New Fish Tank Tips: Don’t follow the 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water rule. A better guide would probably be 1 inch of fish per 2 or 3 gallons of water. Use the future adult size of your fish when computing how many fish you can keep. Resist the temptation to overcrowd your tank. The more tropical fish you have the more often you will have to perform fish tank maintenance.
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The black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) also known as the black skirt tetra or black widow tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) (which includes all tetras, including the piranha), of order Characiformes. It is native to the Paraguay and Guaporé River basins of southern Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia.
The black widow tetra feeds on small crustaceans, insects, and worms.
The black widow tetra is a common fish that can be readily acquired from aquarium dealers. It requires warm water (78 degrees F or 26 degrees C). This fish, like most tetras, needs soft, acid water, pH 6.5-6.8, with plenty of plants. Although not generally aggressive towards other species, black tetras can be violent amongst themselves, with weaker fishes often chased and nipped by their superiors. The black tetra is an omnivore and will eat nearly anything it can fit into its mouth, but care must be taken to ensure that all members of the school receive adequate food. If the food is too large, the tetra will lose interest and leave it to sink and decay, so the size of the food particles must be appropriate. It is best to keep a school of 5 black tetras in a medium tank.
The black widow tetra reaches sexual maturity at about two years of age. They will spawn in water 78 degrees F. A separate spawning tank, heavily planted and at least 15 gallons, is recommended. Like most characins, black tetras spawn by intermittently releasing and fertilizing eggs among the plants. These fish are frequent egg-eaters and must be removed after spawning. The young are easy to raise, subsisting on newly hatched brine shrimp or powdered processed foods.
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