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Characins
/ Characinae / Black Phantom Tetra
Black Phantom Tetra
Megalamphodus sweglesi | Pictures
SYN: None
PD: The dorsal fin of the male is tall and elongated.
It is multicolored; usually red, black,
and white.
The female's dorsal fin is also elongated and is red and black.
The body color ranges from brown to
blood-red depending on the fish's condition.
A red line extends from the gill cover to the tail.
The head is brighter red than the rest
of the body.
A large black, comma-shaped mark is located behind the gill cover, but it lessens in intensity with
age. The
anal and pectoral fins are elongated and like the rest of the fins, red in color.
SIZE: To 1.6" (4 cm)
SS: Blood Characin (
Hyphessobrycon callistus)
HAB: Shaded areas with heavy vegetation.
South America; in the Rio Muco and the Rio Meta,
Columbia.
S: middle
TANK: 24" (60 cm) or 15 gallons (55 L).
Set up the tank as one would for
M. megalampodus
.
WATER: pH 5.5-7.5 (6.5), 4-20 dH (6), 68-75°F (20-24°C)
SB: A peaceful, schooling fish that is recommended for a community tank. This fish can
be kept in a pair or groups.
Do not keep singly, as single fish lose color, stop eating, and often die.
Keep
with fish that can tolerate slightly lower water temperatures.
Males often fight battles, but neither fish is
harmed.
SC: Tetras, Corydoras,
Apistogramma, Loricarids, Discus,
Colisa.
FOOD: Flake; live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex.
SEX: Males are slimmer with larger and more elaborate fins.
The female has a multicolored dorsal
fin.
B: Use a breeding tank with muted light, a pH of 5.5-6.0, and a water hardness of 1-2 dH.
Spawning takes place among plants during morning hours.
Eggs are susceptible to fungus, so treat accordingly.
The reddish-brown eggs hatch in 1-2
days and fry are free-swimming after 4-5 more. The fry are slow-growing and are delicate.
Start feeding with small live foods.
BP: 8.
The Red Phantom Tetra is a challenging fish to breed.
R: This fish is commonly kept in water with too high a temperature which causes some trouble.
Their
colors will fade slightly and their life-span is shortened, when kept in too high a temperature.
Requires frequent water changes to thrive.
DC: 4.
A sensitive fish that must be kept in cooler water to thrive.
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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