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Are these very hardy. I found some at a local chainstore for $1 a peice.

They are fairily easy to keep. Here is a link to some additional info:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/diamond.xml

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I've read most profiles and articles. Can anybody give me their experiences. Is $1 a peice a good price.

i love them. they are beautiful when full grown, i find them hardy and peaceful. they love a lot of variety in their diet, and plants on the surface to make them feel safe.

get them! as many as you can fit in your tank.

They are quite easy to keep, peaceful & need to stay in schools. Get some & you wouldn't be disappointed.


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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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$1 is a good price, provided that the fish are not babies. If they're at least an inch, you've got a pretty good deal.

Diamond tetras are somewhat hardy, just make sure you keep up on water changes with them. Other than that, they don't really have any special needs, besides being fed.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

They're about 1.5 to 2 inches.

They are a bit nippy, IME. Beautiful fish, though. Toss in some corydoras aeneus "black", a pair of blue rams, and you've got yourself an awesome llanos biotope.

Quite a few people say Diamonds are fairly hardy, yet I recall Bruce Moomaw having no end of woes with the ones he was looking after. But then he was looking after an aquarium at work, which was probably a significant factor in the myriad problems he encountered.

However, even if problems ARE encountered, Diamonds are worth persevering with. And not just because they are beautiful fishes. They're also worth persevering with from the standpoint of getting them to spawn. Because their sole native habitat is Lake Valencia in Venezuela, and Lake Valencia has been subject to more than its fair share of abuse. So, breed those Diamonds, because they're having a tough time in the wild. If the worst scenario comes to pass, we could be looking at restocking Lake Valencia with aquariu bred fish to replace the wild ones that died out. At the moment, we're not at that stage vis-a-vis the health of the lake, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Breed your Diamonds! And do your bit for conservation!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Actually, they are found scattered about the Venezuelan landscape, as Lake Valencia now drains into the Rio Tuy. Consequently, these fish are found in surrounding rivers, including the guapo, llanos, and others.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 30-Apr-2005 12:35

Yeah, I've had trouble with them, possibly for the reasons stated by Callie. In any case, it will be a while before I try them again -- but that's partly due to their price, which is normally about $5, more expensive than most Tetras. Getting some for $1 is a bargain of the first order. (I've heard that they like water a bit harder and more neutral than most Tetras, which may explain some of my problems. The same thing is true, by the way, of the very attractive Glass Bloodfin Tetra.)

As for their problems in the wild: I too have heard that they've started to spread out into the surrounding waterways of Venezuela, which is good news. In this connection, I was stunned to learn recently that the Dwarf Loach (Botia sidthimunki) is now listed as a seriously endangered species -- more due to habitat destruction than to collection -- and that no one has yet learned how to breed it in captivity (unlike the Red-Tailed Shark, which is now totally extinct in the wild). This explains why Sidthimunkis are so rare in the stores, but it also leaves us with a duty: to try to figure out how to breed this charming little fish in captivity and thus save it from total destruction.

I got about 8 of them since they were so cheap. I doubt ill be able to breed them but who knows.