White Skirt Tetra, Gold Widow

A very commonly available fish, the White Tetra or Gold Skirt Tetra is a good fish for the beginner. This is a strain of fish developed from the Black Tetra or Blackskirt Tetra Gymnocorymbus ternetzi. Like its predecessor it is very hardy, undemanding, and easily bred.
The White Tetra is a schooling fish and they will appreciate the company of their own kind. A standard school is made up of about 6 - 7 fish, but keeping more is even better. This is a very active and fast moving fish but with a tendency towards fin nipping. Because of this it should not be kept with smaller fishes, but will do very well in a community tank with larger fishes.
These fish are are very durable and easy to keep. To keep a healthy school, provide them with a 15 gallon aquarium or larger. They also like a well lit tank with dense areas of bunched low vegetation which will leave lots of open areas to swim in. They are hardy at 70° F to 90° F, but are prone to develop ick if kept in colder temperatures.
Along with a longfin or hifin version of the White Tetra, various strains have been developed that have a natural pink or blue coloration and called the Colored Skirt Tetra. These fish are often artificially dyed in various pastels colors and sold as Colored Tetras, or under various colored names such as the Blueberry Tetra, Strawberry Tetra, or Rainbow Tetra. When purchasin a colored tetra, be sure to inquire about which type of specimen you are obtaining. Learn more about Artificial Colored Fish below.

The Black Tetra Gymnocorymbus ternetzi was described by Boulenger in 1895. The species is not listed on the IUCN Red List. They are found in South America in Paraguay and Guapore Basins. These fish show a preference for slow moving streams and tributaries, normally dimly lit from dense forest canopies. They inhabit the upper layers of the water feeding on worms, small crustaceans and insects.
Many Black Tetra are captive bred for the aquarium industry and the White Tetra is a captive bred color morph. There are no wild populations of this captive bred variety. Other common names it is known by include White Skirt Tetra, Gold Skirt Tetra and Gold Widow Tetra.
Other varieties of White Tetra have been developed including the Longfinned White Tetra or HiFin White Tetra. There are also strains with a natural pink or blue coloration that are called Colored Skirt Tetra. Then there are artificially dyed varieties in various pastels colors that are sold as Solid Colored Tetra, or they will be sold under their color names such as the Blueberry Tetra, Strawberry Tetra, or Rainbow Tetra.