Water pH:
Between 6 and 8.
Water Hardness:
Between 5° and 12° dH.
Size:
On average, blue tetras can grow to become 1.6 inches long, but they have been known to grow up to 2 inches long.
Tank Size:
Cochu's Blue Tetras are an active species and should be kept in a large enough tank to swim around in comfortably. A school will require a tank with at least 100ltrs of water.
Food & Diet:
Since Cochu's blue tetras are omnivores and natural-born scavengers, they’re typically easy to feed. They can be fed high-quality fish flakes or pellets and consume live or frozen brine shrimp and frozen or freeze-dried bloodworms. When feeding bloodworms, they may need to be cut into smaller pieces so they’re small enough for the tetras to eat. Something to remember when selecting food is that although they’re omnivores, their diet should still include plenty of plant content to provide them with enough nutrients.
Lifespan:
Cochu's Blue tetras will live for 3 to 4 years when properly cared for. They have been known to live up to 6 years in the wild.
Breeding:
Cochu's Blue Tetras should be transferred to a smaller spawning tank filled with soft, acidic water when breeding. They are egg scatterers, and their eggs should be separated from their parents until they hatch to prevent them from being eaten. A good option is to transfer the eggs to a breeding box while they hatch. When hatched, the fry can remain in the breeding box to grow while being fed a diet of infusoria or finely crushed fish flakes until they’re large enough to eat live baby brine shrimp.
Sexing:
Male Cochu's blue tetras are usually narrower and bolder in colour than females, which are plumper and duller than their male counterparts.
Tank Mates:
Cochu's Blue tetras are a generally peaceful species, although they can exhibit aggression when crowded in a tank with limited room to swim. Lone fish may also behave aggressively without the company of others. A good way to prevent aggressive behavior is to ensure they always have plenty of swimming room and other fish of the same species to keep them company.
They are most content when surrounded by other fish of the same species and should be kept in groups of at least six.
Compatible Tank Mates:
Cochu's Blue tetras are most compatible with other small tetras (e.g., Neon Tetras, Ember Tetras, Diamond Tetras, Red-Eye Tetras, and Von Rio tetras); they also typically get along with Corydoras, Rasboras, Mollies, Rainbow Fish, and Platies. A good rule is to keep blue tetras in a tank with non-aggressive fish of the same size and speed so that they don’t run into competition when vying for food.
Incompatible Tank Mates:
Cochu's Blue tetras should never share a tank with fish that have long fins. Blue tetras are prone to fin nipping and can mangle fish with long or flowy fins. Guppies, Betas, and Angelfish are examples of fish that should not be kept with Cochu's Blue Tetras.
