Aquarium Fish Gallery 1

This blog will give you general information's about some of the most popular aquarium species you can keep in your aqua-hobby. Join the Anabantoid, Livebearer and Characoid species. Happy fish-keeping !!!

1/24/2006

Rummy Nose Tetra

Hemigrammus bleheri
Rummy Nose Tetra is a very attractive shoaling fish from black waters of Amazon. It is an energetic swimmer and needs accordingly a roomy aquarium with open swimming space. It can be kept together with other small peaceful fish such as Corydoras or Apistogramma. Choosing black water species as tank mates has the advantage of common physical and chemical needs. Soft and acidic water. Its pronounced shoaling behavior is one of the features of Rummy Nose Tetra which makes it so popular among aquarists. A large group swimming around in a tight shoal, with bright red noses and checkerboard patterned tails is really a very attractive sight. Red-Nose Tetra is a gorgeous and social fish, it should be kept in groups of at least 12 individuals.
Despite of its black water origins Red-Nose Tetra may well be kept in harder water but the initial acclimatization is not always easy. Most commercial fish are wild-caught due to the species’ difficulty of breeding in captivity and the acclimatization of such fish may take quite a long time to acclimatize, if at all. Once acclimatized and recovered from its starved appearance Rummy Nose is an enduring fish which may live several years under adequate aquarium conditions. The cleanness of water is as important as the softness and acidity. Nitrite and nitrate levels must constantly be kept low and pH fluctuations must be avoided.
A bright red nose is a very good indicator of this species’ well-being. If Red-Nose does not feel itself comfortable or if it is just introduced to the aquarium and not yet adjusted to its new environment and shoal mates, the bright red will fade into a dull pink barely distinguishable from its white-gray body color. The checkerboard markings of the tail will fade too. You may have to wait several weeks to see the real potential of this beautiful, 5 cm long fish.
Will eat most commercial foods, as long as they a small in size, such as micro-pellets, or flakes.

Photo by Dusko Bojic