Painted Tetra?

[BJH1384]

I was wondering if anyone knows anything on these fish, I believe they are called "Painted Tetra" I could be wrong though. Any info would be great.

Yea, they're called painted tetras or dyed tetras. They're not the best fish you can get, since they are artificially dyed, and very cruely died. The colors are inserted to the fish after its slime coat has been melted off with chlorine. Very few fish survive the dyeing process. The colors also soon start to fade away.

[MinaHarker]

VolleyR is right. The practice of coloring fish is harmful. Not only do the colors fade quickly, but the fish don't live very long either.

It's a terrible practice, especially when you remember the fish cannot defend themselves. They have no choice in what happens to them. Not only that but there are hundreds of beautiful fish out there that don't need special dyes or harmful treatments to make them so.

[sparkykittycat]

I am not disagreeing that painting fish is cruel and unnessecary, but being a biology student I feel the need to point out that fish do not feel pain the same as we mammals do. It is an agreed upon fact that they feel pressure but they do not feel the poke of the needle due to their open nervous system. I repeat, I do not agree with the practice of dyeing fish, but it mostly due to the mortality rate of the process itself, and the stunted lives (both in shape and in lifespan) most live if they survive. I am also angry with dishonest pet stores that do not tell people exactly what they are buying.

[Antiragweed]

I wasn't aware of the slime coat removal, but I was aware of the dyed fish. Its horrible what people will do to things.
I love to get great color in my fish by giving them a variety of foods. I just started to feed my goldfish (who was rescued from my mother in law - long story) little bits of bread and I'm about to cut up some cucumber and what have you to get some variety in. Anyone may disagree with me, as I'm only going off of my sister's information and she's an aquatic-obsessed sister!
I have noticed that since I offer my fish a variety of different store bought foods, his color is much brighter, his scales are very pretty and even the color of my cory cats (which were so pale when I got them I thought they weren't really emeralds) has brightened up.
My advice is, do some research before you head to the pet store. Know what you're buying. If you go and look around, make a little list of whatever it is you liked and go home and research it. Chances are you'll learn a lot, be surprised and I know you'll be glad you waited!

[Sasami]

This post is nearly five years old, the original poster is not active any more.