Fish Data : Black Skirt Tetra

 

Scientific Name: Gymnocorymbus ternetzi 

Other Names: Black Tetra, Black Skirt Tetra

Family: Characidae

Origin: Rio Paraguay, Rio Guapore, Bolivia

Adult Size: 2 inches (5.5 cm)

Social: Peaceful, good community fish

Lifespan: 5 years

Tank Level: Mid dweller

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons

Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods

Breeding: Egglayer

Care: Easy

pH: 5.8 - 8.5

Hardness: up to 15 dGH

Temperature: 68-79 F (20-26 C)

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.

     One of the beset known representatives of the tetra family, the Black Widow Tetra, is easily recognized by the distinctive black dorsal and anal fins,

and vertical black stripes on its body. A number of long-finned and color varieties have been produced, some of which are artificially colored.

     Most notable of the color variations are the pastel blue and pink varieties, which are achieved via dyes. Any fish that may have been artificially
colored should be avoided.

     Once the Black Widow Tetra achieves its mature size at approximately one year, the dark coloration slowly begins to fade to a silvery gray.

   They remain relatively small, reaching an adult length of approximately two inches.A schooling fish by nature, Black Widow Tetras are best kept
 in groups of three or more. Due to their peaceful nature, they make an excellent community fish. Some owners report that they sometimes nip
the fins of slower moving fish, particularly those with long flowing fins such as Bettas or Angelfish.

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.  

Size - Weight:

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

Black Skirt tetra care:

    The Black Skirt tetra is a very hardy fish that is suitable for beginner aquarists. Since it is native to subtropical waters, it will appreciate a lower temperature than what is found in most tropical aquariums. Ideally keep the temperature between 20 and 26° C (68 and 79° F).

    The Black Skirt tetras can adapt to a wide range of conditions, but rapid changes and extreme conditions should naturally be avoided. The recommended pH range is 6-8 and the dH should be kept between 5 and 19.

    Try to mimic the natural Black Skirt tetra habitat when you set up the aquarium and include a lot of large plants. The Black Skirt tetra will appreciate subdued lighting. The recommended substrate is neutral coloured gravel.

 Acceptable Water Conditions:

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

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

Black Skirt tetra feeding:

    Wild Black Skirt tetras are mainly carnivores and feed on insects, worms and small crustaceans. They do however also ingest smaller amounts of algae and plant matter. Healthy Black Skirt tetras are happy eaters in the aquarium and will accept virtually any type of food. Keeping them on a varied diet is recommended. They will eat live and fresh food as well as frozen, freeze dried and flake food. You can use a high quality tropical flake food as a base, and combine it with worms, brine shrimp and spirulina. 

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.

Black Skirt tetra breeding:

     The wild Black Skirt tetras are very prolific and have a minimum population doubling time below 15 months. If you want to breed Black Skirt tetras in captivity, you should provide them with an aquarium that is densely planted with fine-leaved plants. The Black Skirt tetra is an egg-scattering species that prefers to release the eggs among fine-laved plants. The male will claim a territory during the breeding period and defend it. If you want to ensure a high fry survival rate, you should set up a separate breeding aquarium from which the parents can be removed as soon as the eggs have been released and fertilized. The eggs will typically hatch within 24 hours. Feed the fry egg yolk or newly hatched brine shrimp. As the fry grows larger, you can give them larger and larger brine shrimp.

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Credit : http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/blacktetra.html