What fish can live with my tetras?

Question

Just got 9 tetras: 3 each of painted white, black skirt and red eye. I want to add more, maybe something with more colour, and something that let my tetras live in peace, and have no idea what to put into my aquarium. Any help will be appreciated.

Oh, and can I add snails as well?

Answer 1

What you can add will depend on the size of your tank. If your tank is new, I'd recommend against adding any more fish for a while. Your tank will still be cycling unless you did a "fishless" cycle beforehand and the ammonia nine fish will produce if your tank is anything less than a 55 gallon may kill these. If you're not familiar with the term cycling, please read these links: http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm , http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ammoniapoison.htm

When you're able to add more fish, I'd suggest starting with three of one of the types you already have - tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in grouops of 6+ of their own species. That means you should have 6 painted, 6 black skirt, and 6 red-eyed at the minimum. I would only add 3 at a time. If your tank is still large enough to house more than the 18+ fish you'll have had purchased already, this link will give you some ideas of the fish that would be compatible with yours: http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h701elmers_freshwater_handbook.htm I would suggest looking through the lists for fish in communities 2-3 to find the most suitable to living with the fish you've already chosen.

And yes, you would be able to keep snails. The apple or mystery snails are the most popular since you need two for them to reproduce (females that have been with males are like guppies, though - they can continue to produce fertile eggs for a few months after being separated). The apple snail website is a good one, so here's the actual link to the site: http://www.applesnail.net/

Malaysian trumpet snails and nerite snails are also popular. The nerites can only reproduce in saltwater, so you can get as many of these as you want without having to worry about reproduction. The Malaysians are a small snail (about 3/4 inch) that hide in the gravel during the day and come out at night. They can reproduce quickly if there's extra food for them, so keep the gravel well cleaned if you don't want to be overrun. I personally like these the best because they can clean into areas other snails can't because of their small size - plus they don't eat plants! Here's info on the Malaysians: http://www.yamatogreen.com/MalaysianTrumpetSnails.htm and on the nerites: http://www.snailshop.co.uk/html/nerite_snails2.html

Answer 2

Compatible fishes with Tetra's are: Rasboras, Danios, Dwarf Gouramis, Discus, Angelfish, Rainbowfish, Livebearers, Plecos, and small Scavenger Catfish.

Yes, you can add apple snails. They are a very good addition to the tank. Check out: www.applesnail.net

:-D

Answer 3

Fish that are fun to have are Silver Dollars. You can usually get rather small ones at stores, and then watch them grow. Angel fish are also fun to watch, and you can get them in more than one variety. Pearl Gouramis are pretty and will get along with tetras. Although you can put live bearers in the tank with your tetras, sometimes they seem to need different water quality and such. I would be careful with barbs, however, because they can be rather aggressive and nip fins of other fish. Never buy Convicts, or cichlids other than Angel Fish. These other fish are not suitable for community tanks. Siamese Fighting fish tend to end up looking "lost" in a tank and you should never put two of them together, because they will fight and acutally do harm to one another.

Answer 4

Yep all of the above. I love lil Corydoras. (catfish) There are several types to choice from.

Answer 5

tetras are peaceful fish, so they'll get along with more fishy friends...
just avoid these fish: fin nippers; chinese algae eater (eat their body mucus); piranhas / meat eaters.
snails are fine too
good luck

Answer 6

just be sure not to overstock...