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Characins
/ Characinae / Blue Tetra
Blue Tetra
Boehlkea fredcochui | Pictures
SYN: Microbrycon
cochui
PD: An elongated, laterally compressed species with a forked caudal fin.
The back is dark green to olive while
the flanks are blue-green.
The flanks are marked with A broad blue stripe that runs from the gill cover through the
caudal fin.
The belly is lighter blue.
The upper part of the iris is bright orange.
The fins are colorless.
SIZE: To 2” (5 cm)
SS: None
HAB: South America; Peruvian Amazon
S: middle, top
TANK: A 24” (61 cm) or 10-20 gallon (38-75 L) tank is suggested.
The tank should be arranged in dark
colors to bring out the Blue Tetra’s attractive coloration.
Use heavy plantings along the sides and rear,
but leave open swimming areas in the center.
Use dim lighting and provide a cover of floating plants.
The
water should be well-oxygenated.
WATER: pH 5.5-7.5 (6.8), 2-15 dH (8), 73-79°F (23-26°C)
SB: A small, peaceful community fish that should be kept in schools of five or more.
An
active species.
SC: Tetras, Corydoras,
Apistogramma, small Loricarids
FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, small crustaceans, white worms.
SEX: Females are plumper and less colorful.
B: Few details are available.
Use soft, acidic water and condition the pair.
Females are said to deposit their eggs
on the underside of broad leafed plants.
Remove the eggs to a rearing tank having soft water.
Raise the fry like other tetras-on paramecia.
BP: 8.
Although few details are available, breeding is feasible.
R: This species does not ship well.
Use a good water conditioner before adding new
water.
DC: 5.
This delicate species requires well-maintained water to survive and develop its stunning
colors.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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