Characidae
    Most of the fishes in this family come from tropical Africa and Central and South America. The most popular aquarium species originate in the lakes and rivers of the Amazon Basin. Heavy rainfall in these areas washes minerals out of the soil leaving water which is very much like distilled water. In the wild these fish are found in large shoals in waters which maintain warm temperatures. It is clear, therefore, that in the aquarium they do best if kept together in numbers. Most characins posess teeth and an adipose fin. All of them have at least one of these features. There are extremely wide variations in size, shape, and habit within the family. They range from the large and devious piranha to the smaller tetras, which are peaceful, fragile little fish. The smaller fish can be mixed with any fish if similar size.
    To breed characins one needs a soft water aquarium with a bottom layer entirely of peat. The water temperature should be approximately 28°C. The sexes should be kept separate until well fed and then place in a darkened tank. When they have spawned the parents should be removed but the tank kept in darkness. The fry, which take a day to hatch, hang vertically at the surface. After a few days they start to swim in a horizontal position and can now be fed. A good commercial food is suitable.