Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Characins > Blackskirt Tetra

Blackskirt TetraBlack Tetra ~ Black Widow

Family: Characidae

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Gymnocorymbus ternetziPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     First introduced into the United States in the 1930's, the Blackskirt Tetra is one of the most popular aquarium fish!

     The Blackskirt Tetra, also known as the Black Tetra or Black Widow, is a good fish for the beginner as it is very hardy, undemanding, and easily bred. It is a real beauty in a community aquarium. It is very active and fast moving though it can tend towards fin nipping. Because of this they should not be kept with smaller fishes, but will do very well in a community tank with larger fishes.

     Being a schooling fish the Blackskirt will appreciate the company of its own kind. How many fish make a school?... the standard answer is 7. They also like a well lit tank with dense areas of bunched low vegetation which will leave lots of open areas to swim in. They are hardy at 70 ° F to 90 ° F, but are prone to develop ick if kept in colder temperatures.

Various strains of the Blackskirt Tetra have also been developed:

• A long-finned variety, the Blackskirt Hifin Tetra, was first developed in Europe. It is also very popular and is readily available. These fish are a bit more difficult to breed than the Blackskirt Tetra, probably because of their being highly inbred already. They are also referred to as the Longfin Blackskirt Tetra, Long-fin Black Widow or Longfinned Black Tetra.
• Strains in a natural white, pink, and blue have also been developed. Of these the White Tetra or Goldenskirt Tetra has become very common followed by the Colored Skirt Tetra. It is sometimes artificially dyed in various pastels colors and sold as a Colored Tetra or under various colored names such as the Blueberry Tetra, Strawberry Tetra, or Rainbow Tetra.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:      The BlackSkirt Tetra, also known as the Black Tetra or Black Widow, was described by Boulenger in 1895. They are found in South America in Paraguay and Guapore Basins where they inhabit the upper layers of the water feeding on worms, small crustaceans and insects. Many are captive bred for the aquarium industry.

Status:      The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:      The Blackskirt Tetra is a deep-bodied species and laterally compressed. It is distinguished by two vertical stripes and by what appears to be overly developed dorsal and anal fins. These make it appear as if though it has a "skirt", with most of its mass on the bottom half of the body. The fine black color changes to a gray in the adult.

NOTE:
This fish is not to be confused with its' cousin, also called the Black Tetra Gymnocorymbus thayeri. G. thayeri is lighter with not as bold a coloration and lacks the vertical striping. It also has a more convex anal fin rather than rounding out. The Black Tetra is also a shyer fish and not as hardy as the Blackskirt.

Size - Weight:      These fish get up to 2.25 inches (5.5 cm). Will breed at 1.5 inches.

Care and feeding:      Since they are omnivorous the Blackskirt Tetra will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen) or blood worms as a treat.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:      These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:      Hardness: to 30 ° dGH
     Ph: 5.8 to 8.5
     Temp: 70-79 ° F (21-26 ° C)

Social Behaviors:      They are active and can be semi-aggressive fin nippers. They should be kept in a community aquarium with fish the same size or larger. With age they become a more sedentary fish.

Sexual Differences:      The male's dorsal fin is more narrowed and more pointed. Also, the male's frontal portion of the "skirt" or anal fin is noticeably broad while the female's "skirt" tends to run parallel to the stomach line. A mature female is also more plump.

Breeding/Reproduction:      The Black Tetra, Black Widow, or Blackskirt Tetra are egg layers. They are easily breed with a good pairing. The biggest challenge is that the young are prone to starving to death if they are in a dark tank and can't find a food source. The fry should have plenty of light, both day and night, until they are large enough to eat freshly hatched brine shrimp.      See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Black Skirt Tetras From LiveAquaria.com

Photo Courtesy: Fish2U

Availability:      The Blackskirt Tetra, also sold as the Black Tetra or Black Widow, is readily available.

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Latest Comments
What is the yellow stuff at the bottom the the tank in the gravel. Can they live in distilled water. Does fish places sell both male and female. how fast do you need to change the water when it turns gray. Lachele Tyson 2010-02-02
We started out with 10 red eye tetras and they are great, but seemed shy. We then added 10 of the black skirts and they are so happy together. The red eye get along well and the black skirts are all over our 40 gallon tank. The few bigger ones are getting fat and they swim fast. They all swim together in same motions, it's great. I'll always keep a fish tank and the tetras will be a part of our family always. brandy.j. 2009-11-26
I have 3 black skirt tetras in my 10 gal. tank. The tank sits next to my 6yr olds bed. I think the fish are real cute. They all go their separate ways during the day, but come my son's bed time, they all migrate to his side of the tank. They are right in his face while he is laying there watching them as he drifts off to sleep. It is such a site to see. Jennifer D. 2009-05-30
Hi, I'm a "newbie". After reading comments and research during the long cycling period, I decided to start with 3 of these guys. What a wonderful fish! I then proceded to get 3 more. 6 total. They are a joy to watch. They swim in all areas the tank and school well. They are like sharks when it comes to feeding time (they have a good appetite). I have since added 5 green corys, they don't bother them at all. I would recommend these to anyone. Vel 2009-05-15
I have 3 of these guys cycling my new 20 gallon aquarium. They are very fast fish! I can hardly keep my eye on them when they dart around. Mine are easily scared, if I walk up to the tank too quickly they shoot around. Their fins are very pretty and I like their stripes. Mine have been nippy at times, one morning I woke up to find the biggest one with a split dorsal fin... Hopefully it heals soon. derek 2009-02-17
Some of the coolest comments:
Black Tetras are superb fish for newbies, but they are also excellent fish for the best of display tanks. I have a large school of them in a 300 gallon show tank in our living room; they are heavenly and get along great with the other community fish within the tank (i.e., Glowlight Tetras, Bloodfins, Buenos Aires Tetras, Red Glass Barbs, and Flame Tetras). I've had gorgeous Discus fish and Angel fish for years, in the show tank... but the masses of Black Tetras and other fish are just as beautiful, in their own way! I've had tropical fish since my grade school years; I'm now around 60 years old... and I know top quality fish when I see them. These pert, black beauties may be common and inexpensive... but as Walt Whitman sagaciously suggested... some of the best things in life are free. These fish, like flat miniature versions of Silver Dollars, carry themselves well, looking like content butterflies. They are never aggressive when kept in larger groups. They are very hardy and stay out at the front of the tank, displaying well. I even have a picture of one for the wallpaper for my computer! Thomas Pietruszka 2010-01-18
I have two black-skirt tetras in a ten gallon tank. These fish were kept with three danios (two long finned), two ghost shrimp, an ADF, and one chinese alge eater. These tetras DO NOT like long-finned fish. It nipped at my betta's tail when he was in the tank, and had recently killed one of my danios, I give the other one till the morning... his fin has been nipped at and is frayed from the ends. The small finned danio is fine. Also the chinese alge eater loves them. They are great fish to keep, i just suggest that you try not to add new fish, nor put them with long-tailed fish. Katie 2009-11-27
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
The info here is very helpful to us newbie aquarium hobbyists. We just started our 20 gallon high tank with three Black Tetras. At first they were reserved and confined themselves to an area of cover. We are one day into this now, and they are more comfortable, alternate between hanging around the plastic leaves and darting around, occasionally nipping at each other. We are told to wait at least a week before adding more fish. We had a false start dealing with a chain pet store before we wised up and visited a real fish store with expert advice. -Bob in St. Clair Shores, Mich. Bob Doetsch 2005-04-06

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