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In my complete 10 gal. tank setup I will have 1 American Flagfish plus 3 - 4 Blackskirt Tetras. Which fish should I add first? Thanks!

IME with black skirts they need much more than 3-4. They are schooling fish after all and that means groups of 6+. They're some of the nippiest tetras I've ever delt with (granted I havent many tetras but of the 4 or so species I've kept they've been the nippiest). And a 10 gallon tank is just too small space and gallonage wise to keep them in.

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"in any case, chocolate is hardly a rare comodity." said Chaos. "There are planets covered in the stuff"
REALLY?
"Indeed."
IT MIGHT BE BEST, said Death, IF NEWS LIKE THAT DID NOT GET ABOUT. ~ Theif of Time [link=Terry Pratchett]http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link]

I have read from almost every credible source available to me that 3+ is fine for the Blackskirts. Yes, they do BEST in schools of 6+, but this is not to say that they do not also do well in a group of, let's say, 4. This is my understand at least. Please correct me if I am wrong. I also understand that the Blackskirts are active fish and that they can be nippy in small groups. However, from what I have read this nippiness is not potentially dangerous to the fish and causes the fish no more stress than if they were in a larger group.

Thus, I appreciate your concern, Babelfish, but I feel your response was a bit rash and also quite an inadequate answer to my question of which fish should go in the tank first.

Well if that' was inadequate I suppose I could put it a bit more blutly.
Dont' keep black skirts in a 10 gallon. It does not offer enough space for the fish. Therefore black skirts IME should not be added to that small of a tank. If schooling fish must be added to your tank please select a fish with an adult size smaller than 1.5".

^_^[hr width='40%']
"in any case, chocolate is hardly a rare comodity." said Chaos. "There are planets covered in the stuff"
REALLY?
"Indeed."
IT MIGHT BE BEST, said Death, IF NEWS LIKE THAT DID NOT GET ABOUT. ~ Theif of Time [link=Terry Pratchett]http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link]

To address your question, it does not really matter too much which fish you add first. IME I've not seen this species to be especially nippy, especially compared to other fish that I have kept. However, you could do better with the limited size of your aquarium. There are many smaller species of tetras that would be quite fine in your 10 gallon. Try looking into some species such as members of the Hyphessobrycon genus. I assure you that you won't be disappointed by the the Rosy or the Lemon. Glowlight Tetras and Black Phantoms are also nice tetras of other genera. At least look into them, some of them are pretty cool.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

i have a single black skirt in a 15 gallon. it has been helthy in that tank for over 1.5 years. i have not had problems with nipping. but it was my first tank and if i did it voer again i would do smaller fish for a small tank and a larger group. it would look a lot nicer. my tank looks cluttered

bettachris:

Sorry I couldn't address your question in the other thread. I think it is locked. Not sure what this means, but I couldn't reply. Okay, anyway:

Yep many of my questions in the past had been for a friend (2, actually)...oh, and my room mate's tank. Other questions I've asked are simply out of curiousity. But this is for my very own first aquarium that I am going to be setting up. Just want to ask all my questions before I get started!

Thank you for all your help! I read a lot of lit. on the topics, but it's always nice to get some advice from real people too!

metagon:

Thank you so much for your very helpful advice! I had seen the Lemon Tetra at pet shops in the past and wan't all that impressed. However, I had never even heard of the Rosy Tetra! It is a lovely fish, and at only about 2/3 the size of the Blackskirt. I am definately going to look into it. BTW, do you know if they are hard to find at all or should my local fish store carry them? Also, can the Rosy Tetras live healthily and happily in a group of 4 or would you recommend a group of 6 for these also?

IMO 6 is a great number for most tetras. Many fish can certainly survive in smaller groups, that is for sure. However, you will see that activity can absolutely multiply in higher numbers, giving you a more active and attractive aquarium. In a 10 gallon a smaller species of tetra than Black Skirts will not be cramped in a group of 6. It'll be worth the small amount of extra cash. Trust me, 6 is a more attractive number than 4, it really is!

Unfortunately the Rosy Tetra, one of my favorite Hyphessobrycon species, is not exactly a common find. You usually find Bleeding Heart Tetras, a similar relative; they have similar finnage, but do not have the same body color. If you can get your hands on Rosies you won't regret it, I sure didn't. There are so many other tetra species, so you shouldn't have any problem finding any species that will be good in a 10 gallon.

Last edited by metagon at 04-Oct-2005 16:41

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.