You may have looked around and decided to get a fish for a pet. When you go and ask people who keep fish, you end up getting so many options. Now you are facing the biggest challenge, which is not knowing what fish to get.
Well, let us narrow down your search to tetra fish. There are many kinds of tetra fish, but one specific one may catch your eye, which is the rummy nose tetra. Let us say you end up getting one, and you need all-round help. Well, stay with us as we dig deeper on rummy nose tetra.
Appearance
One of the noticeable features of the rummy nose tetra is its body. The rummy nose tetra has a torpedo-shaped body. The basal body is silverfish in color and has some specks of greenish tint in it. The furthest tip of their heads usually has iridescent green scales.
When it comes to size, rummy nose tetra is known to grow to a maximum length of 2 inches. There is no known mechanism used to distinguish the males from the females. However, experts say females have larger bodies than males.
Habitat
These are freshwater fish who live in rivers. There are unique features of the rivers that they inhabit. First of all, the water in these rivers is soft. This means that it does not contain any minerals. Another impressive thing is that the water is quite acidic.
Feeding
All rummy nose tetras are omnivores, whether they are in the wild or in tanks (domesticated). Even with that being said, there is still a difference in the food they eat when in those two habitats. Let us take a look.
In the Wild
- Small insects
- Plant Debris
- Insect Eggs / Larvae
In Aquariums
- Flakes/Pellets– when it comes to feeding aquarium rummy nose tetras, this is the best option. This is because such feeds come with all the nutrients they require. Therefore, make sure that this is their staple diet. You can then include two or three treats throughout the week to supplement it.
- Live/Frozen Food– you can also give live foods to your rummy nose tetra because they are a great source of protein. Bloodworm and Daphnia are your best choice in this case.
- Green Vegetables– rummy nose tetras also love eating vegetables. Make sure that you first chop the vegetables into small pieces before feeding it to them.
Feeding Instructions
- Feed your rummy nose tetras twice a day. When you allow such a break in their feeding time, it gives them a chance to digest the food.
- Only give your rummy nose tetras food they can eat in two minutes.
- Once feeding is complete, remove any excess food particles so that it does not rot in the aquarium/tank.
Water and Tank Requirements
Setting up a tank for rummy nose tetra is quite simple, and the maintenance does not take a lot of work. A 20-gallon tank is an appropriate size for rummy nose tetras.
The standard rule for keeping rummy nose tetras is one fish for every two gallons. Following this rule goes a long way in preventing overstocking.
Let us begin from the bottom of the tank. Here you will need to place a grained substrate. This is because grained substrates resemble the fish’s natural habitat.
However, you can also use gravel if the grained substrate is not available. It will still work because rummy nose tetras do not spend a lot of time at the bottom of the tank
You may also need to add some plants into the tank. Make sure that they only grow to the middle level of the tank so that the fish can have space to move around.
The plants give the tetras protection from other aquatic animals. They also use them as a shelter when they feel stressed from too much light. It isn’t wrong to add some decorations to the tank, but it is not important.
As earlier stated, rummy nose tetras live in water that does not have minerals (soft water). Therefore you should try to implement such things in their tank.
Basically, make sure that the water hardness ranges between 2 and 10 KH. When it comes to water temperature, make sure it is between 75 and 84° F, just like their natural habitat. Make sure that you also control the pH; keep it between 6.2 and 7.0.
Compatibility
The rummy nose tetras are among the most peaceful aquatic animals to ever exist. When looking for tank mates, it is good that you go for small fish like:
Avoid aquatic animals that have a reputation for aggressive behaviors. This is because they will easily irritate the rummy nose tetras. You should also stay away from large fish with big enough mouths to fit a rummy nose tetra.
Breeding
The breeding process is split into two parts; handling the aquarium and reproduction. Let us look at each one of them keenly.
Handling the Aquarium
For successful breeding, you will have to make some adjustments. Some of these adjustments include;
- Make sure that the water’s temperature is stably maintained between 24 °C and 33 °C.
- Take note of the tank mates because some can consume all the plants in the tank. This is very dangerous due to the vital roles played by plants in the breeding process. You can remove them if necessary.
- If you do not have external filtration systems, install them. They will help to get rid of ammonia, which is harmful to these fish.
- You are also required to set up a special breeding and spawning mesh.
Reproduction
The male starts by harassing the female fish until she gives in. Thereafter, the female swims under a leaf. The male will then bend and turn the female over and, in the process, fertilizing the eggs.
What happens next is the female drops between 5-8 eggs. After spawning is complete, you will see the females turning pale in color. This is when you start removing the parents form the tanks. This is because they are known to feed on their own eggs.
Conclusion
Contrary to popular opinion, taking care of rummy nose tetra is quite simple. All you need is some passion and little effort.
The only place we can say you need to step your game up is when you are trying to breed them. Otherwise, you just need to feed them properly and set the right living conditions.