Emperor Tetra
Nematobrycon palmeri
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3.5–4.2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
Species profile
Ember Tetra
Hyphessobrycon amandae
Common names: Ember Tetra, Fire Tetra
Recognized speciesTetras
Adult size
Up to 2 cm
Typical adult length 1.5–2 cm.
Up to 2 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A planted nano aquarium from about 40 litres
- A tank with dwarf shrimp and very small fish
- A soft-water setup with dwarf cichlids
Think carefully if
- Your tankmates are large, fast, or boisterous
- The filter has a strong current or an open intake
- You want a fish that will stand out in a large aquarium
A very small orange-red tetra from central Brazil. Its small size and peaceful nature make it one of the best shoaling fish for planted nano aquariums.
Appearance and Identification
A tiny, slightly deep-bodied fish in amber to orange-red, with paler fins. Fish look washed out in a bright, bare tank and develop far better colour among plants and wood.
Small size and an even orange colour with no strong body stripe help separate this fish from other small tetras.
Males are more intensely coloured, especially when ready to spawn, and females have rounder bodies.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 80–120 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 50–75 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 40 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 45 cm
- Minimum group size
- 8
- Recommended group size
- 10
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Use dense planting, floating cover, and soft light. Filter intakes should be guarded or gentle because these fish are very small, and flow should stay low.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Peaceful and gregarious. The group drifts through the plants rather than racing up and down the tank.
Keep at least 8 to 10. Very small groups stay hidden and show poor colour.
Not territorial. Males may display at each other when ready to spawn.
Good with similarly small characins, small catfish, dwarf cichlids, and dwarf shrimp. Adult shrimp are generally safe, although very small shrimplets may occasionally be taken. Avoid boisterous or much larger fish.
Water Parameters
Soft, slightly acidic water brings out the best colour. Farm-bred fish often adapt to moderately harder water if the change is slow.
Parameter caveat
Most fish sold are farm-bred and more adaptable than wild stock. Acclimate slowly and use the seller's water as a starting point rather than chasing an exact number.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Fine micro granules or crushed flakeUse a particle size the fish can swallow whole, and feed only what is eaten within a couple of minutes.
- Frozen or live daphnia and cyclopsSmall crustaceans add variety and help bring adults into breeding condition.
- Frozen or newly hatched brine shrimpA good small meat food a few times a week rather than the only food.
An omnivore that picks small invertebrates and fine food from the water column and the plants.
Crush food finely, because many standard granules are too large for this species.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Scatterer
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Brood or egg count
- Small numbers of tiny eggs
- Incubation
- 1 days
- Parental care
- None
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumNeeded for the first days after fry become free-swimming, because the fry are very small.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly as a supplement, and siphon out anything left uneaten.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry are large enough to swallow it, usually after several days.
- MicrowormsA useful next step for fry that are still too small for brine shrimp.
An egg-scattering free spawner with no parental care. Condition adults, then use a separate dim tank with mature water and mesh, marbles, or a spawning mop to protect the eggs. Start the fry on paramecium or very fine dry food, then move to brine shrimp or microworms.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Brazil, South America
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Freshwater River, Slow River
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Nano Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Hyphessobrycon
- Family
- Characidae
- Species group
- Fish, Tetras
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Featherfin Tetra
Hemigrammus unilineatus
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 87 litres
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
Fire Green Tetra
Aphyocharax rathbuni
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 4.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
Flag Tetra
Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 3.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 72 litres
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C