As Carla figured out, the fish was a Bleeding Heart Tetra. Thanks to all who played!
The pretty fish in the middle, with the reddish spot on the side, is a Bleeding Heart Tetra.
Stay tuned for more contest photos with even bigger prizes! (I can’t believe I wrote that, can you?)
The Bleeding Heart Tetra is named for the distinctive marking on the side of it’s body that resembles it’s “heart”. But as my Bleeding Hearts grew bigger, and BIGGER, the markings on their fins became more impressive than the “heart”. They get to be nearly 3 inches long, which is big for a Tetra. They are a great community fish and if you like the way they look , get some. I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about them.
I bought 3 that are now in my 55 gallon community tank. One of them developed a problem with an eye. It became enlarged and cloudy. I wonder if it ran into something during the night.
I decided to concentrate on making extra water changes and within a few weeks the eye had completely returned to normal. Sometimes sick fish just need a little boost by improving their environment, like cleaner water or warmer water. You can also focus on feeding the fish a little more often, and giving them the best foods available, not just tossing in some flake food whenever you get around to it. Maybe this fish would have gotten better without any help, but if you can look at your tank and think, “How can I make things better?” you might make a big difference to your fish.
Bleeding Heart Tetras are great for tanks bigger than 10 gallons.
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