Tetra behavior

cbatusf

cbatusf

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Dec 17, 2006
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Hey y'all!

I have a ten gallon with 3 Congo Tetras, 2 Cory Cats, and one Common Pleco. I'm aware that the Pleco will grow to be very large, and I already have a future home for him lined up.

My question is this. . . Every time I look at my aquarium, my Tetras are constantly chasing each other. I really can't tell if there's a specific one doing all the chasing because they all look identical. lol! I thought that Tetras were community fish. Is this mating behavior or aggression?

Thanks!
~Courtney
 
i dont think there should be much of a problem with that. mine black skirts did the same thing. if they were fin nipping at each other, that might be another story though... far as im concerened, there shouldn't be much of a problem. can u provide more details as to their behavior?
 
From what I can tell, there isn't much nipping going on. It appears that one Tetra is constantly chasing another, and it looks like it's always the same pair: This is an educated guess because, like I said, it's hard to tell one from another. The one Tetra that is being chased looks like it's really trying to get away, while that other is always right behind it. This goes on all day and all night until I feed them. Once all the food is gone in the tank, the chasing continues. This has been going on for at least a week. The third Tetra just hangs out and tries to stay close to them.
 
Could be breeding or just establishing territories

I have 6 Serpae Tetras in my 20g. They are known to be a bit territorial but, after a few weeks everyone had their little corner picked out. However, if anyone crosses the invisible line between territories, they all chase each other around for a little while and then settle back in.

I also observed what seemed to be a breeding pair, or at least a dominant male with perhaps my only female. I could recognize the female because of some fin damage. The other fish really hounded her. I observed this for several mornings/evenings. Then one morning I watched for awhile before turning on the light (they get some morning sun) and saw them spawning all over the tank.

You could do an internet search for "breeding congo tetras" or something like that and find out more about their habits.
 
I have Black Neon Tetras and Head & Tail Light Tetra in one 6-gal tank and Black Neons and Glow Lights in another, 10-gal tank. They chase each other around all the time, and come close to nipping but I've never seen evidence of actual teeth contact. I think they chase each other for at least two reasons: territory guarding (and territories can change hands... fins frequently, especially after I add or move plants), and mating, wherein the females (being the larger/fatter fish in all 3 cases) are as likely if not more likely to do the chasing (and, I think, more likely to guard their 9 or 12 cubic inches of preferred territory). The pygmy cories in the larger tank try to school with the Black Neons, and I've noticed, but very rarely, a BN will be surprised by a cory and do the equivalent of a "get away from me, kid!" but they forget rapidly and the cory forgives readily. :)
 
That is typical tetra behavior, but I do agree that your tank will not be big enough to house the Congos long term. These tetras reach about 3 inches, so a long tank is needed. I wouldn't put them in anything smaller than a 30g long tank. You should think about the future (upgrading) and adding more to their school.
 
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