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Characins
/ Characinae / Blue Emperor Tetra
Blue Emperor Tetra, King Tetra
Inpaichthys kerri | Pictures
SYN: None
PD: The male and female are different in coloration.
The male's dorsal fin is elongated and
adipose fin is blue.
The other fins are transparent, but the pectoral and anal fins also have a tinge of blue.
The
back is light blue.
A broad iridescent dark blue stripe extends from the snout through the eye and to the tail.
From
this stripe up the body is light blue.
Under the stripe is pale blue until the belly where the color changes
to beige.
The female also has an elongated dorsal fin but the adipose fin is brown or black.
It has a broad black line instead of
blue and the area above it is beige with silvery-blue sheen, in reflected light.
The belly is white and occasionally
has a silvery sheen. The fins are transparent.
SIZE: Males to 1.6" (4 cm), while females reach 1.2" (3 cm)
SS: Emperor Tetra (
Nematobrycon palmeri)
S: middle
HAB: South America; Rio Aripuana, a tributary of the Rio Madeira in Brazil.
TANK: A group can be kept in a 20" (50 cm) or 10 gallon (38 L) tank.
Although, a 28" (70 cm) or 20-30
gallon (75-114 L) tank is preferred. Arrange the tank in dark colors, including a dark substrate.
Use a cover of floating plants to darken
the tank.
The tank should be heavily planted with an open swimming area provided.
A piece of driftwood should be used
to serve as a retreat for a harassed female.
WATER: pH 6.5-7.5 (7.0); 4-15 dH (12); 75-82°F (24-28°C)
FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex.
SB: A peaceful fish that is recommended for community tanks having other calm fish.
Do
not combine with aggressive or fin-nipping fish.
Keep this fish in a small school.
SC: Tetras, Corydoras,
Apistogramma, Loricarids, Discus,
Colisa.
SEX: Male has larger fins and is more colorful.
B: After separate conditioning, place the pair in breeding tank that is 73-79°F (23-26°C),
has a water hardness from 4-8 dH, pH of 6-7.
The tank should be well planted.
After the female lays the eggs on plants,
both parents should be removed.
The eggs will hatch in 24-30 hours and the fry are free swimming after five days.
Feed
the young, crushed flake food and paramecia.
BP: 7.
Breeding is fairly difficult.
R: A delicate species; use good water conditioner.
If good water qualities are maintained,
the beautiful colors of this fish will develop.
The Blue Emperor is commercially bred in Germany.
DC: 4.
The Blue Emperor is sensitive to water pollutants.
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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