Black Skirt Tetras are one of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby. However, what many aquarists don’t know is that Black Skirt Tetra can die after giving birth! Here we will go over some tips to help prevent and treat these unfortunate deaths.
There are many reasons why black skirt tetra dies after giving birth. Some of the most common causes include difficulty during labor, harassment, and stress from pregnancy or being kept in a breeding box. The female black skirt tetra was already sick, which can contribute to her death as well. In this post, we will discuss how you can keep your fish alive after giving birth!
Do All Black Skirt Tetra Die After Giving Birth?
No! Some black skirt tetra does survive after giving birth. This is the case if they are not under stress or sick before becoming pregnant, and have a strong immune system to help fight off diseases that can kill them during labor.
There aren’t really “all” of any fish species that die after birthing their young. There are always exceptions to every rule in nature. However, it’s true that many female black skirt tetras die after giving birth because there isn’t enough research done on keeping these fish alive through this difficult time period in their life cycle.
So while some may live instead of dying, you should know how important it is to take care of your black skirt tetras during their pregnancy and after they’ve given birth.
Reasons Why Black Skirt Tetra Die After Giving Birth
There are many reasons why black skirt tetra dies after giving birth, but some of the most common causes include:
Difficulty During Labor
Black skirt tetra might face difficulties in labor as it spawns many eggs at a time.
Harassment
When the black skirt tetra gets pregnant, it will be harassed by other fish in its environment. This can lead to stress and disease even before labor starts.
Stress from Pregnancy or Breeding Boxes
Black skirt tetras get stressed out during pregnancy because of their size compared to the small breeding box they are kept in. Even if you have a large tank for them to live in after birth, there is still some risk for harassment when trying to give birth!
Female Black Skirt Tetra Was Already Sick Before Gestation Period
The female black skirt tetra was already sick which weakens her immune system, making her unable to fight off any diseases that may arise throughout the gestation period.
Bad Water Parameters
Black skirt tetra gives birth in the water, so if there are any problems with your tank’s parameters it can lead to their deaths. When the temperature is not right, the water is too acidic or alkaline, or there are high levels of ammonia and nitrite, it can be very harmful to the mother and her babies.
Repeated Pregnancy
If the black skirt tetra is pregnant for a second or third time in a row, it can put a lot of stress on her body and lead to her death.
How To Keep Black Skirt Tetra From Dying After Birth?
There are many things that you can do to help prevent and treat these unfortunate deaths. Some of the most important factors in keeping your black skirt tetras alive after giving birth include:
Keep Water Quality Perfect
One of the most important things you can do is to keep the water quality perfect. Make sure to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels regularly, and adjust your tank’s filtration and water changes accordingly.
You should also avoid overcrowding your tank, as this will put unnecessary stress on both the mother and her offspring.
Help labor process by providing good water parameters, such as ammonia levels below 0ppm, nitrite levels below .25 ppm (the lower the better), pH above neutral (at least ~74 for wild-caught fish; slightly more for tank raised fish), and a temperature between 77-83°F / 25-28°C. Keeping an eye on all three during pregnancy is helpful in detecting any potential problems before they become fatal!
Separate From Males
Another thing you can do to help prevent death is to separate the males from the females. This will help reduce stress and harassment and allow the mother to better care for her young.
Good Diet
You should also provide a good diet for your black skirt tetras during pregnancy, which will help them stay healthy and strong. Some good food options include brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, cyclops, and krill.
- 1000+ Live Daphnia Magna
- Fluval A6577 Bug Bites Tropical Fish Small Granules 1.59 oz, Small to Medium Fish.
- Omega One Freeze-Dried Blood Worms, 0.96 oz
- Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Heart (Desiccated) — Natural CoQ10 (180 Capsules)
- 9 OZ Matured Micro worm Mega Culture – Ready to Harvest – Live Fish Food
- Tetra TetraMin Plus Tropical Flakes 2.2 Ounces, Nutritionally Balanced Fish Food, With Added Shrimp
- API Tropical Pellets
Help Labor Process
Last but not least, you can give your fish some added support by helping the labor process.
If you see that the baby fish are struggling to come out of their mother’s body, use a pipette or turkey baster to gently suck them out and place them into an aquarium net filled with clean water. You can place them in a hospital tank until they are strong enough to be returned to the main tank.
Prevent And Treat Disease
Diseases are another major threat to black skirt tetra during and after giving birth. You can help prevent disease by keeping the water quality perfect, providing a good diet, and separating the males from the females. If your fish do become sick, you can treat them with antibiotics or medicated food.
FAQ
Q: Do Black Skirt Tetra Die After Giving Birth?
A: Yes, many black skirt tetras die after giving birth due to difficulty during labor, bad water parameters, harassment, stress from pregnancy or being kept in a breeding box, and female black skirt tetras were already sick.
Q: What Can I Do To Keep My Fish Alive After Giving Birth?
A: There are many things you can do to help keep your black skirt tetras from dying after giving birth, including keeping the water quality perfect, separating the males from the females, providing a good diet, and helping with the labor process.
Q: How Long Do Black Skirt Tetra Take To Die After Giving Birth?
A: It varies depending on the cause of death. But it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks for black skirt tetras to die after giving birth.
Conclusion
While it’s true that many female black skirt tetras die after giving birth, there are ways that you can help prevent this from happening. By keeping the water quality perfect, separating the males from the females, providing a good diet, and helping with the labor process you can help your black skirt tetras stay healthy during pregnancy.
The End! Thank you 🙂