The Diamond Tetra fish, better known to aquarium lovers as Moenkhausia pittieri, is a member of the Characidae family and was originally found living in Venezuela’s Lake Valencia and a few select Venezuelan rivers. The male species of the fish can grow between two and 12 inches, but the females are usually smaller. Although not a brightly colored fish, the Diamond Tetra is silver in color with greenish highlights, and is noted for its beautiful reflective scales. In baby Diamond Tetras, the shiny effect of their scales has not yet developed, but will become apparent as they age.
aquarium environment
As for the aquarium environment, the Moenkhausia pittieri should always be part of a school with a minimum of six fish. These should include others of their own kind, and fish of other species should be about the same size. Within this school, one male will always be the dominant one. This male tolerates others, but is always in control. Diamond Tetras have an ideal pH range of 6.6 to 7.0 and a temperature preference of 74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 28 degrees Celsius) and, if kept outside of this range, can have a different appearance . Also, these fish like to have a lot of plants in their aquarium and luckily they are not very picky when it comes to eating. Moenkhaussia pittieri will love you for offering live food, but it can eat anything from flakes to frozen food. Having learned a little about this type of fish and its basic requirements, steps can now be taken to breed it.
Diamond tetra fish breeding
The most difficult process of breeding Diamond Tetra fish is putting together the right pairs. Mature males have longer fins than females, especially the dorsal fins. Although females are most likely smaller than males, females that are ready to breed often appear to be more stocky in shape. After the selection of a pair of Diamond Tetras is complete, they should be separated and conditioned with a good meal. During the conditioning phase, they should be given their preferred live food and some frozen food as well. This should last around 10 days.
While conditioning is taking place, a separate spawning tank should be prepared. You don’t need a very large tank, but you should include plenty of plants, especially those with dense leaves. The conditions in this tank should be similar to the tank the other Diamond Tetras live in, although there should be no light in the spawning tank at first. Soft water should always be used over hard water. Gravel is not required, but some netting should be included towards the bottom of the tank. It should be low enough so that the breeding pair has enough room to swim. The holes in the net must also be large enough for the eggs to fall to the bottom of the tank. The spawning tank should also be placed in a quiet area of the house where there can be no disturbance to the fish.
After the allotted time for conditioning has expired, the selected pair should be placed in the spawning tank at night when it is dark and, again, no lights should be used in the vicinity of the tank. In the event that the pair of Diamond Tetras are compatible, spawning may take place immediately after the fish is placed in the spawning tank or it may not take place until a day or two later. Sometimes the lighting that is present in the environment where the tank is located will help speed up the process. Although the male may spend most of his time following the female, when it comes time to spawn, the female will release the eggs at the same time the male releases the sperm. The eggs then need to be fertilized, in which case it helps to have soft water in the tank. The mesh is very important here, because Moenkhaussia pittieri tends to eat the eggs and to avoid this, the eggs must fall through the mesh, separating them from their parents. After spawning has taken place, the male and female fish should be removed from the spawning tank and returned to their regular aquarium.
Although the eggs may see movement within 36 hours, it can take up to a week before the baby fish are able to swim around their spawning tank. The fry will be very hungry, but in a tank with lots of plants, they will find things to eat in their first few days. After that, fried foods are okay, and once they’re big enough, live foods of the right size are good for them. It is very important to keep the spawning tank clean while the fry are developing. Because they grow so quickly during the first few weeks, baby Diamond Tetras soon resemble adults, albeit smaller. Their coloration will be light at first, with their impressive shiny scales fully developing around 9 months of age. Once they have reached a size that does not endanger them, they can be moved to the adult tank and the spawning tank can be used again with a new pair of adult fish.
Breeding Diamond Tetras can be challenging, mainly because it can take several tries to find a compatible pair of male and female fish. It is important to keep the adult Diamond Tetra’s environment healthy so as not to negatively affect their well-being and ability to spawn at a later time. Also, the spawning tank should be kept clean and temperature, pH, and softness should be checked regularly. Sufficient time and resources should be devoted to the conditioning part of the breeding process, as it is of great importance. Have different types of food, including fry foods, on hand at all times, even if you are in doubt that spawning may occur. Within several weeks or months, you will be rewarded for all your efforts as you watch the eggs hatch and watch your fry grow and take on those beautiful shiny scales that Diamond Tetras are known for.
