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black skirt tetras

5K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  SinCrisis 
#1 ·
okay well i knew about these fish since before theyre quite common but i just like how they look but my question is what is their care requirements? and smallest tank size and food and all that if anyone could help thatd be great
 
#2 ·
They're fairly hardy fish and should adapt to most water conditions, provided they are properly acclimated and the tank is cycled, of course. They should be kept in a tank 24" long or more and should be kept in groups of at least six. They can be one of the more aggressive tetras and are known to be fin nippers. They should eat most prepared foods like flake and pellets but would also enjoy frozen foods like brine shrimp and bloodworms as well as live blackworms as occasional treats.
 
#3 ·
how big in tank size is that? 5gal. ten gall. 15.gal. 20. 25. 30. 35? umm by the way since iam at this topic do you know any fish that likes a sandy bottom? other than cories?i like something called bulldog plecos aka rubber lip pleco or other small plecos you have in mind that might be diurnal but still have that pleco look xD and likes to be more active? that grows to like 4inches xD atleast. also what are the top ten smartest freshwater fish? and the smallest smartest fish
 
#4 ·
Well...I'll answer a couple of those questions. The smallest tank that's at least 24" long is something like a 10 long or a 15g, although those tanks are hard to find. A standard 20g high is 24" long.

Any fish that burrows, digs, or otherwise sifts through the substrate would be best served by sand. This includes many catfish, just about all of the loaches, and a lot of digging cichlids.

I'm not really aware of any diurnal, active plecos. Rubber lip plecos stay fairly small and would be good for a 20g or larger tank, but aren't exactly the most active fish in the world.

In my experience the smartest fish are cichlids, especially the larger, more predatory ones, followed by things like puffers and bettas.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Well...I'll answer a couple of those questions. The smallest tank that's at least 24" long is something like a 10 long or a 15g, although those tanks are hard to find. A standard 20g high is 24" long.

Any fish that burrows, digs, or otherwise sifts through the substrate would be best served by sand. This includes many catfish, just about all of the loaches, and a lot of digging cichlids.

I'm not really aware of any diurnal, active plecos. Rubber lip plecos stay fairly small and would be good for a 20g or larger tank, but aren't exactly the most active fish in the world.

In my experience the smartest fish are cichlids, especially the larger, more predatory ones, followed by things like puffers and bettas.
thanks XD well out of curiosoty im developing a deep interest in bettas and cichlids what is a big betta that might go (if you dont mind me asking) going in a 10gal? or a 15? xD lol and i wanted to see if i can make it like soo freaking real itd be awesome! and everyone xD will say thats the best betta tank ever ;D lol i wanted something with stripes or atleast multi colors xD and i want it to be like 4inches xD lol and the whole reason i like black skirt tetras cuz they somehow look like archer fish xD if you pay attention to the details xD so i wanted to use plants in the tank so i want to know what plants are compatible? also xD i made fish tank ornaments xD for my tank xD idk if i could use it for the tank xD one looks like a giant deku toad XD the other is a cave of wonders xD lol its to stimulate the fish mind xD because i glazed it in diff colors XD iam having it fired up over the weekend....or actually no xD maybe that or a small puffer xD my dad just agreed to a small fw puffer :3
 
#6 ·
I wouldn't mix a betta and the black skirts since they're so aggressive and nippy. I definitely wouldn't mix the betta and the puffer, and mixing the puffer and tetras would be risky but might be possible.

I'm not an expert on particular betta species. All I know is that anything other than the standard Betta splendens are difficult to come by and can be expensive.
 
#7 ·
I wouldn't mix a betta and the black skirts since they're so aggressive and nippy. I definitely wouldn't mix the betta and the puffer, and mixing the puffer and tetras would be risky but might be possible.

I'm not an expert on particular betta species. All I know is that anything other than the standard Betta splendens are difficult to come by and can be expensive.
i know that silly lol xD im not stupid enough to put em together xD im just saying the fish i like and possibilities xD dude you gotta admit the black skirt tetras are sweeet(as in awesome!) xD lol their body shape is like idk its rudonculous! XD (made up word for extreme ridiculousness) excuse my vocab. xD lol and dude i just fed my Big blue(wild sunfish cichlid) (i think its a cichlid) anyways xD dude im like dropping in the krill xD he devoured it xD omg and when i put the live minnows one by one he was like you fish xD (trying not to say the curse word ;D) i own you now get in my mouth XD lol and then he was like xD CHomp CHOMP XD (shark tune) but dude look at the puffers xD have you ever seen one up close? i have i used to own one XD and it lived a long time for a walmart fish xD (walmart stinks) xD lol (3months i think especially for a green puffer o_O i think thats a record) xD lol anyways xD lol it lived that long because i lacked the salt which my dad said would get me xD but now i can get a smaller freshwater puffer XD which is better xD lol so you see? theyre awesome!
 
#8 ·
Oh my goodness... you use XD more than I do. xD

Also, I have to agree the black skirts are cool, although I have the albino *cough* dyed *cough* variety, but once I get everyone moved to my 30 gallon when it's done cycling, I will be getting the black skirts to add to their school. :)
 
#13 ·
i have 3 black skirts, and one of em is slowly turning into a long finned black skirt... i don't know why. They have been pretty peaceful in my experience. However they are much more active than my other tetras so they're lots fo fun to watch.

Also any other betta besides the betta splendens is almsot impossible to find. However, i have heard of a type of betta that is supposed ot be great community fish. I have also ehard of people getting female bettas in groups of 3 or more and ahving them be compatable with community tanks.
 
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