Buck Toothed Tetra Exodon Paradoxus Tropical Fish

Description

Buck Toothed Tetra Exodon Paradoxus Tropical Fish

Native to: Amazon River Basin and Guyana area
Max Size about 6 inches in larger tanks
Temp: 79-84 °F
pH: 6.2 – 7.4
Hardness: 36 – 268 ppm

When customers hear the name, it almost instantly brings about mental images of large, protruding teeth, but in reality the E. paradoxus is not that extreme. A casual examination of the mouth reveals that it has serrated lips but not the pronounced dentition that one might associate with a name like bucktooth. Though this may initially seem disappointing to hobbyists looking for a fish with large visible teeth, the E. paradoxus has tremendously powerful jaws for its size, and its teeth are more pronounced and well-developed in comparison to that of various community tetras.

The colors of E. paradoxus is beautiful with a bright metallic-silver base accompanied by yellow fins with orange & red tips. Throughout the body are casts of yellow, red, and green. There are also two large black spots, 1 near the middle of the body and the other at the base of the tail. When maintained under optimum water quality and good lighting, the metallic sheen of the body often reflects blue and purple iridescence.

Your aquarium should ideally be designed to resemble a flowing stream or river w a substrate of variably-sized rocks, sand, fine gravel, and some larger water-worn boulders. Can be furnished w driftwood roots and branches if you wish but be sure to leave plenty of open swimming space. More on decor in a moment…..

This is One Tough Tetra! The bucktooth tetra may not look exactly like a piranha, but they are similar and can live in the same South American water as them. This is extremely fascinating animal that has an interesting appearance that offers a unique addition to the home aquarium. In the wild, E. paradoxus is a shoaling species with carnivorous tendencies. Insects, smaller fish or frye, shrimp, and other forms of meaty fare make up the bulk of its diet.

The minimum tank size would be a standard 55-gallon aquarium, but the bigger the better. E. paradoxus is highly adaptable to a wide range of water parameters, but extremes should be avoided. An ideal pH range would be roughly 6.2 to 7.4. The bucktooth tetra is not a picky eater in captivity and will accept various foods, such as brine shrimp, mysid shrimp, bloodworms, chopped earthworms, beef heart, cut fish fillet, as well as flake and pellet foods to balance out nutrition. E. paradoxus are remarkably precise & efficient predators often snatching guppies at the water surface quickly. Tank decor can include driftwood, rocks, slate, pots, & artificial caves. Driftwood with a root-system-like appearance makes for striking scenery, as a school of E. paradoxus will endlessly zip in and out of the root-like structures throughout the day. Although bucktooth tetras spends most of their time out in the open, hiding places are utilized to take an occasional break from their seemingly endless activity.

There may be a periodic wait on this species from time to time.  Please be patient.