Rummy Nose Tetra questions...

[ack.z06]

I’m asking this here because I’ve only had my tank for two months.

I have five rummy nose tetra in a 10g tank and they are doing just fine. The tank is fully cycled and the fish are happy at least when the lights are off. If I leave the light on all day the fish loose their color and hide in the right hand back corner. Also, when I first turn the light on they totally freak out. I have a 15-watt fluorescent bulb in the hood right now. With just natural lighting they have very vivid color and swim around the tank in a little school.

Do these fish like it better with low light? Has that been your experience? I haven’t seen any literature indicating this.

Maybe I don’t have enough cover for them. Or do they do better in a planted tank?

I’m sure they would do even better if I had more of them, but I think I can only add one more to this tank, given that it’s a 10g.

So I’m looking for any experience y’all have had with the rummy nose tetra. I’m starting to think a 10g tank really isn’t big enough to keep rummy nose. Below is a picture of my tank.

 

[mykidsmylife]

I have only had my rummy nose for about 2 1/2 months, but I can tell you what I have noticed in them with my limited experience. When I first turn on the light in the morning, they don't have a lot of color but quickly gain it as they swim around then get their breakfast. I don't leave my lights on during the day very often, I mostly wait to turn the lights on until evening that way I don't have to worry about algea growth as much. I do know that after I do a tank cleaning/partial water change, it stresses them and they don't have as much color. I think their color or lack there of is a good indicator of stress in them but please don't trust my opinion alone. Do a google search and you will come up with lots of good information.
I LOVE my rummy nose. I really think they are a cool fish and they go great in my 40 gallon tank (mostly tetra's of different variaties).
Good luck with your fish!

 

[Ripples]

Try getting a few more plants (plastic or otherwise) to fill out some of the water. If you get tall ones they may 'shade' the top of the water a bit to make the fish feel more secure? Not sure if you can actually get fake floating plants - but something like that might help as well? They're probably just feeling a bit exposed. Mine are fairly relaxed (and I only have 2) but they are in with a lot of other dither fish which probably relaxes them...

R

 

[Left C]

Rummy Nose's lose their color where they go to sleep and when they wake up (and everything is OK) they "turn their nose on."

Something that has helped me with them is that my light is on a timer. They get used to the cycle of the light coming on and going off at a certain time. When the get used to this they don't "freak out."

 

[Blueiz]

"Not sure if you can actually get fake floating plants "

I took the plastic base off of some of the fake plants i purchased and just let them float in the water.

 

[carttman]

I have had Rummy Nose Tetras along with Cardinal Tetras in my tank for two years now. I noticed my fishes color got better when I put in better lights, started feeding them variety of food, and put in real plants. Have no idea if all this helped, but I have read that to get fish to show their real color is to simulate their natural environment and feed variety of foods. I feed mine: flakes, algae wafers, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, live brine shrimp, frozen blood worms, and frozen mosquito larvae. Hope this helps

 

[ack.z06]

I was thinking that more plants might be the way to go. I'm not ready to take the plunge into live plants yet, so I'll pick up some more fake plants and see how it goes.

The timer is a great idea; I'll give that a try also... Lord knows I'm not consistent with turning the lights on and off.

I tried some lettuce tonight at feeding time... They either didn’t like it or didn’t know what to do with it. I like the idea of mosquito lava, that sounds like a fish kind of thing for sure.

Since I can’t think of another fish that would do well in there, I’m going to get one more rummy nose tomorrow and see if the extra fish makes everyone more comfortable.

Thanks for all the thoughts and I’ll post some more pics when the new setup is done.

 

[carttman]

If you don't want to get Rummy Nose Tetras you can always go with another species of Tetra probably. I have Cardinal Tetras mixed in with my Rummy Nose Tetras and they school together really good. I chose the Cardinal Tetras over the other species because their color looks like a marine or salt water species. That is my opinion though.