Tetra Ulreya
Ulrey’s tetra, scientific name Hemigrammus ulreyi, belongs to the Characidae family. Easy to keep, unpretentious calm fish, goes well with many others in species of similar size and temperament. It does not stand out with bright colors, therefore they often play a “secondary role” for more beautiful neighbors in the aquarium.
Contents
Habitat
It comes from the Paraguay River basin, which is the right tributary of the larger Parana River, in southern Brazil and Paraguay. It lives in small streams and channels with a slow current among numerous aquatic vegetation.
Brief information:
- The volume of the aquarium – from 70 liters.
- Temperature – 23-27°C
- Value pH — 6.0–7.0
- Water hardness – soft or medium hard (5-12 dGH)
- Substrate type – any sandy
- Lighting – subdued
- Brackish water – no
- Water movement is weak
- The size of the fish is up to 5 cm.
- Food – any food
- Temperament – peaceful
- Keeping in a flock of at least 6-10 individuals
Description
Adults reach a length of 5 cm. The color is predominantly gray with a silvery belly, the fins are transparent, there is a yellow stroke on the dorsal fin. A characteristic feature of the body pattern is a narrow strip of black and yellow, stretching from head to tail. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed, females are only slightly larger than males.
Food
Accepts all types of dry, frozen and live foods of suitable size. A varied diet that combines different types of foods (dry flakes, granules with bloodworms or daphnia) helps to keep the fish in good shape and affects their color.
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
A tank with a volume of 70 liters or more is enough for a small flock of Tetr Ulrey. The design uses a sandy substrate with shelters in the form of snags, roots or tree branches. Plants are arranged in groups, floating vegetation additionally serves as a means of shading the aquarium.
To simulate the water conditions characteristic of the natural habitat, a filter with peat-based filter material is used, as well as a small cloth bag filled with the same peat, which should be purchased exclusively in pet stores, where it is supplied already processed. The bag is usually placed in a corner, over time the water will turn a light brown color.
A similar effect can be achieved if you use tree leaves that are placed on the bottom of the aquarium. The leaves are pre-dried, then soaked, for example, in a plate, so that they are saturated with water and begin to sink. Update every couple of weeks with new ones.
Maintenance is reduced to a weekly replacement of part of the water (15–20% of the volume) with fresh and regular cleaning of the soil from organic waste (excrement, uneaten food residues).
Behavior and Compatibility
A peaceful calm species that will not be able to compete with fast active fish, therefore, representatives of haracin, cyprinids, viviparous and some South American cichlids, similar in size and temperament, should be selected as neighbors. Content in a flock of at least 6-8 individuals.
Breeding / breeding
Refers to spawning species, parental instincts are weakly expressed, so eggs and fry can be eaten by adult fish. Breeding should be organized in a separate tank – a spawning aquarium. Usually they use a tank with a volume of about 20 liters, the design does not matter. In order to protect future offspring, the bottom is covered with a fine mesh or a layer of balls 1–2 cm in diameter, or dense thickets of low small-leaved plants or mosses are planted. Fill with water from the main aquarium just before placing the fish. Of the equipment, a simple sponge airlift filter and a heater are sufficient. There is no need for a lighting system, Tetra Ulreya prefers dim light during the spawning season.
Spawning is stimulated by the establishment of pH and dGH values at 5.5–6.5 and 1–5, respectively, at a temperature of about 26–28°C. In the diet, a significant proportion should be protein products (bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp, etc.). After some time, some fish will become significantly rounded – it is the females who will fill with caviar.
Females and the largest and brightest males are placed in a separate aquarium. At the end of spawning, the newly-minted parents are returned back. The fry appear after 24–36 hours, and already on the 3rd–4th day they begin to swim freely, from this moment they need food. Feed with special food for juvenile aquarium fish.
Fish diseases
A balanced aquarium biosystem with suitable conditions is the best guarantee against the occurrence of any diseases, therefore, if the fish has changed behavior, color, unusual spots and other symptoms appear, first check the water parameters, and only then proceed to treatment.
