Breeding Tetras

Tetras have a lovely peaceful disposition and attractive vivid colors, so they are popular additions to any community tank. Many people do not attempt breeding tetras because they take a little more time and effort, but it is well worth the little extra preparation involved. Possibly the easiest tetras to breed are the Black Skirt, Red Eye and Black Skirt. Tetras are a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of no less than eight. Because they are small, the visual effect in the aquarium is much better with a larger group.

To get the fish in the best possible condition for breeding they need a diet consisting of a good variety of foods. Live food, such as frozen brine shrimp and beef heart, blood worms and daphnia are excellent, together with the regular dry food. The water quality of the tank should be kept in perfect condition by making frequent water changes.

Tetras are egg-scatterers and therefore do not care for their young and eat the eggs, so it’s important to remove the parents as soon as spawning occurs. It is best to set up a breeding tank for tetras. Tetra eggs are sensitive to light, so the back and sides can be covered in black plastic to keep out the excess light, and direct lighting should not be used. A 5 gallon tank should be adequate. The best filter is one that can be stuck on the back of the tank with suction cups as the fry may be trapped under filters sitting on the bottom of the tank. Some Java moss or some type of bushy plant which stretches from the surface of the water to the bottom should be added, as the male will try to lure the female into a dense area. Alternatively an artificial spawning mop can be bought from an aquatic store. The temperature for the breeding tank should be in the high 70 degrees F – a few degrees higher than the parent tank.

When everything is ready to go, the prospective parents can be introduced to the tank and then it’s a matter of waiting for spawning to occur. This can take about an hour or two and is well worth observing. When ready the color of the male will become quite intense and he will shake and quiver in front of the female, dancing around her and then driving her to his spawning site in the plants or spawning mop. Then side by side, they appear to be pushing against each other and the female will shake and release a few eggs, while the male releases some milt and then they will separate. This is repeated many times until spawning is finished.

The parents should then be removed from the tank to allow the eggs to hatch. For the next 5 days the tank should be kept dark, and the tiny clear eggs will take about 24 hours to hatch. After another couple of days they attach themselves to the sides of the glass or the sponge filter. In about 5 or six days they become free swimming and some light can be let in gradually. The fry can now be fed some very tiny food. If a ball of Java moss is added to the tank it will carry microscopic life ideal for the fry to feed on. A little later on they can eat baby brine shrimp several times daily. Soon they can take ground dry flakes as well. Because of the frequent feeding the water will need changing and even daily