Type of tetras to go with a Amazonian set-up

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

As some of you already know, I am setting up a 2 feet tank for plecos. I am trying to keep fishes from the same distribution. Hence, tetras come into play. I do have problems trying to find out the best type to keep with my plecos. Please note that there will be a few apistogrammas and 1 checkerboard in that tank. I am also trying to keep only wild caught ones and not farm bred ones.

Initally I was thinking neon tetra, but after reading some of the posts, most neon tetra are bred in Czech.

Top of my mind

1. Ember tetra
2. Serpae tetras
3. Flame tetras.

I do want them to school. I saw Yishun 618 has a 2 footer that has about 50 neon tetras and they look rather good schooling.

Any suggestions?

[illumnae]

have you considered green neons or ruby tetras? i recommend against serpae tetras as they can grow rather large and get very nippy. Flame tetras are also rather rare locally aren't they? i've only ever seen them (usually wrongly labelled) at Wu Hu

[wasabi8888]

Illumnae

geen neons are one option. Are they usually wild?

rUBY tetras are out because I do not think they school and most importantly, my apisto will eat them

[Simon]

Jeff

don't think tetra will school together in a small tank

[Puffer]

I may be worried about the bioload...plecos, apistos and now tetras....

[illumnae]

apistos won't eat ruby tetras i had 3 in my 1ft cube with a super aggressive Ap. bitaeniata and they were not eaten. Even the Boraras brigittae, which are smaller than the ruby tetras i had, were not eaten (except 1 i think, the other 9 have been there for half a year unscathed). the worst that could probably happen is a few of the tetras get killed, until the apistos are comfortable and confidant of protecting fry from the number left. my Ap. sp "Rio Mamore" would never allow more than 3 T. espeii to stay alive despite my restocking. Same thing happened with i think lee1224 where the apistos killed his tetras until a certain number were left then stopped

as for schooling, i think the tetras might school because of the presence of apistos/checkerboards which they would view as a threat.

green neons i think are mostly wild stock from what i've read in other threads.

[wasabi8888]

I may be worried about the bioload...plecos, apistos and now tetras....

Running on a Eheim 2028. Filtration should be ok. I can always add another internal filter and my tank will be a washing machine.

apistos won't eat ruby tetras i had 3 in my 1ft cube with a super aggressive Ap. bitaeniata and they were not eaten. Even the Boraras brigittae, which are smaller than the ruby tetras i had, were not eaten (except 1 i think, the other 9 have been there for half a year unscathed). the worst that could probably happen is a few of the tetras get killed, until the apistos are comfortable and confidant of protecting fry from the number left. my Ap. sp "Rio Mamore" would never allow more than 3 T. espeii to stay alive despite my restocking. Same thing happened with i think lee1224 where the apistos killed his tetras until a certain number were left then stopped

as for schooling, i think the tetras might school because of the presence of apistos/checkerboards which they would view as a threat.

green neons i think are mostly wild stock from what i've read in other threads.

It's just that i kep rubies in my previous 2 feet and it was gone in a couple of days. Well, that was a planted tank with male apistogrammas only. Maybe that's the reason.

Jeff

don't think tetra will school together in a small tank

I used to think so until I saw the Y618 tank.

[oblivion]

It's just that i kep rubies in my previous 2 feet and it was gone in a couple of days. Well, that was a planted tank with male apistogrammas only. Maybe that's the reason.


I used to think so until I saw the Y618 tank.

from what i see in my own tank, once the tetras learn to be smart enough in terms of how to live with the apisto around, they seem to do fine
that and of course enough space for them to run!

have you considered that the y618 tetras school nicely due to the constant disturbance and scares they get from the unending stream of customers?
seems like the same situation as with living with an apisto
the signs of constant possible danger seem to make them school nicely
that and them being in sufficient numbers imo