Help! My Black Skirts!

[mamaknows betta]

I have a 29 gallon tall tank that is cycling, currently on its 10th day. I have only two Black Skirt Tetras in the tank right now. There is quite a difference in size,
and the big one seems to always be picking on the smaller one. It's continually chasing it, nipping at it and the little one keeps hiding in the plants as a refuge. I'm afraid the bigger tetra is going to kill the smaller one. Would getting more tetras to form a proper school help? Should they be separated?

I have a male betta in a 10 gallon heated, filtered tank that could possibly help out as an option. It' also in its 10th day of cycling.

 

[ColemAnthony1]

I would imagine that adding more would help. Black skirts should ideally be kept in a school of at least 6 if not more. They like playing the "tag" game with each other, so I would think that adding more would keep the bigger guys mind off of just the one smaller guy. My Odessa barbs were the same way. They'd spend all day playing "tag" with each other, but no damage was ever done. Add more and see what happens! I think black skirts look awesome, but I can't have any because they'd rip my angelfish's fins to shreds!


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[mamaknows betta]

Thanks so much! I'm going to get some more black skirts today! I was hoping to get angelfish eventually as my centrepiece fish but it doesn't seem like that would be such a good idea! (The kid at PetSmart told me they were great tankmates!.....sigh)

 

[ColemAnthony1]

Oh Petsmart employees.... Lol. Long ago, when I was still pretty new to the hobby, I had an angelfish and bought some black skirts, added them to the tank, and within a week I was giving the black skirts back because my angelfish looked so awful. Let me know how it goes and good luck!


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[guppygourami]

I made practically the same mistake by adding three black skirts with my two angels and found them dead. My angels are pretty fiesty hehe


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[ColemAnthony1]

How are the black skirts doing?


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[mamaknows betta]

I bought 4 more Black Tetras yesterday, along with some live plants to help with the cycling and the increased burden, and everyone seems quite happy! The big guy isn't picking on the little one who has emerged from hiding and is swimming with the school. I think it's all good! Thanks for the help!

Oh! I saw a gorgeous blue Dwarf Gourami yesterday and I think he would be a nice centerpiece instead. Petsmart kid said it would be fine with the tetras but not sure I trust him any more! I'll have to do some research on it because I wasn't really interested in one until I saw him.

 

[guppygourami]

DGs are great and pretty calm in general IME. Wondering if the tetras would nip its fins though.


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[ColemAnthony1]

So glad to hear that they're doing well! I think that the dwarf gourami would be a great addition to your tank. My friend had a fire red dwarf gourami along with a school of black skirts and they got along fine. Dwarf gourami's are hardy fish and don't require any special, out of the ordinary care. I'd wait a little bit though for your tank to catch up with the bio load before adding one.


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