Help identifying a weird tetra fish

lemon tetras??? pics are really blurry.

They do look like lemon tetras.
Treat them like large tetras... I don't think they're particularly mean or anything.
Some tetras get bigger than you'd think... Pretty sure they're in the same family as pirhana.

Betta132 said:

They do look like lemon tetras.
Treat them like large tetras... I don't think they're particularly mean or anything.
Some tetras get bigger than you'd think... Pretty sure they're in the same family as pirhana.

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The last statement of this response is a little misleading. Comparing a lemon tetra to a piranha and the OP will be flushing them within minutes.

I have 10 lemon tetras in a 30 gallon tank with ottos, a big cichlid and snails. Lemons are amongst my favorite tetras, they are big and bold enough to stand up to a big cichlid, yet docile enough not to pick on smaller tankmates. They are very lively and their health is incredibly easy to monitor. Their eyes are bright red and so when something is off in the water, their eyes give it all away before any medication is necessary. They stay bright yellow with correct maintenance. Many times in the store they look dull and boring but under good lighting with proper water maintenance they are beautiful. Plus the males do a weird swim vertical thing when trying to be humble toward the females...mine do it all morning long!

Piranha are in the tetra family and as a general rule, big body tetras tend to be aggressive and nippy.

to the OP, stick your hand in the tank, if you draw back a bloody nub you have piranha. If not, you have tetra.

Definitely not a lemon tetra...Looks to be some type of emperor tetra. Piranhas are in the same family as tetras as they are all Characins, and all tetras have teeth, and all have an extra little fin just before the tail fin, on their back....adipose fin I believe. Anyways, any tetras can be nippy but the best way to regulate this, is to keep them in larger groups. They will keep to themselves and play with each other. This species will probably max out at around 3.25" if that. If you like them, try them, but I try not to have less than 6 of each species of tetra in a tank. What were they labeled?

Adam

i'm not seeing lemon tetra here. The anal fin doesnt say lemon. I'm thinking buenos aires tetra, Hyphessobrycon anisitsi, just not fully colored up.

jmf3460 said:

lemon tetras??? pics are really blurry.

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Not so sure about this... they are metallic silver in color with orange at the anal fin and tail

Betta132 said:

They do look like lemon tetras.
Treat them like large tetras... I don't think they're particularly mean or anything.
Some tetras get bigger than you'd think... Pretty sure they're in the same family as pirhana.

Click to expand...

Indeed they were quite large... they were chasing away kribensis lol

jmf3460 said:

to the OP, stick your hand in the tank, if you draw back a bloody nub you have piranha. If not, you have tetra.

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hmm... not sure I quite like the idea of trying to complete the rest of my thesis by dictation, but thanks for the risky suggestion

adamprice271 said:

Definitely not a lemon tetra...Looks to be some type of emperor tetra. Piranhas are in the same family as tetras as they are all Characins, and all tetras have teeth, and all have an extra little fin just before the tail fin, on their back....adipose fin I believe. Anyways, any tetras can be nippy but the best way to regulate this, is to keep them in larger groups. They will keep to themselves and play with each other. This species will probably max out at around 3.25" if that. If you like them, try them, but I try not to have less than 6 of each species of tetra in a tank. What were they labeled?

Adam

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Hello adam,

Thanks for your reply. They were not labelled and looking at some emperor tetra pictures (not sure if there are more than one type though), it doesn't seem to be the case.

Duck5003 said:

i'm not seeing lemon tetra here. The anal fin doesnt say lemon. I'm thinking buenos aires tetra, Hyphessobrycon anisitsi, just not fully colored up.

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This seems like a more probable answer. Certainly the anal fin coloration does not appear like that of a lemon

You may want to contact the LFS and ask what they came in as on their stocking list. I've had that happen. See a fish i'm not sure about, not labeled, and come to find out they dont ever really get that species and all they had was a scientific name and didnt post it with the fish. Laziness to look up the common name? Don't wanna post the scientific for fear people wont care/know what it is anyway?? Who knows, but may be worth a shot!

Happened to me the first time I saw/purchased Danio tinwini. Just labeled new danio species, nothing else and i had never seen them before. Bought them and I called back and they gave me the scientific name, never asked why they werent labeled that though.

Duck5003 said:

i'm not seeing lemon tetra here. The anal fin doesnt say lemon. I'm thinking buenos aires tetra, Hyphessobrycon anisitsi, just not fully colored up.

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I agree, Buenos Aries tetras.

Duck5003 said:

You may want to contact the LFS and ask what they came in as on their stocking list. I've had that happen. See a fish i'm not sure about, not labeled, and come to find out they dont ever really get that species and all they had was a scientific name and didnt post it with the fish. Laziness to look up the common name? Don't wanna post the scientific for fear people wont care/know what it is anyway?? Who knows, but may be worth a shot!

Happened to me the first time I saw/purchased Danio tinwini. Just labeled new danio species, nothing else and i had never seen them before. Bought them and I called back and they gave me the scientific name, never asked why they werent labeled that though.

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I asked. They didn't get any. Apparently, he went to his supplier and found them attractive so got them.

lemons will have a red stip on the eye and a yellow strip on the anal fin. Doesn't look like a lemon at all. Wait till they color up, that will help a lot.

My first thought was Congo Tetra, but that' not it. Now, I'm thinking Gold Tetra. Could also be Buenos Aries Tetra.

Let them settle in a bit and get some better pics. Very hard to tell what those are with what is presented my friend.

A video might be better quality than pictures...