5000–6500 Kelvin is needed. The bulb can be as inexpensive as the coiled florescent bulbs at 5% UVB up to specialist lighting units like the Arcadia forest dwellers units. The correct lighting, coupled with calcium D3 supplementation, will ensure the long-term health of your charges. Remember that you need areas of shade in the enclosure so the inhabitants can get away from the lighting if desired. A clean-up crew of microfauna can help to keep the vivarium naturally clean and a self-sustaining habitat. Springtails and slaters (woodlouse) love to eat things like droppings, decaying leaves, and moulds lessening the maintenance
you may have to do to the enclosure. These can be gathered from under vegetation in your garden or bought online through hobby groups or retailers and so long as the proper environmental conditions are maintained they will take care of themselves. Adding live plants will enhance the environment in your system and there is plenty of information available from specialist groups online. Some easy care plants are pothos, spider plants, bromeliads, sansevieria, ficus, ferns and mosses. Care needs to be taken that your plants do not have waterlogged roots and any dieback should be removed as soon as it is noticed. Mark Paterson
Emperor tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri) are attractive, peaceful, and a great addition to a larger community tank. In the wild they are found in slow moving waterways in the San Juan and Atrato river basins in Colombia, although most aquarium fish are commercially produced. Males are larger and more colourful than females, they have a blue iris (females have a green iris) and the top, middle, and bottom rays of the tail fin are much longer. Emperor tetras grow to about 5 cm, can live for 6 years, and are suited to temperatures of 23–27 °C and pH values of 5–7.5. They should be kept in groups of at least 6 fish and will do well on a varied diet of small dried and live foods. Photo Robert Beke
FISH MINI PROFILE
Emperor tetra
Aquarium World
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