Columbian Red Fins.. your opinions?

[kes]

I've seen some Columbian Red Fins in my LFS. They look really pretty with their contrasting blue bodies.

Has anyone got any experience keeping them? I've read that they can be a bit nippy but I don't think I have anything that would be too phased by them.

What do you think?


Kes x x x

[Fishalicious]

They can be a little nippy with smaller fish and fish with long fins but if you keep at least 6 or more their behaviour is a lot better and they will keep their squabbling to each other..

On a decent diet they get really beautiful - they are one of the larger tetra's and very stunning in the right conditions.

If you can take more than 6 then I recommend them - they are easy to keep and eat everything they are not very picky.

[MeganL3985]

Never heard of them before, but they sound really pretty.

[Fishalicious]

It's one of those fish where foto's don't do them justice - they really shine and the colors are very vibrant and change with every move in the water...

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Hyphessobrycon_columbianus.php

[madly99]

I considered these because they are meant to get along with the Buenos Aires tetras that I have, but I saw a tank full of them at an LFS here and their fins were all shredded to bits from nipping each other. Kind of took away from their beauty that they were all munched up...

One thing to bear in mind is that they will eat plants, so if you've got any live ones that you want to stay looking nice, you may want to reconsider this fish. The BA tetras are plant eaters, too and have chewed on pretty much every leaf of my amazon sword and java fern.

[kes]

Thanks for the advice. My Black Ruby Barbs do a good enough job tearing my live plants to pieces so I'm not too phased about that! I was thinking 6 would be a good number, not sure how big they're reputed to grow though.. Are they about Diamond Tetra size?

[StarBelliedSneetch]

i have two in my 15 gallon with four cherry barbs, three baby acei, a CAE, oto catfish, clown pleco, and a tanganyikian catfish. one of the tetras is larger than the other, how ever ive had no problems with them. the larger one is the dominate male and dominate over all. he basically just keeps everyone in line. the acei however hehe. i had a bull cherry barb and my one female in a seperate tank to try to get them to breed, i gave up on it after a few weeks and put them back in the 15. when i did the smallest baby acei started to chase all four of em, they ran, it was funny