# Albino vs Normal glow-light tetra. Extreme behavioral differences? Albino=retarded?



## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I doubt much of what you have posted with regard's to the albino version of the glowlight tetra's "Havent' moved but a few inches in four month's" and don't move to the food unless the food fall's in front of em (they would starve).
They could possibly be blind,but I doubt this also.
Also possible they are picking off tiny baby shrimp, or infusoria found in most aquaria which even the tiniest guppy fry could easily eat should they wish.
Fishes that cannot compete for food with other's would begin to show effect's long before now.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

roadmaster said:


> I doubt much of what you have posted with regard's to the albino version of the glowlight tetra's "Havent' moved but a few inches in four month's" and don't move to the food unless the food fall's in front of em (they would starve).
> They could possibly be blind,but I doubt this also.
> Also possible they are picking off tiny baby shrimp, or infusoria found in most aquaria which even the tiniest guppy fry could easily eat should they wish.
> Fishes that cannot compete for food with other's would begin to show effect's long before now.


Well, several have died even though its the most peaceful tank you can possible have without any predators. I guess I am going to have to upload some video proof since this is so unbelievable. 

I will turn on the fish feeder and show how all the fish swim towards the food but how the albino fish will stay in the same place and not move. 

They only eat when flakes happen to move towards them otherwise they will stand in the same general area. 

Its unreal but I will try to upload a video tomorrow as its very late night for me and I need to get some sleep. I don't know why you think someone would lie about something like that but I will upload the video tomorrow then. Perhaps a time lapse video will be better to show the point.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

As I said,the fish could be blind.
Lack of melanin has been attributed to poor eyesight in albinisim, and if the creature cannot find food easily,then they will begin to show evidence of this and suffer from poor nutrition.
But to get a dozen or more with such malady would be rare in my view.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

That is quite strange. Maybe they are sick, and that's why they aren't moving and are dying off?


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## Bandit1200 (Dec 11, 2010)

Albinos of any species can have trouble with bright lights. It's possible that your lights are too much for them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=albino+bright+light&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

Bandit1200 said:


> Albinos of any species can have trouble with bright lights. It's possible that your lights are too much for them.
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=albino+bright+light&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8


Excellent point, let me try to observe them with the lights off. Their eyes do look strange to me. 

Thanks.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

roadmaster said:


> I doubt much of what you have posted with regard's to the albino version of the glowlight tetra's "Havent' moved but a few inches in four month's" and don't move to the food unless the food fall's in front of em (they would starve).
> They could possibly be blind,but I doubt this also.
> Also possible they are picking off tiny baby shrimp, or infusoria found in most aquaria which even the tiniest guppy fry could easily eat should they wish.
> Fishes that cannot compete for food with other's would begin to show effect's long before now.


Here is the video. I think its like 2 hours worth condensed into about 8 minutes using 1080p time lapse. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNkVdIb7F1U


The bubble stone represents the middle of the 55 gallon aquarium. 

The other white fish which you may confuse for an albino glowlight tetra is actually a white cloud mountain minnows. These are the fish which will travel across the entire tank. 

I feel them in the beginning so they are most active then. 

Albino Glowlight tetra never cross into the left side of the aquarium. Compared to the other glowlight tetra which move around the tank exploring, they stay in a relatively small space and will not explore or move very much for food. The best they will move is to the middle of the aquarium but never really cross into the other side of the tank. I have all the food dropping on the left side of the tank which makes this very strange. 

I could be 2 hours or 2 days, these albino tetra do this all day no matter what time I look at them. 

What do you say to that?


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Video shows all the fish feeding from the same area.
Does not appear that they NEED to move to get food and they certainly appear to be getting food or as I said,they would be NFL (not for long)
I keep white clouds also, and they can be aggressive at feeding time.
Have watched them chase neon's and adult female swordtails away from the area's they frequent just cause they can.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

roadmaster said:


> Video shows all the fish feeding from the same area.
> Does not appear that they NEED to move to get food and they certainly appear to be getting food or as I said,they would be NFL (not for long)
> I keep white clouds also, and they can be aggressive at feeding time.
> Have watched them chase neon's and adult female swordtails away from the area's they frequent just cause they can.


Video only shows 50% of the aquarium. Perhaps I should make a new video to show 100% of the aquarium. Whatever you see happen to be when fish are in the picture(right side of the aquarium). I will have to bring the tripod far back in order to get the entire aquarium. 

You should at least see how they swim in place and hardly move compared to all the other fish(and even snails) which act like they are on speed with the time lapse. Follow any other fish, White cloud, neon tetra, orange glowlight tetra, snail,etc...) and you will see how they travel to the other side of the aquarium or out of view of the camera however the albino are always in view of the camera and in the same basic area for the entire 2 hours. 

The fish food that they get happen to be left overs that float over from the opposite side of the aquarium. Its unusual to have a fish that won't move to the location the food is dropped and wait unit it floats to them especially in an aquarium with no predators. 

Wait and I will try to load something showing the entire tank.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Another video is not needed.
Seen all I need to see, and responded accordingly.
I got fishes that seldom come out from the plant's at all, unless I tap the lid with top from fish food at which time they are programmed to know fish food will be entering the tank.
What you have is not unique or odd cept maybe to you. 
Some fishes will be much quicker at grabbing food's,and other's will as you say,grab the bit's that escape the quicker fishes and fall nearer .
They do not have to compete.
If they wish to stay close to where they feel comfortable, then this too is not unusaual or odd.
Be thankful instead of searching for problem's under every rock/plant. 
My apologies if you are peeved or hurt by the normal going's on in a glass box of water with numerous species trying to carve out an existence.
Less fishes ,less competition.
Noted your previous post's from a month or two ago, where fish species you had in I believe 75 gal tank were approx 22 or 23 different species.
If these are being kept in small school's of five or six,then you could easily have a hundred or more.
Close to being what I view as a fish collector.
I'm done now.


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## SpaceLord (Feb 29, 2016)

roadmaster said:


> Another video is not needed.
> Seen all I need to see, and responded accordingly.
> I got fishes that seldom come out from the plant's at all, unless I tap the lid with top from fish food at which time they are programmed to know fish food will be entering the tank.
> What you have is not unique or odd cept maybe to you.
> ...


55 gallon is a completely different setup from a 75 gallon tank. 

The 55 gallon in primary a red shrimp tank with adding some small peaceful fish on the side. 

The issue is that the Albino glow-light tetra is completely different from the normal glowlight tetra. 

The point is that the Albino act as if they are a completely separate type of fish than the glowlight tetra. 

They don't group together with the other neon tetra, they only stick with other albino as if they are their own race. 

I never heard of a tetra fish that stays in one side of the aquarium and within a few inches radius for 6 months even with food being released on the other side. If food happens to come near them on the right side of the aquarium, then they will eat it. That is what I originally said. I did not expect to be called a liar over it. 

Do you still think I made it up? If so, I can upload however many hours you want to see and you won't see those albino tetra moving more then a few inches and never cross over to the left side of the fish tank. 
Otherwise case closed. What I said was true and I did not make it up. Why would anyone make something like that up? 

If anyone who does not think I'm lying would like to offer any advice on why Glowlight vs albino glowlight act so differently, I would love to hear it. 

Thank you.


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## evilgenius (Nov 15, 2017)

I have one that's an adoptee. It's very small and usually stays pretty much near the same spot as well. I do see it eat, but it doesn't move much. It came with two red belly x ray tetra and a glow light tetra. I didn't even realize it was an albino until I got a close up photo of it the other day. I've only had these 4 rescues for less than a week now.


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

My H. amapaensis pretty much just stay in one spot toward the back of the tank barely moving. They are actually pretty boring fish (even though they are pretty). In my case I attribute it to age. I have had them for 3 years and they were already adult, full sized, wild caught fish when I bought them. So they are showing signs of aging. 

Even if your albino glowlights are not that old it might be that their albinism has the same effect that aging does in normal tetras.


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## r_norahs (Jul 18, 2019)

I bought six albino glowlight tetra. They live in my community tank - a 20 long planted tank with rocks and plenty of areas to hide. Their behavior is just as you describe yours acting. I thought they would school, like the other tetras. Instead, they each stay in a secluded 1 inch square of my tank not close to the others. I always know where to find each one because they don't move from that area. They don't seem to eat, but they must. When I feed the tank, only one albino glow light tetra will come out and eat with the other fish. I thought this behavior was very weird just as you do. I've now accepted it as "normal" for the albino version of the glowlight tetra. They are very peaceable, kind fish who do not act like tetras at all. I appreciate your post. When I read it, I thought, "Those fish act just like mine." Made me feel better. Maybe their albinoism makes them feel very vulnerable or maybe it is their eye sight. They do seem to see well, though. When another fish approaches their "spot" they know and seem so try to become more invisible. Very insecure.


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## r_norahs (Jul 18, 2019)

An update: My albino glow-light tetras have relaxed. There are times in the day when they all congregate under the current my OTB filter creates. They seem to love to fight the current as they simply stay stationary, together. It's cute. Then they each go back to their selected places out of the current. They are eating, so they can see. They are very peaceful fish and never spar with each other or the other tetras in my community tank. I believe they are just very shy fish who were overwhelmed with all that had happened to them in their young lives before they arrived at my place.


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