Are Tetra Fish Tropical Fish? Classification and Living Habits of Tetra Fish
Tetra fish are a type of schooling fish, originally a group of small characin fish native to the Amazon River basin in South America. Because of aquascaped tanks that simulate the "tropical rainforest," they spread in popularity from the Netherlands in Western Europe all the way to the mainland. As key stars of planted tanks, they swim among the aquatic plants with brilliantly colorful bodies, especially the red, blue or green glow on their bodies. Let us take a look below at whether tetra fish are tropical fish!
Are tetra fish tropical fish?
Tetra fish are tropical fish. Tetra fish are the most numerous type among tropical ornamental fish. Their characteristics are a petite body, rich colors and a gentle temperament. Most have an adipose fin, and only very few species lack it. They all have teeth in the mouth. Most characins like to live in weakly acidic soft water between 22 and 28 degrees, with scattered light being best for lighting, and some species need to live in a darker environment.
Tips for selecting tetra fish
1. Check whether the fish swims steadily: if it stays near the water surface with its head tilted upward, it has likely not adapted to the water quality. Absolutely do not buy this kind of fish.
2. Check whether the fish's color is uniform: if the color is dull, the fish may not have adapted to the water quality or may be sick, though this problem can also occur if the fish has been startled.
3. Choose tetra fish with an even body shape: note that the fish's back must not be "sunken." If it is sunken, it may be an old fish. Moreover, tetra fish can get a disease in which the back first sinks down, then the belly becomes thin, and the fish slowly dies with no cure. So pay special attention to this when buying, and do not bring fish with poor health home.
Common types of tetra fish
1. Cardinal tetra: The scientific name of the cardinal tetra is Paracheirodon axelrodi, also known as the new red neon tetra. It is native to Brazil in South America. It is petite and slender, with a body length of about 4 to 5 cm. Its body is laterally compressed and spindle-shaped, with a relatively wide head and caudal peduncle and a rounded, blunt snout. Its most obvious feature is a bright blue-green band on the upper half of the body, with a red patch on the lower rear belly. Its whole body has a metallic luster and sparkles, and it is especially beautiful when swimming. It has a gentle temperament and is best kept in groups. Its swimming posture is lively and cheerful, making it very endearing.
2. Neon tetra: The scientific name of the neon tetra is Paracheirodon innesi, a fish of the genus Paracheirodon in the family Characidae. Its whole body is shrouded in a blue-green glow. From the head to the tail there is a bright blue-green band, and below the blue-green band on the rear half of the body there is also a short red band. The belly is silvery white. The red band and blue band run through the whole body, dazzling to the eye. Under different light or in different environments, the color of the bands is sometimes deeper and sometimes lighter. Because of its extremely gorgeous body color, it has the reputation of being the "queen" among tropical fish and is a very popular ornamental fish.
3. Black neon tetra: The scientific name of the black neon tetra is Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi, also known as the black tetra, black neon, black lamp tube and so on. It is a small ornamental fish of the genus Hyphessobrycon in the family Characidae, order Characiformes. In the wild it is distributed along the tropical primeval forests along the lower reaches of the Amazon River. It is brightly colored, crystal clear and small and exquisite. When kept in the same tank with other tetra fish, this fish appears elegant and outstanding, and is much loved.
4. Lambchop rasbora: The lambchop rasbora is also known as the glowlight rasbora, lemon tetra, Australian lemon tetra and so on. Its body is spindle-shaped and slightly laterally compressed, with a forked caudal fin, and its body length can reach 5 cm. Its dorsal fin, anal fin and caudal fin are all red with white edges, while the pectoral fins and pelvic fins are colorless and transparent. In the middle of the body, from the pelvic fins to the base of the caudal fin, there is a black triangular pattern, so it is also called the blue triangle or black triangle fish.
5. Flame tetra: The flame tetra, also known as the fire tetra, is distributed in the Peruvian Amazon River basin. Its body length is only 2 cm, and its whole body appears bright red, so it is also called the flame tetra and ruby tetra. If this fish is kept in weakly acidic water, it will show a gem-like red color. It is easy to keep, but care is needed when keeping it with other fish, because its small size makes it prone to being swallowed by other fish.