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Hi everybody,

I am pretty new to fish keeping. I have had my 10g tank for about 6 months, stocked as follows:

1 Angel
1 Chinese Algae Eater
2 Guppies
1 Red Phantom Tetra
1 Dwarf Gourami

Now to the query. The red phantom tetra occupies the same spot in the tank all the time. I feed the fish twice per day, but very small amounts. I only put a couple of flakes in at a time until the fish have eaten it before putting in more. The problem is that the tetra wont feed at the surface and if no food is sinking down to his level, how is he going to eat? The other fish quickly take care of all of the food and I have not seen him eat yet.
Now, you are probably thinking, If the tetra wasnt eating then surely he/she would be dead by now after six months. However, I have only just started feeding the fish this way as I recently learnt that I had been overfeeding (I was feeding them more before and all at once so that most of it was sinking to the bottom).
Anyhow, if anyone has any experience with this, your help would be appreciated.

Thanks


Last edited by jenna1981 at 03-Jun-2005 00:53

If you want to fix this, you’ll have to fiddle around with the tank’s stocking, the actual fish themselves. The angelfish (at least six inches long when fully grown, not to mention over eight inches tall) and the Chinese algae eater (near twelve) will get too large for that fish tank. You should get a plan in place to move these fish. Also, if they are large enough, there’s a good chance that they are intimidating the tetra. As a rule, tetras should be kept in schools of at least six, as they tend to be skittish, shy, and stressed when kept singly or in too-small groups. A lone tetra can easily become afraid of its tankmates, and will be very stressed out. They become bolder when kept in schools, to the point where they will be happy to feed from the surface. My lemon tetras do. I really think you should move the angel and CAE (the algae eater), and add more red phantoms.

To help things out before any move occurs, you can also alter the way you feed your fish. You don’t need to only add a few flakes at a time, you can certainly add a larger amount all at once. Just don’t add more than the fish will eat in a minute or two. Adding the food all at once will increase the chances of the tetra getting some. Also, if it won’t eat from the surface, just use your finger to send some flakes down below. That’ll help.

Sorry to have to criticize your tank’s stocking, especially on your first post here. I’m just trying to help you do what is best for your fish. But hey, welcome to Fish Profiles. Hope ya have a nice time here.

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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."

Thanks for your reply.
I figured that it might be a bit stressed by itself, particulalry with the Angelfish as a tankmate. Although I've never actually seen the Angelfish target the tetra, I have had problems between the gourami and the anglefish and figured that the Angelfish was defintely in need of a bigger tank and perhaps better selected tankmates.
I'm in the process of planning a new, larger tank (50g) and you will all no doubt hear from me when setting up the new tank.
No need to apologise for 'criticizing' my tank set up. I didnt find it critical at all, I have learnt a lot from reading the forums so far and appreciate any suggestions or help.
Thanks again

In my experience, Red Phantoms are among the more timid tetras -- it's very likely that the explanation above is correct.