{"product_id":"baloon-hockey-stick-tetra-pair","title":"Baloon Hockey Stick Tetra (Pair)","description":"\u003c!-- ============================================================\n     BEST4PETS.IN — PRODUCT DESCRIPTION BLOCK (DARK THEME)\n     Balloon Hockey Stick Tetra (Thayeria boehlkei — balloon form) — Pair\n     Paste into Shopify \u003e Product \u003e Description \u003e \"\u003c\u003e\" (Show HTML)\n     ============================================================ --\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#EAF0F5;line-height:1.65;font-size:16px;max-width:760px;\"\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- HOOK --\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"font-size:18px;line-height:1.6;margin:0 0 18px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eIt swims nose-up, and the stripe is the reason it has a name.\u003c\/strong\u003e A bold black band runs down the flank and then hooks sharply into the lower lobe of the tail — the hockey stick. The fish holds itself at a permanent head-up tilt, so a group hanging in mid-water looks like a set of angled brushstrokes rather than a row of fish.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 22px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    This is the balloon form: a line-bred short-body variant with a deep, rounded profile that exaggerates the tilt and the stripe into something considerably more graphic than the standard fish. Silver-gold body, black marking, translucent fins. Peaceful, active, easy to feed, and a strong mid-water presence in a planted community tank without the size of a barb or a larger tetra.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- SIGNATURE CALLOUT --\u003e\n  \u003cdiv style=\"border-left:4px solid #F2A03D;background:rgba(242,160,61,0.13);padding:14px 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border-radius:0 6px 6px 0;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px;color:#F7E4CB;\"\u003e\n      \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFC978;\"\u003eSold as a pair — but buy at least three pairs.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a shoaling species, not a pair-bonding one. Kept as two, it stays hidden, colours down and stresses easily. Six or more is where the shoal forms, the tilt lines up, and the fish actually behaves the way it is meant to.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- QUICK FACTS --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eCare Snapshot\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n  \u003ctable style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:0 0 30px;font-size:15px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);width:42%;color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eScientific name\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThayeria boehlkei\u003c\/em\u003e — balloon form\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eAlso known as\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eBalloon Penguin Tetra, Short-body Blackline Tetra\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eAquacultured in Southeast Asia; species native to the Amazon basin\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eAdult size\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e3–4 cm (shorter-bodied than the standard form)\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e3–4 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eMinimum tank\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e75 litres for a group of six, minimum 60 cm length\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eTemperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e23–28 °C\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003epH\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e6.0–7.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eHardness\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e2–15 dGH\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eOmnivore — small dry, frozen and live foods\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003ePeaceful, shoaling; keep 6+\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eCare level\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.14);color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eModerate — see the note on balloon forms below\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);\"\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eSwimming zone\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding:9px 12px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eMiddle and upper\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- BALLOON FORM NOTE --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eWhat \"Balloon\" Means, And What It Asks Of You\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    Balloon forms are produced by selecting for a shortened, compressed spine. The rounded shape people buy them for is a consequence of that, and it comes with real trade-offs: less efficient swimming, a compressed body cavity, and a greater tendency toward swim bladder and digestive problems than the standard-bodied fish. We would rather say so on the listing than have you discover it later.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 30px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    In practice this means \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003elow flow, small frequent meals, and no fasting-then-feasting\u003c\/strong\u003e. Kept that way they do well. Kept in a strong current or overfed on dry food, they are the first fish in the tank to go upside down. If you want the species without the fragility, the standard-bodied Hockey Stick Tetra is the hardier choice and schools just as well.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- SETUP --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eSetting Up For It\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin:0 0 30px;padding-left:20px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eKeep the flow gentle.\u003c\/strong\u003e A short-bodied fish cannot hold station in a current the way the standard form can. Spray bar, sponge filter, or an outlet aimed at the glass — not an undirected powerhead.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eOpen mid-water with planted edges.\u003c\/strong\u003e This fish hangs in the middle of the tank. Plant the back and sides, leave the centre clear so the shoal has somewhere to line up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eDark substrate sharpens the stripe.\u003c\/strong\u003e The black band and the gold body both read far better over dark sand than over pale gravel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eFloating cover settles them.\u003c\/strong\u003e Amazon fish under an open bright light stay skittish. A partial screen of floating plants brings them out into the open, which is where you want them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eLid on.\u003c\/strong\u003e Tetras jump when startled, and these are poor swimmers with poor recovery. Do not leave the tank open.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- TANK MATES --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eTank Mates\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:16px;margin:0 0 30px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv style=\"flex:1 1 260px;border:1px solid rgba(95,212,196,0.35);background:rgba(95,212,196,0.08);border-radius:8px;padding:16px 18px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#5FD4C4;\"\u003eGood matches\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eCorydoras, Otocinclus, Bristlenose Pleco, Harlequin and Espei Rasbora, Ember and Rummynose Tetra, Honey Gourami, Apistogramma, Bolivian Ram, Nerite and Mystery snails.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv style=\"flex:1 1 260px;border:1px solid rgba(242,160,61,0.4);border-radius:8px;padding:16px 18px;background:rgba(242,160,61,0.1);\"\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#FFC978;\"\u003eKeep away from\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003eTiger Barbs, Serpae Tetras and other nippers. Also avoid fast, greedy feeders such as Danios — a balloon-bodied fish will lose every race to the food. No aggressive cichlids, and nothing large enough to swallow it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 30px;font-size:15px;color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003eNote: adult dwarf shrimp are generally safe alongside them, but shrimplets will be eaten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- FEEDING --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    Feeding is where balloon forms are usually lost. The compressed gut handles small, frequent meals far better than one large daily feed, and dry food that swells after swallowing is the common trigger for swim bladder trouble. Soak pellets before feeding, or use a flake or micro-granule instead.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    From the \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eAQA\u003c\/strong\u003e range, use a small-particle community flake or micro granule twice a day, only what is cleared in about a minute. Rotate in frozen daphnia once or twice a week — it is a mild laxative and useful preventative for a fish shaped like this.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 30px;font-size:15px;color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003e\n    Other good foods: frozen brine shrimp, cyclops, finely chopped bloodworm. Avoid large dry pellets and heavy one-off feeds.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- SEXING \u0026 BREEDING --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eSexing \u0026amp; Breeding\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 12px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eFemales\u003c\/strong\u003e are noticeably deeper and fuller in the belly, particularly when in condition. \u003cstrong style=\"color:#FFFFFF;\"\u003eMales\u003c\/strong\u003e are slimmer and slightly smaller. On balloon-bodied fish the difference is subtler than on the standard form, since both sexes already carry a rounded profile — judge by belly depth viewed from above rather than from the side.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 30px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    The species is an egg-scattering tetra that spawns among fine-leaved plants in soft, acidic, dimly lit water, with the adults removed immediately afterwards. Balloon forms breed less readily than standard-bodied stock and the fry throw a mix of body types. Worth attempting if you enjoy the challenge; not a reliable project.\n  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- INDIA NOTES --\u003e\n  \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eKeeping It In Indian Conditions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin:0 0 30px;padding-left:20px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003eRoom temperature across most of India sits comfortably in the 23–28 °C range for much of the year, so a heater is needed only for northern and hill-station winters. Set it to 24 °C where night-time dips are sharp.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003eAbove 30 °C in peak summer, metabolism rises and oxygen falls — a bad combination for a fish with restricted swimming ability. Increase surface agitation, run a fan across the water, and cut feeding back slightly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003eHard, alkaline municipal water is handled well by aquacultured stock. Catappa leaves and driftwood are still worth adding: the tannins soften the water and the darker setting sharpens the black stripe.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom:9px;\"\u003eAcclimatise slowly. Balloon forms recover from transport stress more slowly than standard-bodied fish, and should be drip-acclimatised rather than floated and released.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003c!-- WHAT YOU GET --\u003e\n  \u003cdiv style=\"border-top:2px solid #5FD4C4;padding-top:18px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch3 style=\"font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5FD4C4;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;\"\u003eWhat You Receive\u003c\/h3\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-size:15px;color:#EAF0F5;\"\u003e\n      One pair of aquacultured Balloon Hockey Stick Tetras, quarantined and conditioned at our Bengaluru facility before dispatch. Sex is not guaranteed on juveniles. Order multiple pairs to make up a proper shoal of six or more. Packed with oxygen and insulation for pan-India delivery.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin:0;font-size:15px;color:#A9BCCB;\"\u003e\n      Covered by the Best4Pets live arrival guarantee. Please film an unboxing video before opening the bag — it is required for any DOA claim.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Best4Pets","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44583379992665,"sku":null,"price":230.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0075\/9814\/5587\/files\/baloon-penguin-tetra-www.best4pets.in.jpg?v=1787800713","url":"https:\/\/www.best4pets.in\/products\/baloon-hockey-stick-tetra-pair","provider":"Best4Pets","version":"1.0","type":"link"}