Rummy Nosed Tetras

[mortiss]

I would like to know of anybody that has these fish and what in particular do you do for them. I'm interested in having a small school of them, but there's not much info available> My main concern is that I've heard that they require R/O water, and won't live in treated tap water. Is that true? I see them in many LFS around here and love the red black & white, but if they are super fussy, they're not for me.

 

[astroguy]

Hi-

Look at http://www.aquariumsite.com/fish/red_nose.php for details. I am not at all aware of this R/O requirement, and I sincerely doubt that this tetra needs it. They are basically very similar to other tetras from Brazil

 

[illuminum]

I have one rummy nosed tetra and he's held up great. Whoever told you that they need R/O water was wrong. Mine is in treated tap water (which is fairly hard) and hasn't shown any signs of stress at all. They seem just as hardy and healthy as my other fish.

 

[mortiss]

thanks guys, thats good to hear. There were 2 sites online that said they were picky and delicate, so it made me a little wary of just going and getting them. How long have you had yours Illuminum?

 

[astroguy]

Illuminum-

You should *definitely* give your tetras companions! They are schooling fishes, and generally schooling only with their own species. I see you have 2 neon tetras. Try increasing to 4-6, same for the rummy nose tetra. They may look ok to you, but they just feel awkward. They physically need companions at the risk of dying of insecurity.

 

[illuminum]

I've had mine for two months now. I actually bought the entire tank (fish and all) from a lfs not too far from my home. They had been in that tank for two years supposedly. They weren't even phased by the move of the entire tank. However, one of my rainbows died on me last week. He had some sort of disease where he puffed up. I think it was either dropsy or columnaris.

They don't seem too picky or delicate to me. HTH

 

[ScottS]

Rummy Nosed do tend to be on the sensitive side of the hardiness scale. While not difficult to keep, they should be looked after a bit more carefully. Keep them in groups of 5-6 at least, they do prefer softer and more acidic water than avg, and they seem prone to disease more easily than others.

Mortiss, how's your tap water? If your tap is hard and alkaline, mixing R/O and tap water can help make the water better match the parameters the Rummy Nosed prefers. If you have naturally soft and acidic water, then there's certainly no need for R/O. They are just a bit more fussy than average, but its by no means are they hard to keep. I say get them!

 

[trenac]

For a year now I have had four rummy nose tetras. They are keep in tap water treated with water conditioner. They are not as hardy as some other tetras because they do stress easily when moved around. Make sure that your LFS has had the fish for at least a week before buying them. Also introduce them slowly into your tank. They are not picky eaters at all. They will eat flake,frozen, freezed dried & live foods. I would buy at least 5 or 6 to begin with because you may lose one or two to start with since they do stress easily. They are great little fish that add a lot of color & personality to the tank.

 

[mortiss]

Thank you ScottS & trenac, I think my water would be ok, it's on the softer side, so thats good news. I was wanting to get around 7 to start with and they'd be on their own. I also wanted to try my hand at some live plants with them as well so this is just one great big experiment for me. I need to catch up on my plant research too

 

[Sati]

I have 3 rummy nosed tetras that have been living happily in my community tank for over a year. They hang with out my cardinals most of the time. I have not found them to be delicate, sensitive, or fussy in the least. They're great fish! Very active and happy little buggers