The Rummy-nose Tetra: Information About Appearance and Nutrition
The rummy-nose tetra is a small freshwater fish from South America. It belongs to the family of characins. The most distinctive feature of the rummy-nose tetra is its head, which is red.
Although the rummy-nose tetra has some requirements when kept in the aquarium, it has long since developed into a popular ornamental fish for many aquarium keepers.
Characteristics of the rummy-nose tetra
Rummy-nose tetras have a narrow and elongated body with a silvery, slightly transparent base colour. The head and iris of the red-capped tetra are red. Their caudal fin is black and white striped. The remaining fins are transparent.
They reach a length of about four to six centimetres, with the upper end of this range being rather the exception. Males and females become about the same size. However, the females are usually somewhat plumper.
How old do the rummy-nose tetras get?
Provided that they are kept in a species-appropriate manner and the fish are spared from diseases, they can reach an age of eight to ten years in an aquarium. However, with insufficient care and feeding, their life expectancy can be considerably shorter.
Blehers head tetra: similar species
There are several species of characins, which look quite similar because of the red coloration on their head. However, the Hemigrammus bleheri (Blehers Rotkopfsalmler) described in this article is the most popular of these in aquaristics.
In addition, there are also the following red-headed or redmouth tetra:
- Hemigrammus georgiae (Georgie's red headed tetra)
- Hemigrammus rhodostomus (redmouth tetra)
- Although they are rarely found in domestic aquariums, their care and husbandry does not differ much from that of the Bleher's tetra.
Origin of the rummy-nose tetra
In the wild, the red-capped tetra lives in the black waters of the Rio Negro in Brazil and the Río Meta and Río Vaupés in Colombia. There, it prefers shallow areas near the shore.
It was named after the German ichthyologist Heiko Bleher. Its full name is therefore Blehers Rotkopfsalmler (Hemigrammus bleheri). In English it is also called Red-nose tetra or Firehead tetra.
- Keeping the rummy-nose tetras
- The rummy-nose tetras like groups and the ideal group size should be at least 10 animals.
- The more fish are kept together, the more comfortable the fish feel.
The right aquarium for red-capped tetras
To provide sufficient space for the extremely active swimmers, your aquarium should have a length of at least 80 to 100 centimetres.
The rummy-nose tetra requires soft, slightly acidic water, the temperature of which should be in the range of 24 to 27 degrees. A blackwater aquarium is the closest to the natural habitat of the red-capped tetra. However, keeping them in clear water is also possible.
Regardless of this, the quality of the water is very important. As red-crowned tetras are extremely sensitive to elevated nitrite and nitrate levels, regular water tests and a weekly change of part of the water are essential.
Aquatic plants and equipment for the rummy-nose tetras
Red-crowned tetras naturally prefer a dark environment. Besides dimmed light, it is therefore advisable to equip the aquarium with a dark substrate and some floating plants.
A dense planting of the aquarium with different aquatic plants is possible without any problems. However, care should be taken to ensure that the characins living in the tank still have enough room to swim.
Keeping with other ornamental fish
The rummy-nose tetras are sociable and peaceful. They can therefore be kept in an aquarium with a variety of other ornamental fish without any problems. Other tetras such as neon fish, small cichlids as well as various catfish species can be considered here.
Large fish, such as angelfish and discus fish, are not suitable for socialisation with redheaded characins.
Breeding of red-capped characins
The breeding of red-capped characins proves to be relatively costly. A successful reproduction of the open brooders in a normal aquarium is extremely unlikely. Instead, a special spawning tank is required for the reproduction of the fish.
But even there, patience is required, as red-capped tetras do not spawn too often and only when water levels are suitable. In order to prevent the adult fish from eating the spawn, the use of a spawning rust as well as a timely removal of the parent fish is recommended.
It only takes one or two days for the offspring to hatch. However, another week may pass before they start swimming.
The rummy-nose tetra diseases
The rummy-nose tetras kept in the aquarium can fall ill with a number of diseases. For this reason, it is essential to always ensure optimal keeping conditions and high water quality.
The following diseases, among others, are widespread in redheaded tetras:
- Mouth and fin rot
- Velvet Disease
- Fish tuberculosis
- Fungal infections
- Real and fake neon disease
The measures required for treatment and their chances of success vary depending on the type of disease and the time of diagnosis.
Acute fish tuberculosis, for example, cannot currently be treated with drugs and requires the killing of the entire fish population and comprehensive disinfection of the aquarium.
For other fish diseases such as foot and fin rot, however, the prognosis is somewhat more favourable. With a little luck, affected animals can be saved and immediate transfer to a quarantine tank can prevent the spread of the disease.
Nutrition of the redheaded tetra
In the wild, red-capped characins primarily feed on small invertebrates. For keeping them in an aquarium, it is therefore advisable to opt for feeding them with frozen or live food, such as mosquito larvae.
In order to keep the costs and the effort for feeding the red-capped tetras low, it is also possible to use high-quality dry food without any problems and to supplement this with frozen or live food once a week if necessary.
High-quality food for the rummy-nose tetras
Make no compromises when it comes to the quality of food for your redheaded tetras and trust in high-quality ornamental fish food from Aquaris.
Thanks to carefully selected raw materials, the feed contains the ideal nutrient combination to provide your redheaded tetras with the best possible nutrition and to support the vitality and health of the fish. In addition, the good digestibility of Aquaris food ensures that the water in the aquarium is not unnecessarily polluted.
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