Just got my first fish tank.

[jmp3475]

Hello all. I just got my first fish tank last week. I currently have a 10 gallon tank and 4 Black Skirt tetras. My questions are. How many of them can I have in my 10 gallon? I also notice they spread off by themselves. Is that normal? Also, should I be keeping them on a light schedule and whats the balance of light on versus light off. I do shut light off at night.

[FrozenFins]

Welcome to the Hobby! and the Forum!

You could probably do 8 Black Skirt Tetras in a 10 Gallon. Yes it is completley normal that they are swimming that way, they are shoaling.

I have my tank lights on for 10 hours a day (10am - 8am). I have them plugged into a wifi light timer. You can find them all over amazon. Lots of people like the Kassa Wifi Light Timer. I specifcally use the Teckin Wife Light Timer.

Heres a thread forum member put together of advice that they would tell them selves if they could visit the past when they first started aquariums, hopefully this can help you:

 

[KBOzzie59]

Congrats on your new tank and welcome to the hobby!

I highly recommend you visit the Aquarium CooP youtube channel, and subscribe if you have not already done so.

How many fish you can keep in an aquarium of size X is directly proportional to the work you want to put into said aquarium.  The more fish the more maintenance will be required.  

You will make your fish keeping a little simpler by putting your light on a timer.  This is especially true if you have live plants.  Is it required?  No, but removing variables helps troubleshoot problems should they arise.  Right now almost all of my tanks are running right at 8'ish hours of light a day.

Are you testing your water?  It sounds like you may have not cycled your tank so test regularly for ammonia and change water as needed to keep it at or very near zero PPM.  You will also want to test for nitrite and nitrate as that will tell you the status of your nitrogen cycle.  Once your cycle is complete and stable you will mainly want to focus on nitrates and keep them at 40 or less for most low tech tank setups.  But this also depends on the livestock you keep so do your research.

[jmp3475]

Thanks so much. I was worried that something wasnt normal for them. Ive also read different views on the temp for them. Currently my temp is at 76.4? Is that a good temp.

[FrozenFins]

2 minutes ago, jmp3475 said:

Thanks so much. I was worried that something wasnt normal for them. Ive also read different views on the temp for them. Currently my temp is at 76.4? Is that a good temp.

Seems like it would be fine for them. There not a fish that need high temps, but not one that requires colder temps.

I see on a different thread that you have live plants. I would reccemend to put your light on a timer it will be benfcial for them. But its not necessary.

Sometimes if you forget to turn off your light on time, a few extra hours can cause a lot of algae. algae is not harmful to fish, just doesnt look good to everyone.

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by JamesB

[jmp3475]

Thanks again. lol. I have one more question. I've researched on how to tell the difference between a male and a female Black Skirt Tetra and I still, cant tell the difference. Any suggestions. Ive read that lighter color Tetras are female and I tried looking at their fins, like suggested yet I still can figure it out. Any help would be nice. Thanks in advance

[CorydorasEthan]

52 minutes ago, jmp3475 said:

Hello all. I just got my first fish tank last week. I currently have a 10 gallon tank and 4 Black Skirt tetras. My questions are. How many of them can I have in my 10 gallon? I also notice they spread off by themselves. Is that normal? Also, should I be keeping them on a light schedule and whats the balance of light on versus light off. I do shut light off at night.

Personally, I wouldn't do more than 5 black skirt tetras in a 10 gallon. This is not due to a limited bioload, but mainly because black skirt tetras will get pretty big, reaching just about 3 inches long, and also quite tall. Make sure you have some live plants as well. Not only do they look good, but they also provide cover for the fish, provide oxygen, filter out CO2, and most importantly, reduce the nitrates in the aquarium.

1 minute ago, jmp3475 said:

Thanks again. lol. I have one more question. I've researched on how to tell the difference between a male and a female Black Skirt Tetra and I still, cant tell the difference. Any suggestions. Ive read that lighter color Tetras are female and I tried looking at their fins, like suggested yet I still can figure it out. Any help would be nice. Thanks in advance

I think that the males will have longer fins. Paler color is a sign of older age (skirt tetras are fish that actually show signs of aging).