Question about Black-Skirt Tetras

fishlover · #1 ,

My Black Skirts are kind of odd.

When I turn on the light, they just go hide and sit on the bottom and kinda quiver.

Is the light doing this? I normally turn the light on before it is real dark and if it is a little darker, I turn the light on in the living room first. It is one boring tank of fish.

Sharon · #2 ,

I used to have Black Skirts. All except one died during a heat wave last summer. I didn't have a bubbler, and I think the low oxygen was the problem with the water at high temps. I found them to be a little boring, as well. I actually cycled my 55 gal with them and found them to be quite hardy, but they wern't particularly interesting to watch.

Dano · #3 ,

I figure that the poor Black Skirts have grown accustomed to a dim gloomy environment and then somebody comes along and turns on a bright light that startles them. Seems like a reasonable explanation since poor fish don't have eye lids or little hands to shield their little eyes.

StormySkiez · #4 ,

I would guess the whiteskirt tetras are simular? I have them in my 20g tank. I love them! They zoom around only once in a while and act like little pirahnas at feeding time. They like well planted tanks. They hang around to about mid levels and fit in perfect with my fast silly danios who speed all over the tank. Every where I look I see beautiful fish

. That quiver you speak about is normal. My neons do it as well. Only my tetras do it. I believe they do not like bright lights, that is why they like the cover of a well planted tank.

fishlover · #5 ,

I do have a bubbler that goes most of the way across the back of the tank, so they do have plenty of oxygen. I have quite a few of them in there and they all do the same thing.

It just looks like a big empty tank when the light is on.

Yes, that has to be quite a shock, I would think, when that bright light comes on all of a sudden. My other fish don't seem to mind at all. Just the tetras.

Thanks everyone!

Puggy · #6 ,

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishlover

My Black Skirts are kind of odd.

When I turn on the light, they just go hide and sit on the bottom and kinda quiver.

Is the light doing this? I normally turn the light on before it is real dark and if it is a little darker, I turn the light on in the living room first. It is one boring tank of fish.

This problem could also be about how many you keep BlackSkirts like to be kept in groups of 5 or more also Black Skirts do not like light that much

Dano · #7 ,

My 6 Longfin Black Skirts react when the lights come on. We are repeating the same thing over and over here.

lilfish · #8 ,

Tetras like well planted tanks and I think not a lot of light. But I have a Blue Colombian that is very happy even when the light goes on. I didn't have a light for some time on the other tank where he was as the sockets where not working properly, and he did not mind it either. With this new tank and new light I can really admire his pretty colors