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Are there any Tetra that can live in Hard/Alkaline water?.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Most tetras (those that aren't known to be super-sensitive) will do just fine in hard water. They're able to handle the conditions pretty well, and can thrive and even spawn.

Or were you asking about tetras that naturally live in hard water? I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I know that there are rivers and streams in South America that are relatively alkaline, and they do have tetra inhabitants.

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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."

One species that may do better than most in hard and alkaline water, within reason, is the Diamond Tetra, Moenkhausia pittieri. It's natural home is lake Valencia in Venezuela, and I gather that it's natural water chemistry is somewhat different from the typical South American habitat. However, the fishes that are left in Lake Valencia have rather more to put up with at the moment than they would like - sigh - in the form of petrochemical industry runoff and pesticide residues from surrounding industry. Poor Lake Valencia and its fishes ...

Aquarium bred specimens should CERTAINLY be more adaptable to hard and alkaline water.

However, if the Diamond Tetra proves to be reclacitrant in this regard, it's worth checking to see if the Rift Lakes have any native Characin species, as those will DEFINITELY prefer hard, alkaline water ... I've yet to hear of any, most of the attention being focused upon Cichlids for obvious reasons, but there are other fishes in those lakes, most notably Synodontis Catfishes, at least one Mastacembelid Eel (the rare and expensive Aethiomastacembelus ellipsifer from Lake Tanganyika) and I recently posted a piece in General Freshwater on a Rift Lake Killifish. So, it's entirely possible that the Rift lakes may harbour the odd Characin species.

Just did a quick Fishbase check on fishes native to Malawi - no Characins listed. There are, however, several Alestid (Characin relations) fishes in Tanzania, but most of those are big enough to be human food fishes! Likewise, there are some members of the Citharinidae present, including the Genus Distichodus, but again they are big fishes (over a foot long) and also bear the disadvantages of being territorially aggressive, fin nippers and rocket-propelled jumpers.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Congos get along quite well in hard water and would spawn readily for me with 8.6ph, 18-20 kh and gh well water. They are somewhat large though and do best with a 4' tank. If you aren't thinking of breeding them most tetras will live in hard water without any problems. I kept black neons for awhile in that well water and now have several cochus blue and emperors in tapwater with similar water parameters.

Thanks alot for your reply's. I was thinking of adapting my Rummynose Tetra to Hard/Alkaline water, but i think it's better to try to soften the water a bit, before i make the switch.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

I have rummynose tetras, cochu's blue tetras, and von rio tetras in water with a pH of 7.2 and a gH of 300 ppm and they're all doing fine. As long as you're not looking at wild caught fish, most fish available for purchase can do just fine in less than ideal water params.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

The Glass Bloodfin Tetra (Prionobrama filigera) is also supposed to prefer water a bit harder and more alkaline than most South American Characins do. And we musn't forget Blind Cave Tetras, which evolved for hard and alkaline water and prefer it in no uncertain terms.

Rummynoses are one of the most sensitive tetras you'll find in stores and may not handle a switch to hardwater very well. I would be very careful when attempting it.

I have found that several of the Hyphessobrycon Genus do well over a wider range of waters than a typical tetra would. Lemon tetra, phantoms, rosy tetras, black neons, bleeding hearts, etc. Though, of course, each species has its own specific requirements.

I will try to soften the water a bit & then i'll try to transfer them to their new tank, slowly. First i'll put 6 & see how they'll do & if everything goes on well, i'll add the other 10 a week or 10 days later.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com