brass tetras are they really that color?
H2know
them. I have heard that they are injected with bacteria to get that brass color
is that true. If it is im going to ask that my LFS stops carring them. If not
what ph temp and hardness do they like. Where do they come from and what is
their scientific name?
TIA
Davidde
Rita Fimbres
If so, They are 2" full size, and are from
southeastern Brazil. The color is natural, with
the male being shiney coppery color, and the
female shiney silver. They aren't fussy about
food or water..Temp. 71-82 F. ph:6.0-7.5;
Mine are in a well-planted tank with lots of
free swimming area. They are shoaling fish,
so get at least a half dozen..Hope these are
what you are talking about..If not , they are
probably so similar that the same should apply
to both..I think color injecting is something
that all of us should avoid.....Of course,
sometimes we don't know!!!!! Hope this has
been helpful......Rita...........
.........I love Basketball............
Rita Fimbres
Hasemania nana........Rita......
.........I love Basketball............
Michael Garner
that is in the tetras natural habitat. The tank raised tetras don't
have the brass/metallic gold color. Strange. It isn't painted or
injected like the various painted fish.
Lisa G
sba...@snet.net
They are difficult to find information on them tho. Alas I did find a
nice book in used book store, "Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes" by Dr.
Herbert Axelrod and William Vorderwinkler.
I quote:
"Hemigrammus armstrongi, the Golden Tetra (Brass), comes from Guyana. It
is small, being fully grown at 1.5 inches; the color is a gleaming gold,
which looks like as if it had been just polished. Fins are colorless,
but there are a pair of red spots on the upper and lower portions of the
caudal base. The only sexual distinction is a slighly deeper body in the
female.
Golden Tetras which are raised in captivity are silver in color and
never develop the golden hue of their parents. The reason for this is a
parasite which becomes embedded in the fish's skin. After becoming
embedded, the parasite forms a cyst or case around itself which is
golden, metallic yellow. Since the parasite never leaves its fish host
it probably originates as a bird parasite requiring a passage through
the bird's digestive system in order for the cyst to mature. The
parasite is host specific, that is, it only (almost) attacks Hemigrammus
armstrongi."
I hope that answers your questions. Obviously they are wild caught, not
tank raised. I think they are quite beautiful. Mine did not have the red
on them until about a month ago. I purchased them in December. I am
considering getting a few more.
The book does not go into specifics regarding pH and water temp etc.,
but it mentions that if you want to breed them, "water should be about
neutral and fairly soft and the temp about 78 to 80 degrees.
My tank is at pH of 6.4 and water temp of 78 degrees. My water is very
soft (about 3 degrees hardness). They are quite hardy. They survived my
tank cycling.
Sue
H2know
thanks everybody
Davidde