Colored Skirt TetraColored White Skirt TetraFamily: Characidae Gymnocorymbus ternetziPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David BroughLatest Reader Comment - See More Hi I have two blue skirt tetra's and one has something wrong with it's one eye,since i got them this has bin a problem with my one tera now. It started by... (more) Melody With its naturally occurring colors the Colored Skirt Tetra is a beauty, developed by breeders to bring out the best of its soft pastels!Colored Skirt Tetra Contents A commonly available and popular fish, the Colored Skirt Tetra is a strain of fish developed from the White Tetra that have a natural pink or blue coloration. The White Tetra itself was developed from the Blackskirt Tetra. Like its predecessor, this fish also makes a very good fish for the beginner. It is very active and fast moving, but does have a tendency towards fin nipping. Because of this it should not be kept with smaller fishes, but will do very well in a community tank with larger fishes. These fish are a bit more difficult to breed than the White Tetra, probably because of their being highly inbred already. The Colored Skirt Tetras like a well lit tank with dense areas of bunched low vegetation, which leaves lots of open areas for swimming. Being a schooling fish they will appreciate the company of their own kind, a standard school is made up of about 7 fish. They are hardy at 70° F to 90° F, but are prone to develop ick if kept in colder temperatures. White Skirt Tetras are often dyed in various pastels colors. Both natural and artificially dyed specimens are sold under various colored names like the Blueberry Tetra, Strawberry Tetra, or Rainbow Tetra. Be sure to inquire about which type of specimen you are obtaining. Learn more about Artificial Colored Fish below. For more Information on keeping this fish see: |
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Habitat: Distribution / Background
The BlackSkirt Tetra 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 of the skirt tetras are captive bred for the aquarium industry and the Colored Skirt Tetra is a captive bred color morph.
The Colored Skirt Tetra is a deep-bodied species and laterally compressed. It is distinguished 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. It is very light, almost transparent looking with a natural pink or blue coloration, and it lacks the black stripes of its parentage.
About Artificially Colored Fish:
Many albino and transparent type fishes make an ideal 'canvas' for applying color to an otherwise rather plain specimen. For quite sometime, artificially dyed specimens were thought of as an intriguing and eye-catching addition to the home aquarium. Today however, as more has been learned of the processes involved, there are some serious concerns about the practice. Concerns are over the initial stress and possible pain to the fish, followed by a possibly higher susceptibility to infection during the process.
![]() Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Jackie Murphy |
Color is added to fish by various methods:
Those fish that survive the injection processes reportedly go on to live fairly normal lives, though the dyes usually fade with time. This may be true for fish subjected to the overall dying process as well. There have been reports with the colored botias, of the fish possibly having shortened lives and possibly developing other abnormalities. As a consumer you will want to be aware of these concerns. The combined buying power of aquarists makes a difference on what is made available
Since they are omnivorous the Colored Skirt 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.
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.
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.
The Colored Skirt Tetra are egg layers. See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.
The Colored Skirt Tetra is readily available and is inexpensive. Both these and the artificially dyed specimens are sold under the names Blueberry Tetra, Strawberry Tetra, or Rainbow Tetra. Be sure to inquire which type of specimen you are obtaining.
Animal-World References
Freshwater Fish and Plants
Tropical Fish ~ Freshwater Fish ~ Aquatic Plants
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