Black Tetra – The Widow In The Butterfly Skirt
Though a little larger than most of the other tetra species, the Black Tetras (or the Black Skirt Tetras, or the Black Widow Tetras) are just as peaceful and hardy, and just as suitable for beginners.
These tetras have a dark grey to silver body with black vertical stripes with a dash of shading, though their color is apt to change with the light in your aquarium, their health, moods, etc. You would also come across a number of long-finned and color varieties that have been bred, some of which are artificially colored. Ideally, you should avoid any fish that has been dyed.
Their distinctive black dorsal and anal fins give them a rather unusual shape.
Females are rounder and fuller than the males, and occasionally have white spots on the anal fin. The best way to tell is the width and orientation of the anal fin: the males have wider ones while the females’ anal fins are almost parallel to their vertical stripes. Another way to sex them, is to run a wet finger across the anal fin of a netted fish. If it’s a male, your finger will catch on tiny hooks on the fin that the male uses to keep the female nearer during spawning. They are not visible to the eye, but they can be felt by this method.
Tank Setup
In the natural habitat, these fish are found in slow moving streams with ample vegetation – hence, they
require a well planted tank, with plenty of swimming space. being schooling fish, these are ideally kept in groups of at least three or more. Ensure a good sized tank, else they may turn on each other.
Their peaceful nature also makes them suitable for the community aquarium. Do NOT keep them with with fin nippers like the Tiger Barbs, and also do not keep other long finned fish in the tank, such as angel fish or bettas, – the black tetras have been occasionally observed nipping at fins themselves.
Also, avoid keeping them with smaller fish, as being an omnivore, the black tetra is apt to chew on anything that fits in its mouth – which effectively rules out any neon tetras.
While they usually tend to adapt to a wide range of conditions, they tend to do best in warm water (78 degrees F or 26 degrees C), and like most tetras, needs soft, acid water with a pH between 6.5-6.8
Feeding your Black Skirt Tetra
In the wild, these fish eat insect larvae and crustaceans. Being omnivores, they make do with pretty much any kind of food, but ideally feed them a mix of flaked, frozen foods, and live food.
Breeding
One of the easiest tetras to spawn, a slightly alkaline water that is very soft often leads to breeding. Being egg scatterers, you need to arm yourself with a spawning mop or prepare to remove the parents from the tank right after spawning, else they are likely to east the eggs.
Eggs hatch after about a day, and the fry should be fed freshly hatched brine shrimp, egg yolk, or finely ground flake foods till about a week and a half.
Fishy Facts
Common Names: Black Tetra, Black Skirt
Scientific Name: Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Family: Characidae
Origin: Rio Paraguay, Rio Guapore, Bolivia, parts of Brazil
Adult Size: Approx. 2 inches (5.5 cm)
Social skills: Peaceful, good community fish. Should be kept in shoals.
Lifespan: 4 to 6 years
Tank Level: Mid to top dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods. Need a mix of flakes, frozen and live
Breeding: Egg scatterers
Care: Fairly easy. Not too demanding.
Temperature: 68-79 F (20-26 C)
Must reads:
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