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Expert: Ron Coleman - 3/16/2004


Question
Hi! I have purshased 4 Rosy Tetra and 4 Black Phantom Tetra for my 20 Gallon Aquarium. I keep my water temp at 76 degree ferinheight. How many time a day should I feed them and how much food should I give them? Also my Ph level is at 7.2 what should I lower it to and what is the best way to do so? What othe fish types can I mixes with these tetras?

Thanks in advance and your help is greatly appreciated!!

Answer
Hi Shawn,
  I feed my fish once a day.  Feed them only as much as they will eat in about 5 minutes. In other words, don't put in a bunch of food thinking that they will eat it later. They won't and it will go bad and rot, fouling the water.  

  A pH of 7.2 isn't bad.  I wouldn't worry about lowering it.

  Catfishes, particularly Corydoras catfishes would go nicely with the tetras.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>

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Ron Coleman

Expertise

I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.

Experience

I am an Associate Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I was editor of Cichlid News magazine for several years. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.

Publications
Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes

Education/Credentials
PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)

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