FishProfiles.com Message Forums

i spotted these awesome blue tetras the other day at the local daggy fish shop.

they do occasionally stock painted glassfish, so i thought i'd ask.

Are blue tetras really that vivid blue?

they look very natural, but incredibly bright. I can't imagine anything actually looking that incredibly blue!

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Depends on what shape they are. If they have high flat bodies like Black Skirt Tetras, then they ARE albino Black Skirts who have been injected with blue dye -- the so-called "Blueberry" Tetras.

On the other hand, if they have streamlined elongated bodies and the blue color is actually more of a lavender shade that covers only the rear half of the body and gets brighter toward the tail, then those are Cochu's Blue tetras and their color is very natural. I will say that these are rather delicate -- make sure your water is clean -- and they're also not only solitary but downright antisocial, with a habit of constantly chasing other fish and each other around the tank (although they never seem to actually bite).

Recently, my LFS got a stock of green neons (P. simulans), which they labeled as blue tets. Think neon/cardinal except without the bottom red stripe. They look beautiful.

My sister used to keep Cochu's Blue Tetras and they were pretty peaceful; any aggression was directed among their own species. Even though they would chase each other around on a regular basis, they seemed to be pretty good shoalers (I wouldn't call them schoolers like most other tetras are).

They are also perfect for unheated tanks (as long as the temperature doesn't go below 65), as they come from areas in South America with relatively cool water.

Last edited by Cory Addict at 19-Oct-2004 19:05

---

I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I have to say that I haven't heard anything about Cochu's Blues tolerating cooler water -- although I can't completely rule it out, since they come from the same area as Neons, which prefer water around 72 deg F (22 deg C). Personally, I'd err on the side of caution and keep it warm.

As for P. simulans: only once in 16 years have I seen those for sale. They are pretty -- and I would imagine that they're wild-caught and thus likely to be free of Neon Disease.

they are going in my 'certainly possible' list for my new setup

thanks guys!

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

I have kept these -and they were not all that peaceful. While most aggression was towards their own, they would also endlessly chase other fish, never doing any physical damage, but stressing some out to the point of death. They are beautiful, and extremely active.

hmm, perhaps not good then i need oh-so-peaceful....

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hi, i just bought 6 blue tetras. They are quite beautiful and interesting fish - and very lively! I have an otherwise peaceful community tank with angels, neons etc and so far they don't seem to cause a problem. I'll let you know if they become a problem.