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Re: Gold Tetra Babies / Sand substrate problems




On Wed, 29 Dec 1999, Andy Dilbert wrote:

> I am happy to say that when I got back from college this winter break, I
> found some baby tetras in by tank!  They are little Gold Tetra Babies
> (Hemigrammus armstrongi, Axelrod & Schultz 1955).  The babies'
> coloration and body shape is about the same as in the parents,
> except that the babies lack the golden shine that the parents have.

Is it the Gold Tetra that owes it's color to some parasite that it
coexists with in nature?  If so, then the babies will not breed true.

> I don't want to get a filter because I find that
> the fish are much happier without all the motion from the filtration.  And I
> don't want to suction it off the bottom of the tank, because I don't want to
> kill the babies, who would most likely be sucked up by the vacuum.  Any
> suggestions greatly appreciated.

I don't have breeding tetras in my tanks, so maybe their larvae will be
different.  I have unfiltered tanks with swordtail and guppy fry, american
flag fish fry and even ghost shrimp naplii, and I siphon detritus
regularly.  Those little guys scatter fast when a siphon gets near.  I
suppose I did remove some of the fry and (especially) naplii that way, but
I have more fry remaining than I really want to raise.


Roger Miller