If you are looking for a fish that will immediately attract attention in your aquarium, take a closer look at the tayeria. It is more commonly known as the penguin tetras or stick tetras, and it got this name for a reason. The main feature of this fish is its unusual manner of swimming at an angle, head up, as if frozen in an elegant bow.
Despite their eccentric posture, these tetras are very peaceful and easygoing. They get along well with other small and calm neighbors. Watching a school of tayeria is a pleasure: they move synchronously around the aquarium, sparkling with silvery scales and striking black stripes.
Keeping them is not too difficult if you create the right conditions. They need clean water, soft lighting, and the company of their own kind. In a friendly flock, these “slanted sticks” feel confident and reveal all their modest charm.
The tetra penguin is a small but very lively fish with a bright stripe along its body and a tail resembling a penguin, which is how it got its name. It is ideal for beginner aquarists: it is unpretentious, peaceful, and easily coexists with other small fish. It lives in schools, loves to swim actively, and enlivens any aquarium. The main thing is to keep at least six of them together, otherwise they will become quiet and timid. All they need is clean water, a few plants, and good schoolmates.
Natural habitat
Penguin tetras live in South America, mainly in the Amazon, Araguaia, Rio Tocantins, and Rio Guapore rivers and their tributaries. The majority of their habitat is in Peru and Brazil.
The local waterways are characterized by an abundance of tropical vegetation on the banks and in the rivers themselves, most of which flow through dense jungles. Fallen leaves saturate the water with humic substances, giving it a tea-brown color.
Appearance
The penguin tetra is a short, elongated fish with translucent fins. Its main color is olive-silver; a dark stripe runs down the middle of the body, breaking sharply at the tail and extending into the lower caudal fin.
Due to its appearance and behavior, the fish has been given several names:
- “Stick” – because the stripe on the body resembles hockey equipment.
- “Crooked-striped” – again, due to their distinctive pattern.
- “Penguin” – according to one version, the name was given in honor of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey club.
- “Slanted” – due to their manner of swimming at an angle to the horizontal (head higher than tail).
Males and females are almost indistinguishable. The former have the following characteristics:
- smaller size;
- slender, streamlined appearance (females tend to have rounded contours);
- elongated lower caudal fin;
- brighter coloration.
By the start of spawning, the female becomes even plumper due to her eggs.
Contents
Penguin fish are kept in friendly groups of at least 6 individuals, but preferably no fewer than 10. When they have a strong finmate nearby, they feel safe, remain calm, and feed well. In proud solitude, on the contrary, the fish constantly feels uncomfortable and becomes skittish.
Water
The minimum aquarium volume for a school of 5-6 individuals is 60 liters. The tank should be covered with a lid, as tetras often jump out.
For penguins, water with a high content of humic substances is familiar, close, and understandable. Their source is tree leaves and peat. The latter is placed in the aquarium in a canvas bag.
Oak, birch, and almond leaves are most suitable. They are used as follows:
- dry in the sun;
- soak them until they start to sink.
- transfer to an aquarium.
In the absence of natural sources, use conditioners with peat extract, which are sold in pet stores. Tetras are sensitive to water quality, so an aerator and filter should be installed in the tank. Special tests should be used to monitor the concentration of phosphates and nitrogen compounds, especially nitrates.
The water is changed weekly in an amount of 20-30% of the volume. It is useful to add preparations to tap water to neutralize chlorine and heavy compounds.
Filling
River sand or special aquarium soil, preferably dark, should be placed at the bottom of the aquarium. The optimal layer thickness is 4-6 cm. Stones, driftwood, and other decorations should be placed on top.
Plants are placed in the aquarium – they have a positive effect on the composition of the water and serve as a shelter for the fish. The following species are suitable:
These plants are adapted to low light conditions, which is where penguins feel most comfortable. Floating algae such as pistia and riccia will help create even denser shade.
Diet
In nature, tayeria feed on insects and their larvae, as well as zooplankton.
Therefore, they need live/frozen food or pellets based on it:
The fish collect food from the surface of the water. Therefore, choose floating synthetic foods or slow-sinking foods. Due to the compact size of tetras, the size of the pellets or chips should be small.
Feed the tetras several times a day. The portion size should be such that the fish can eat it in 1-2 minutes.
Breeding
An undeniable advantage of penguins over other characins is their ease of breeding. You will need a 20-30 liter spawning aquarium.
It is prepared as follows:
- place a separator net or a thick layer of small-leaved plants such as Java moss on the bottom.
- an airlift filter is installed – it is compact and safe for fry;
- fill with soft, acidic water (hardness 4-8°dH, PH=6.2-6.4 ).
Before spawning, when the females' abdomens are as round as possible from the eggs, they are separated from the males, if possible. Both sexes are fed abundantly for a week, then transferred to the spawning tank in the evening.
To stimulate spawning, the water temperature in the aquarium is increased by 2°S. The mating process begins in the morning.
After fertilization of the eggs (the male knocks them out of the female by pressing on her belly), the parents are removed from the spawning tank. The aquarium is shaded—eggs and fry are sensitive to light.
After a day, the young hatch, and after another 3-4 days, they begin to feed independently. They are fed:
The first 10 days – with infusoria (“live dust”), rotifers and ground egg yolk.
Artemia nauplii (larvae).
Special dry food for fry.
After a month, the fry reach a length of 1 cm. After a year, they become sexually mature.
Compatibility
Peaceful fish are calm towards other inhabitants of the aquarium.
Of course, their neighbors must also be well-behaved, for example:
The list of possible cohabitants is extensive. The main thing is that they are not large, restless fish, and especially not predators.
Tips
The following recommendations will help you create the perfect aquarium with happy fish:
Feed your pets at the same time every day. Once they get into a routine, they will eat their food with gusto and digest it better.- If you need to increase the hardness of the water, add 25 liters of water with 0.5 teaspoons of baking soda dissolved in it to the aquarium. One such infusion increases the hardness in a medium-sized container by 2°dH.
- The aquarium glass is easy to clean with a blade. It completely removes algae and any other deposits.
- In the absence of a reverse osmosis filter, soft water for spawning is prepared by mixing distilled water for batteries (90%) and tap water (10%). Distillate is sold in auto shops.
Video review of the Tetra
So, if you are looking for a bright, lively, and peaceful fish for your community aquarium, the tetheria or tetra penguin is an excellent candidate. Its unusual manner of swimming “upside down” and its shoaling behavior create a continuous, mesmerizing movement in the water.
Caring for these fish is not difficult, even for beginners. The main thing is to provide them with a comfortable environment: clean water, space to swim, and the company of their own kind. In good conditions, they will delight you for a long time with their active and friendly disposition.
Ultimately, the Tetra is the perfect balance between exotic appearance and docile character. It brings dynamism and life to the aquarium without disturbing its harmony, and becomes a favorite of everyone who watches it.
