The black skirt can be recognized by its characteristic black "skirt". There is also an albino version or white skirt tetra that is commonly available commercially. These are variations that occur naturally in the wild. White Skirt tetras are often dipped in pastel colors and marketed as fruit tetras. This dying process is counterproductive to the fish's health. They are much more prone toward illness and have a greatly reduced life span. White skirt tetras have also been made to change color by being fed dyed foods. These tetras are generally healthy and will revert to their natural pigmentation once they start ingesting unaltered food.
The black skirt tetra will reach its adult size of about 2.5 …show more content…
They function well in community fish tanks as long as none of the other members of the community are overly aggressive. The tetras species are shoaling fish. They swim in groups. Therefore it is a good idea to add multiple tetras to your community tank. Four to six is ideal.
The black skirt tetra is indigenous to South America. They inhabit subtropical river basins in Bolivia, Brazil and northern Argentina where water temperatures stay between 68 and 79° F. Like most fish that originate from South America, they are accustomed to soft, slightly acidic water. Aquarium water can be filtered through peat. Or water softener can be added to the water. Products such as Tetra's Black Water Extract can be purchased at most fish specialty stores. This extract closely approximates the conditions of Amazon River water in your fish tank.
Because they are a smaller variety of fish native to predatory waters, the black skirts are hiders by nature. They take readily to heavily planted environments. Black skirts are prone to swimming in the middle layer of your