Shy Bleeding Heart tetras

[cherule]

Hi Everyone,
I was just wondering if anyone knows if Bleeding Heart tetras are particularly shy. I've had my '6-pack' of tetras for about 4 months now. They are in a 20 gal with a Schwarts cory (soon to get some pals!). They are so shy that they swim behind the plants whenever I get close to the aquarium. Even to the point that they rarely go racing after their food. It mostly sinks to the bottom (the cory is fat as a pig!) They will follow the cory around after and eat what he stirs up, but I worry they they aren't getting enough to eat. I end up vacuuming up lots of food too. Maybe I'm just feeding them too much? I've left them without feeding for a day now and then, but that hasn't helped much.

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[TropicalNorth]

I've found most tetras are shy to a certain degree. Adding more ornaments, tall plants or floating plants helps them to feel safe because they know they've got somewhere to hide. Also bright lighting can make some fish a bit scared.

Fish only really need to be fed once a day and only a little bit (for your fish maybe just a pinch). If your putting food into the tank chances are they're eating some. You'll know if they're not getting enough food if their bellys look sunken in.

Also do you know what your water parameters are eg pH, nitrate etc. Bad or swinging water parameters can make fish stressed and less likely to eat.

 

[jm1212]

bleeding heart tetras are one of the shyest of the tetras, and it is best to keep them in a school of at least 12 for security. if you take back the corydoras to your LFS, you could have a school of 12 bleeding heart tetras as long as you keep up on your water changes every week and you change at least 1/3 of the water.

 

[cherule]

Thanks for the info! I do have some nice hiding places for the tetras...which they use too frequently for my taste...I like to see the little fellows! The water parms are 0 0 0 at the moment. The pH is 7.2 as it has been every time I test it. The lfs doesn't alter their pH and said the fish are aclamated to it so I haven't messed with it. I just moved them into the 20 gallon about a week ago along with plants and filter foam from the 10 gal. They were just as shy in the 10 gal, tho. It's parms had been very steady at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and less than 10 nitrate for several months. I do about a 30% water change every week. I've softened the lighting in their tank which they do seem to like. I guess I'll just have to let them do their own thing!

I put 6 neon tetras in the 10 gal and they seem very happy. They have no problem snapping up whatever I feed them. I have been feeding them only a tiny bit since I've only had them for less than a week, but so far so good.

I could move the cory back to the 10 gal and get him a pal, I suppose...I couldn't bring Spike back to the lfs! I'm very fond of his little fishy ways! I changed the substrate in the new tank to something called Profile. It's a medium for growing aquatic plants and the cory seems to like it better than the gravel in the old tank. I think its easier on his little barbels. I was going to get a couple more corys for the 20 gal, but maybe I'll get 3-4 more tetras instead so they can have a bigger school.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!! Hehehe!

Thank you so much for your ideas!