Hummingbird tetra ?

Oh, I've had those, altho I think there are a few similar species. Our LFS have them around here.

I've never kept them in schools...I always kept one or 2 per tank and they had a good deal of personality and were territorial. Are they schoolers?
 
on the previous page, someone posted that they do.
 
jamesstill84 said:
on the previous page, someone posted that they do.
Click to expand...


Well, not exactly:

jm1212 said:
get a large school. they're bottom dwellers, so if you want mid-level activity get some bleeding hearts or rummynoses
Click to expand...

I've never seen that documented, but people may have kept them and observed that behavior. LFS behavior isnt 'natural' of course.

Perhaps jm1212 can provide some background?
 
That's great info Star_Rider! Thanks!
 
They look similar to botia sitthimunki (dwarf chain loach)...cute!
 
I've got two. I believe they're also known as darter tetras.

From what I've read about them, they should either be kept in large groups (10+) or alone. I think they are said to be territorial in small numbers in an aquarium setting. Mine tend to follow each other around but not closely, keeping space between each other.

They do like to hang out in the leaves of plants but they're definitely bottom dwellers.

I love the way they move. Hummingbird is definitely a good descriptor.

Mine looks like this:
characidium_sp3.jpg

characidium_sp1.jpg
 
I got some of these at an auction and thought they were very cool! I have been looking for more as I only have four and wanted to try to breed them and disperse the aggression that was happening. They do seem to be pretty territorial. I found 7 more being sold as 'gobies' and picked them up for $1 each. I think it was a good buy :grinyes:. I haven't tried to breed them yet as I need to clear out a tank just for them. That's the hard part--gotta make room for my farlowella babies first. Very cool to watch flit around the tank!!
 
From what I've read, I wouldnt keep these in a school. *IMO* in the wild these fish set up territories.

THeir natural behavior...and what we can observe in the hobby...show a fish that is naturally territorial, rather than a schooler. Their upright posture, their use of their pectoral fins..........they arent built like nor act like a schooler.

I have kept many many loaches and other bottom fish. None except gobies act like this. I've had individuals/pairs of Botia (now Y.) sidthimunki (until I could find more) and they didnt exhibit the same behavior as individual darter tetras. And Y. sidthimunki do truly school.
 
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