Monday, July 8, 2013

Is Your Red Fin Tetra Male or Female?

Is your red fin tetra male or female? There are ways to determine the gender of these marine animals and they will be discussed here. It is usually easier to distinguish a female fish from a male if they are placed side by side. The male will look slimmer than the female. When a female is ready for spawning, her belly becomes very fat.

You can also tell male characins differently from female red fins by looking at their coloring. The blue stripe that is present in both genders looks straighter in the water on a male. By using these two tips, you can easily select two or more fish for mating. Breeding tetras is discussed in another article on this website.


When the males are fully mature, their fins are more developed than their counterparts. characin males can really be distinguished easily by using the fact that their dorsal fin is more elongated. Female tetras have a more rounded dorsal fin and after you have looked at a few of them, you will identify them quickly this way.

Tips on Breeding Tetra Fish

Breeding tetra fish allows you to produce more red fins or neon colored characins for your aquarium. You may also be interested in selling these as pets to other persons. If you want to breed them, you will have to get a separate tank for that purpose. This should be set up with moss and plants to make it comfortable.

Once you’ve created the ideal setting, place the female tetra in the aquarium so she can check it out. As she gets accustomed to her new environment, she will become more relaxed. This is important if the mating is to be successful. She will also need her rest. Make sure that you put a fat female characin in the tank.

Check to ensure that the tank has fine leaved plants that can catch the eggs later on. Humans are not the only ones that are sensitive to the look of their environment. These fish prefer soft, relaxed lighting when they are breeding. You should also check the pH of the water to ensure that it neither too acidic nor alkaline. A pH of 5 is ideal.


Place the male in the tank after her. He should be the one that has colors that you like best. They will engage in a little cat and mouse game for a while, until eggs are laid. Young fish will emerge from these eggs within a day.  Once eggs have been produced, many breeders remove the adults from the tank to stop them from eating the eggs. The fry are fed foods such as infusoria.