Black Phantom Tetras

This is a species where a roughly equal mix of gender is generally better. Males are not especially rough in driving females to spawn, at least not in my experience, as they can be in some species of characin. Some think the female is actually the more attractive in this species, as it has the red adipose and ventral fins. But the larger black dorsal and overall smokey gray colour of the male is impressive in its own right. Males "show off" in pairs, actually challenging each other though physical damage rarely occurs aside from split dorsal fins.

If I were you, I would acquire another three females. I have found that most shoalig fish do better with more in the group and with both sexes present. It gives you a better chance of observing nature, which after all is the real plus of this hobby. They will readily spawn, though unless you take precautions the eggs will get eaten almost always.

Byron.

I agree with Byron, get a few more females (we rule)
I do like the color differences between the sexes. My Black Phantoms actually bred in my community tank (did not see the breeding), but one of the babies actually made it to adulthood in a tank with angels!! He is the young male in my group.

They are a different fish that shares the same "common name". I really do not think they will school together, but they are compatible.

From my experience, Red Phantoms like water a little cooler then regular "tropical" fish. Temp in the lower 70s (72-74) is better for them.

Sabina said:

In that case ill pick up some more girls soon.

On that topic, I know they sell both Black Phantom Tetra and Red Phantom Tetra. Will these school because their both phantom tetras or are they the same species but different branches of it?
If the do school and I find some red PT's would it be ok to get a couple female RPT's to go with my black phantom tetras?


Thanks for the help so far

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These are two distinct species, the Black being Hyphessobrycon megalopterus [?] and the Red Hyphessobrycon sweglesi. When they were originally described by Eigenmann in 1915, he classified them as distinct species in the genus Megalamphodus solely on the basis of dentition [teeth]. Weitzman & Palmer (1997) dissolved this genus and placed the two species in Hyphessobrycon, in the "Rosy" clade of some 30 closely-related species including the Rosy Tetra, Roberti Tetra, Bleeding Heart Tetra, Serpae Tetra, etc. These species all descended from the same common ancestor, which is why they form a "clade" scientifically. So in this sense, they are closely related, all 30 species. Some very recent ichthyological studies have proposed the revalidation of Megalopterus for the Black Phantom but not the Red. All of this shows that the fish are two distinct species.

Having said that, they probably will socialize in the same aquarium. I do not have the Red Phantom, but I have a group of the Black in with some Rosy, Roberti and Bleeding Heart Tetra, and the Black Phantoms certainly spend all their time together with these others, and in the shade of my sword plants; none of these fish like bright overhead lighting, so always have floating plants or some large-leaf plants to make them feel more secure. They will show their best colouration with dimmer light, and in larger groups. I do not know the size of your aquarium, but if you have space a group of 6-7 red phantoms would be fine in with the five black; I myself would get the additional female black as well.

Byron.

Sabina said:

The tank their in is a 40 gallon. I unfotunetly don't have room for another group of shoaling fish though. It would be nice if I could get both.

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I would add the Black females, forget the Reds. I'm thinking here solely of the fish themselves, as this will improve the condition and thus the health of the existing Blacks.