It is said that pets are the best friends of man. But, when we think about pets, its dogs and cats, that come in our mind. Have you ever thought of a fish as a man’s best friend? Can we spend a long time with fish as we spent with other pets? Have you ever thought of domesticating a fish?
There are many species of fish, whom to choose for our aquarium? This question might be rising in your head. If you ask me I would suggest you keep tetra fish in your aquarium. I will provide various reasons to choose Tetra fish as your pet in this article.
How Well Do You know About Tetra Fish?
Tetra is a short name for Tetragonoptesus, a name applied to many of these fish which is Greek for “square finned” (literally, four-sided wing). Tetras are identifiable by their fins. They possess a homocercal caudal fin (twin lobed tail fin that’s upper and lower lobes are of equal size) and a tall dorsal fin characterized by a short connection to a fish’s body. Tetra fish is more popular in fish keeping hobbies. That’s why many unrelated species of fish are also termed as Tetras which includes fish from different families.
Tetras have a maximum size of 2” and can live up to 10 years.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aclinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Are Tetra Fish Easy To Care For?
Tetras are very easy to care than other species because they have excellent colorations, lively personalities and are less sensitive to water conditions than other fish. These species of fish could be kept together with almost any other non-aggressive species. Due to their small size and calm nature, these species have gained a lot of popularity.
Why Would A Fish Be A Good Pet?
Fish are too adorable when you watch it. They add beauty to your room and your house. Here are some reasons why fish are considered as a good pet.
- Fish are easy to care for and are less expensive.
- They do not develop any destructive behavior when left alone or when they are angry with their owners.
- Fish are quiet. Unlike other pets, it does not produce loud noise disturbing neighbors or family members themselves.
- You do not need to be worried about the vaccination and other medication like dogs and cats.
- They do not harm any new member that comes to your home so you do not need to worry about that.
- You do not need to take your fish for a walk or excretion purpose.
- Fish are clean pets. You are free from cleaning the fish, unlike other pets.
- An aquarium with fish can add beauty to your room.
Why Tetra Fish Are The Perfect Pet?
In this article, I will give you various reasons to keep Tetra fish in your aquarium. Let’s start.
Tetras Are Small In Size
The maximum height of Tetra fish is 2 inches and can live up to 10 years. Because they are the small size they do not require a large aquarium to fit in. In a 10 gallon tank, you could keep 5 to 7 tetras together. Meanwhile, it depends on the type of tetra fish you are likely to keep.
Non-aggressive Temperament (Peaceful)
Tetras are calm. They are not aggressive because of this reason you can keep tetras with other non-aggressive fish as well. Tetras do not attack each other nor attack other fish. But there are some species of somewhere aggressive tetras. They become aggressive during feeding time if the aquarium is overstocked.
Inexpensive
Tetra fish does not cost much, they are cheap. You can purchase a tetra fish for $ 1-5 depending on your location. Furthermore, you do not require a large aquarium so the cost of the aquarium will also be cheap. If you are a fish lover and you want to buy a fish that comes in your budget then Tetra fish are the best. The pieces of equipment necessary for keeping those species of fish are also cheap and affordable.
Tetra Fish Are Beautiful
Tetra fish are beautiful as they come in a variety of colors, patterns, and sizes. They possess a homocercal caudal fin (twin lobed tail fin that’s upper and lower lobes are of equal size) and a tall dorsal fin characterized by a short connection to a fish’s body. Furthermore, Tetra fish possess a long anal fin stretching from a position just posterior of the dorsal fin and ending on the ventral caudal peduncle and a small, fleshy adipose fin located dorsally between the dorsal and caudal fins.
There are four fins of Tetra fish; caudal fin, dorsal fin, anal fin, and adipose fin
Tetra Fish are Playful
Fish are the water animals so they love swimming. You can spend an hour watching tetras playing in the aquarium. Tetra fish are so active that you can’t take your eyes off watching them playing. It seems like they are fighting but the fact is they are playing with full excitement.
If you ever notice them while feeding, it will be a treat to watch them because they swim so adorably to eat the food. But they will be inactive when the lights are turned off. If you find a change in their swimming pattern or notice weird behavior then that indicates something is wrong with the fish. Either it is scared of something or is suffering from any disease.
Tetra Fish Have A Longer Life Span
Although Tetras are small in size, they can live up to 10 years if properly cared for. You must look after them by giving them proper food, good water parameters and they will live longer. If possible do not keep male and female tetras together because it can decrease the life span of female tetra fish. Mating and breeding require lots of stress so it may shorten the lifespan, especially of female tetras. Despite Tetras lay eggs and give birth but it will also be difficult.
Related Article: Tetra Fish Lifespan
Also Read: Neon Tetra Lifespan
Easy To Keep Multiple Tetras In A Tank Together
Due to their peaceful and friendly nature, you could keep 5-7 tetras in a tank of 10 gallons. They do not attack each other rather stay together and play together. But you need to notice when they breed, they do not care about their eggs. If you want the egg to grow then you must keep the eggs separate from adult tetras or else they will eat.
You could keep almost all non-aggressive fish together with Tetra fish because of the friendly nature. Only if the aquarium is overstocked then they can be aggressive during the time of feeding.
Tetras Are Low-Maintenance
As I have mentioned they are small fish and are calm so you can keep a couple of tetras together in a small aquarium. Just to protect the eggs of tetras you need to take care of so that the adults do not eat the eggs.
Just provide the food to the tetras in a small amount which they can finish in 3 minutes because after 3 minutes the food will settle down at the bottom and this could increase biomass. For protecting your tetras from infection and illness you need a filter. Water filters also have low consumption although they run all the time.
Artificial light is required along with some decorative items like plants because this will increase the beauty of the tank and attracts everyone.
Tetra Fish Can Survive For A Long Time Without Feeding
Yes, if you have a pet you need to take good care of it. What if you need to travel somewhere for a long period? How will your fish survive without food?
But the fact is you do not have to worry if you have tetra fish as your pet. Tetras can survive for 1-2 weeks without food. They will still excrete during your absence. So you can go for a vacation without worrying.
Related Article: Tetra Fish Diet
Tetras Are Hardy
Tetra fish are hardy fish because they can adjust in any environment they are kept in. But the first week will be crucial for them as it takes around one week to adjust. They can also survive for weeks without feeding. Furthermore, they can accept a wide range of water parameters which reduces your expense on water testing kits.
Related Article: Fun And Interesting Facts About Neon Tetra
Final Words
Tetra fish is the perfect pet if you are a fish lover. They make your aquarium looks beautiful and attractive. You cannot take your eyes off from those small tetra fish.
Tetra fish are egg-laying animals. They give birth by laying eggs but the weird fact is they do not care about their eggs. They will eat those eggs if they find it so owners must be very careful when they breed. Tetra fish comes in different sizes and colors like blue, black, red. They are best with their groups termed as “schools”. They can leave peacefully with other non-aggressive fish as well like guppies. You can find many species of fish under tetra fish like Neon tetra, Cardinal tetra, Black tetra, X-ray tetra, Lemon tetra, Congo tetra, Serpae tetra and many more.
They should be feed in a small amount so that they could finish within 3 minutes or else it will remain at the bottom of the aquarium. Tetras like to swim in the middle of the aquarium. If you find tetras swimming below the aquarium or showing other weird behaviors then maybe they are scared of something or maybe they are feeling sick.
I think the above reasons are enough for you to choose tetra fish among other fish. Tetra fish have gained much popularity due to their peaceful and friendly nature. Also, you do not need to spend much on caring for the tetra fish.
