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GloLite Tetra – The GloLite or Glowlight Tetra has a small silver body with a single, bright orange stripe that stretches from their forehead all the way back to the base of the tail.īleeding Heart Tetra – The Bleeding Heart Tetra is perhaps one of the most interesting fish to look at, both for children and adults. They make a stunning picture as they swim in schools through open aquarium waters.
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While the Neon Tetra sports stripes on a silver body, the Cardinal Tetra appears divided in half- the top half blue and the lower half red. They are perhaps not as flashy as the Neon Tetra, but they still make an excellent addition to any freshwater aquarium.Ĭardinal Tetra – Though they could easily be mistaking for their cousins the Neon Tetra, Cardinal Tetras do differ in coloring. The white stripe is thinner and sits above the thicker black stripe. These two stripes extend the entire length of the body, beginning just behind the gills and ending at the tail. Like most Tetras, it thrives in large schools of six or more.īlack Tetra – The Black Tetra, or Black Neon Tetra, is also a small silver fish with two “racing” stripes, one silver and one black. Neon Tetra – Perhaps the most common and popular aquarium fish, this small silver fish sports a long silver-blue stripe down its body, and a thicker red stripe beneath that stretches about half-way down the body to the tail. They possess a chemical warning system that lets them know if any member of the school is sick or injured and this may cause them to hide out of site at all times. Perhaps because of their small size, Tetras are very wary and will hide when they hear people coming. The name Tetra comes from the Greek word for “four” and was given to these little fish because of their four unpaired fins: the caudal fin, the dorsal fin, the anal fin, and the adipose fin. The dorsal fin is considered to be a little small for the size of the fish. The tail of a Tetra is forked, with both the top and bottom being equal in size. Tetra prefer to school, so a minimum of five is recommended. They can grow up to five inches in length, but most are about an inch. In fact, Tetras are often considered the ideal starter fish as they are perfect for beginners. This is a hardy and easy to keep species of fish that is often brightly colored and brings a flash to any home aquarium.
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A bright addition to any aquarium, Tetras are small freshwater fish that share a family with other famous freshwater fish such as piranha.
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