# Blue Tetra Help PLEASE!!!



## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

I recently purchased 150 Blue Tetras, but when they arrived - they all have very little color. Any suggestions for SPECIFIC types of food that will help bring out their color. I have started adding frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp and pure spirulina powder to the diet and am seeing some improvement, but I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions?

I have seen some food advertised as color enhancing - anyone has any personal experience with these? If yes, any particular brand/type of food you would recommend?

MANY Thanks in advance


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## knucklehead (Dec 27, 2013)

They could just be stressed. Colors should come back when they have settled


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## Dawna (Jul 29, 2013)

+1 on what knucklehead said. Having a nice planted tank or black substrate can help show out its colours more as well.


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

how long have you had them in the tank?? +2 on stress issue. most fishes do that.. it will eventually have its color back


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## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies - I should have mentioned I received them on Oct 1 - so they should not still be stressed. They are in a 90G planted tank // Fluval FX5 and an AC110 HOB // with 1 medium size angelfish and a dozen or so BN plecos


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## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

Still looking for some suggestions...


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## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

daily bump


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Could they be scared of the angelfish? Out of 150, you might not notice if one of them becomes snack every so often. But they'd probably know. 

You could try moving the angelfidh out for a few days and see if the tetras colour up.


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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

Like as not they're still pretty young. You wouldn't necessarily expect them to have lots of colour yet. Feed them a good, balanced diet. Quality dried food (NLS is pretty good. I also like the stuff from Northfin these days) plus a decent selection of live/frozen. Keep on top of your water quality and provide enough cover to make them comfortable. Personally I've never really bothered with the colour enhancing stuff. The colour shows up anyway in healthy, mature fish.

The angel may be a concern. Depends on how big the tetras are vs the angel's mouth size. Haven't kept blue tetras... but their listed size of 2" is at least a bit borderline. If they're particularly heavy bodied, then it might not be a problem... otherwise it's possible.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't know anything about blue tetras. But I used to have red phantom tetras. They were pale when they were small, but they grew quickly and when they were bigger they had a striking, rich red colour.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I think your fish may just be young. I bought a whole bunch of Serpae tetras and it took a while before they matured and really coloured up. I added Geos in there as well and it caused them to school tightly but they never lost their colour.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I have imported three time in total for those blue tetra. As far as I know, they do not get as blue as you can google image them. I think the photos are for the best of the best fish with the best light showing they faint blue color on them.


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## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

Many Thanks for all the replies - I have eliminated the Angel fish and am continuing to supplement the flake food with frozen blood worms and brine shrimp. I am STARTING to see some color develop, just impatient I guess as I would like to sell some of them and thats rather difficult when they don't look blue

Mods - please close this thread - Thanks


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You might also want to try these Sera Discus Color Blue

I used them for my discus and even though the wilds don't take to the pellets as well as fdbw, they have noticeably gotten more blue. But I agree with the other posts on maturity and actual blue colour. The type of light you use will affect that colour a lot too. I added 2 Aquaflora bulbs to my cube to enhance the reds on my discus also.


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## pdoutaz (May 13, 2010)

Thanks 2wheelsx2 - I already have pure Spirulina powder that I am adding the the flake food - seems to be one of the main ingredients in the food link you sent me. Using LED lighting, so not alot of optins there - likely just need to give them more time


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You might be able some blue LEDs like these to enahnce the blue. Hamilton Blue LED Lighting Strip (32 Inch)

But yeah, more time is probably the best thing to do.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Might be location of collection too or other factors. I had two batches of lemon tetras in one tank and the contrast between them was stark. The other batch was catching up in terms of colour but never came close. That being said I only had them for around a year or so.


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