be picky if you recently changed foods. They might be stressed to if they feel like they might get attacked.

Eventually they’ll have to eat. They might be eating whatever they find in the water column.

I've been using the pellets almost every day for probably a good six months or so. I did try some flakes yesterday, and I did see them going for those. Good call on eating stuff in the water column, that's a possibility.

The BN worries me with your tank. Tank is kind of small for that fish that produces a lot of waste.

Really? Talking to the owner of my local fish store, it seemed like it would be okay as long as I kept up with cleaning/water changes and continued using such a large filter. I know they produce more waste than other fish, but so far I haven't noticed a drastic increase in gunk in my substrate. I was having a terrible algae problem, even with my lights on for only 4.75 hrs a day. This gal (I think it's a female since she doesn't have all the bushiness) has gotten it under control.

Mine are piggies, they go NUTS for brine shrimp though, maybe pick up some frozen to try? (Your betta will enjoy too

Thanks, I may have to give them a try. I was so used to the Buenos Aires Tetras in my other tank being totally ravenous that seeing these guys being so ambivalent about food was getting to me.

 

I keep a school of lemon tetras. My tank is 120 gallon though. I noticed they live to swim quickly and use the whole 5ft length of my tank, way more active and faster than other medium sized tetras I've kept. They are also nippier than the other tetras I've kept and I love to keep them in a larger school like you have them.

I noticed if the fish aren't used to pellets, they will spit them out and retake them. If they are too big for their mouths, they may just let them fall. I usually have to train new fish that aren't fed pellets in the store to eat them. It usually takes me about a week or so to get them to accept it fully. If the pellet sizes are too big, I just crush them into smaller bits. I even feed my baby fish crushed pellets because I find them less messy than flake.

They absolutely could be used to eating beneath the surface. I let a few pellet pieces go (holding them between my fingers underwater) at a time and let the tetras eat them all. My angelfish eat bigger pellets from the surface while the tetras frenzy feed in the water column about halfway strata. I only feed a few bits at a time and make sure they are eaten up.

I never had a problem with them being picky, I alternate between Omega One, NLS and North Fin pellets as a staple. Frozen, freeze-dried and Bug Bites food as a treat once a week or so.

 

If the pellet sizes are too big, I just crush them into smaller bits.

Wow, I can't believe I never thought to do that. Even though I found the smallest pellets I could, I had been afraid they were still too big, as my lemons are still pretty small.

 

HikarI Micro Pellets work well for me for my tetras (lemon and cardinals). Pellets are very small they can eat them easily. I also feed Bug Bites Community (small size). They love those too. If you feel like splurging, Repashy Grub Pie is a hit too (a gel food). They attack that like a pack of piranhas.

If they only eat mid column, like my cardinals, just presoak the pellets in some Garlic Guard or VitaChem, then after a few minutes add some tank water and pour it into the tank. The fish will quickly hunt down the pellets floating in the water column .