Agulha tetra
Hyphessobrycon agulha
Also known as Agulha flag tetra
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–81°F (22–27°C)
- pH
- 5.0–7.0
- Adult size
- 2 in (5.2 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 17 gal (65 L)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Origin
- Madeira River basin, Brazil
- Family
- Characidae
Overview
Keep a school of six or more with other calm blackwater fish like pencilfish, dwarf cichlids, or corys. It takes flake, micro pellets, and small frozen foods without fuss. Give the school open swimming length plus shaded retreats, and colors deepen noticeably over a dark bottom.
In the wild
The agulha tetra comes from the Madeira system, where tea-stained water slides through flooded margins and leaf drifts. It does best in a tank that borrows from that scene: dim light, dark substrate, wood and leaf litter, and soft water at 22 to 27 degrees Celsius with pH 5.0 to 7.0.
Good to know
Hyphessobrycon agulha was described by Fowler in 1913 and reaches about 5.2 centimeters, on the larger side for the genus. It carries a bold dark flank stripe that anchors a whole lineage of look-alike tetras named after it, so wild imports labeled agulha sometimes turn out to be close relatives.
Did you know
Agulha means needle in Portuguese, and ichthyologists still talk about the agulha lineage, a cluster of stripe-flanked tetras that are told apart by fine details most keepers never need to check.
Tank mates
Agulha tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.
Golden pencilfish
Nannostomus beckfordiFreshwater2.4 in (6 cm)18 gal (70 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)Cuming's barb
Pethia cumingiiFreshwater2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Cardinal toothcarp
Brachyrhaphis roseniFreshwater2.4 in (6 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)
Threestripe cory
Hoplisoma trilineatumFreshwater2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Boeseman's cory
Hoplisoma boesemaniFreshwater2.2 in (5.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Fire-tail dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma eremnopygeFreshwater1.8 in (4.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does an Agulha tetra need?
An Agulha tetra needs at least 17 gal (65 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH do Agulha tetra need?
Agulha tetra are comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.
How big do Agulha tetra get?
An adult Agulha tetra reaches about 2 in (5.2 cm).
Do Agulha tetra need a group?
Yes. Agulha tetra are a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
Where to buy
Some links may not be the exact species or variety.
…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
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Related species
Flameback bleeding heart tetra
Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotusFreshwater2.1 in (5.4 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Lemon tetra
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnisFreshwater2 in (5 cm)17 gal (65 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Lesser bleeding heart tetra
Hyphessobrycon socolofiFreshwater2.2 in (5.6 cm)24 gal (90 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Margitae tetra
Hyphessobrycon margitaeFreshwater1.9 in (4.8 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Itaparica tetra
Hyphessobrycon itaparicensisFreshwater1.8 in (4.6 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Bleeding heart tetra
Hyphessobrycon erythrostigmaFreshwater2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)