Newb To Tetras

I want a school of deep bodied tetras for my new ~50g tank. Ive never owned any, I need a hardy less nippy species is over 1.5". I'm leaning towards Bleeding Heart Tetras, but can't find any info on if they are as nippy/aggressive they are (Compared red/black phantom tetra, black/white skirt tetra, etc)



I'm considering a Leapord Bush Ctenapoma, so the tetra has to be big enough to not get eaten, but also want either Honey Gourami or pearl gourami, so I don't want the tetra to shred them apart.

 

Bleeding Heart Tetras aren't nippy fish. Look at Columbian Tetras. A big, pretty blue and red Tetra. Black Phantoms are a very pretty Tetra, but doesn't get near as big as a Bleeding Heart or a Columbian.

 

thanks! ARE red or black phantoms as nippy as skirts and serpaes?

Is there any species of tetra deep OR slender bodied that have some black coloring on them that are big enough to not get eaten but not nippy? (why I liked the phantoms and skirts)

 

None of the color morphs of the Phantom Tetra are nippy. Blackskirts aren't nippy either providing you buy 5 or 6 of them. The Buenos Aires Tetras are big & fast. Red, silver and a little black near the tail fin. Again, get at least 5.
Almost any on line fish site you visit has the "can be nippy" disclaimer when describing Tetras. Most Tetras aren't.

 

Ironically I went to a tiny LFS, nothing unique, there but one tank of soley columbian and bleeding hearts (Ive never seen columbians before), they look and act very well suited together, I was going to get a bigger school of one species, but now I'm thinking 6 bleeding hearts, 5 Colombians, that should be fine right? (stress/aggression, as you say all tetras have a nippy disclaimer specially when theyre in smaller groups)

 

I love my bleeding heart tetras. Diamond tetras have the same shape, but not the size. I have 10 black skirts and they have settled down but when I got them first they wanted to chase an older black skirt I had. I had 1 black skirt for about 3 years and that fish was just fine. Not aggressive in the least. Then I put in 9 young ones, and it was perkier and fought a bit, but they learned to live together after sorting out dominance issues.

I find my bleeding hearts to be sedentary. They just kind of sit around not doing much. They like to be together but they are more shoaling fish than schooling fish, in other words, they like to have others of their species around to congregate with, but they do not necessarily travel with them. This is the way the diamond tetra is as well.

Stenapoma get massive. I think they would get eaten in the end. I do angelfish and bleeding hearts, because I like all my fish (in each tank) to come from approximately the same place.

 

I have 7 white skirts and they get to be good sized, 2.5-3 inches. They are very hardy, easy fish imo. Never had an issue with them being nippy.

 

I have 7 white skirts and they get to be good sized, 2.5-3 inches. They are very hardy, easy fish imo. Never had an issue with them being nippy.

What else do you have in there? I read they go after passive and/or long finned fish and are one of the nippier tetra species (aside from serpaes who seem to have the worst reputation for nipping).

I love that 2 white skirts, 2 black skirts, and 2 glofish tetras can be combined as one school.Really love that theyre sold everywhere, and cost under $2. The other, bigger, draw back aside from possibly nipping is Ive been warned not to get them as my other fish should be kept at 78-80, and then need it cooler than that.

I was so disappointed when I was told I can't get them, but there are so many great tetras that I wish a got a second much larger tank to keep all of them (lemon, both phantom varients, emporer, skirts, serpae, congo, bleeding heart, and now columbian)

 

I've had them with platies, rams, other tetras, cories, and even a female betta with no problems. As for temps, I'm not an expert, but as far as I know they should be perfectly fine at 78.