The black skirt tetra is a freshwater fish that is commonly used to keep in an aquarium. These beautiful fish boast unique beauty and many personalities to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your fish tank. Thanks to their popularity, they are easily available almost anywhere.
Best of all, these aquarium fish are forgiving and incredibly easy to care for, making them perfect for beginners. You won't need to do a lot of maintenance to keep them alive, happy and cheerful.
Stay tuned if you want to learn more about black skirt tetras exploring everything from black skirt tetra care to breeding!
Origins and Habitat
The black-skirted tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) is a prominent member of the Characidae family. To trace the history of their origin we will have to travel deep into the basins and rivers of South America.
That's because these fish originate from the beautiful freshwater rivers of Paraguay, Brazil, and northeastern Argentina, especially the Paraguay and Guapor river basins.
The water in these regions is cool, comfortable and shady. This is how black skirt tetras like their water.
They travel in schools and prefer to swim near the surface, feeding on small insects, worms and crustaceans. Nature seems to have an endless supply of food for them.
However, the black skirt tetra fish you see in the market today do not come from these wild areas, but that is what it originally did.
Instead, they are bred in captivity for sale by skilled aquarists and aquaculture farms. Some of the differences in this school species have been genetically modified.
What Does a Black Skirt Tetra Look Like?
Each Black Skirt Tetra comes with that amazing tetragon shape from the Characidae family that people love so much.
This unique body shape makes the black skirt tetra special to many aquarium enthusiasts. Unlike other tetra fishes of the Characidae family, they do not have bright colors.
Instead, they boast a unique color gradient consisting of black, gray and silver. They have an attractive translucent color that makes them stand out.
A bright and reflective gray silver color dominates the front part of the body, especially the head. However, the color gradually fades to a darker shade as it moves towards the tail, giving the fish a gradient effect.
Black-skirted tetras are known for their small size. On average, they grow 1 to 2.5 inches in captivity. Some can reach 3 inches, but that doesn't happen often.
How Long Does a Black Skirt Tetra Live?
Black-skirted tetras have a relatively short lifespan. On average, a black-skirted tetra lives 3 to 5 years in a well-maintained tank. In their natural habitat they have a fairly long lifespan, at most 6 to 7 years.
These fish affect the water quality and overall tank condition. So, their lifespan depends a lot on how well the tetra tank is maintained. If you don't care for them properly and let them sit in poor water conditions for too long, you won't see them hit that 5 year mark.
How Do You Tell If a Tetra Is a Male or Female?
It is easy to tell between a male tetra and a female tetra. Of course, you won't get it right the first time, but it won't take long to tell the difference between the two. The most obvious difference is that female black skirt tetras are significantly larger than male black skirt tetras.
Female black skirt tetras also have slightly rounder bodies than their male counterparts.
You can tell if a tetra is male or female by examining the anal fin, but it can be more difficult. Females come with anal fins that run parallel to the black stripes on their abdomens.
In addition to a smaller body, male black-skirted tetras often feature white spots on their caudal fins. Their anal fins are smaller but wider than females.
As for the dorsal fins, they look more pointed and slightly narrower.
How Many Black Skirt Tetras Should Be Kept Together?
As we mentioned earlier, there are large numbers of schools of black-skirted tetras in the wild. They are incredibly sociable and thrive best in groups.
They do not like to live alone. Ideally, you should keep at least 5 black tetras. This allows them to build a community and feel more confident. Odd numbers work better in the aquarium when it comes to schooling.
If you can add more, that's even better. Plus, they'll be really fun to swim around together, play around, and keep alive and active inside your tank.
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What Do the Black Skirt Tetras Eat?
Black-skirted tetras in the wild will eat anything they find. From small insects to plants, they will eat all kinds of food! Similarly, there is no particular preference for captive black-skirted tetras. Therefore, you need to decide what you want to feed them. An excellent staple food to feed them is Northfin Community Formula.
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