Aurora tetra
Moenkhausia aurora
Also known as Dawn moenkhausia
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–82°F
- 23–28°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.0
- Adult size
- 2 in
- 5.2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Upper Rio Xingu basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Overview
The aurora tetra is a peaceful schooling fish for the middle of a planted community tank. It is a step up from the easiest community fish.
Did you know
The aurora tetra is named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn. The name is a nod to the soft pink and red that washes over the body of a settled, well-conditioned fish.
Caring for the aurora tetra
Give aurora tetras a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger, with open swimming room and areas of planting. A darker substrate, some driftwood and leaf litter suit them.
Keep the water warm, soft and gently acidic, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Give them steady but not fierce flow, and keep the water clean and well filtered. Feed a varied diet of quality flake or micro pellets. Add frozen and live foods such as daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp.
Keep them in a group of at least eight, and preferably a dozen or more. A full shoal settles the fish and brings out their color. Aurora tetras are peaceful, so pair them with calm community fish of similar size, such as small tetras, pencilfish, dwarf cichlids and corydoras. Breeding has not been documented in aquariums, though their relatives are egg scatterers that give no parental care.
Good to know
Moenkhausia aurora belongs to the characin family Characidae. It was described only in 2024 by Reia and colleagues. It is one of a small cluster of reddish-bodied Moenkhausia from central Brazil, along with M. rubra and M. iris.
In the wild
The aurora tetra lives in clearwater headwater streams of the upper Rio Xingu basin in Mato Grosso, central Brazil.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The aurora tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Barlow's dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma barlowi
Freshwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Six-barred panchax
Epiplatys sexfasciatus
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Marble wood shrimp
Atya scabra
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Humpbacked limia
Limia nigrofasciata
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Dwarf botia
Ambastaia sidthimunki
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)68–86°F (20–30°C)
Blue panchax
Aplocheilus panchax
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does an aurora tetra need?
An aurora tetra needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does an aurora tetra need?
An aurora tetra is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.
What does an aurora tetra eat?
An aurora tetra takes quality flake or micro pellets, alongside frozen and live foods such as daphnia, cyclops and baby brine shrimp.
How big does an aurora tetra get?
An adult aurora tetra reaches about 2 in (5.2 cm).
Does an aurora tetra need a group?
Yes. An aurora tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does an aurora tetra breed?
Aurora tetras have no documented aquarium breeding. Their relatives are egg scatterers that give no parental care.
Related species
2.1 in (5.3 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Blackmargin tetra
Moenkhausia nigromarginata
2.1 in (5.3 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.1 in (5.4 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Ruby moenkhausia
Moenkhausia rubra
2.1 in (5.4 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Ceros tetra
Moenkhausia ceros
2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
2.2 in (5.6 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Dusky tetra
Moenkhausia phaeonota
2.2 in (5.6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
1.9 in (4.7 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Lopes's tetra
Moenkhausia lopesi
1.9 in (4.7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Cope's tetra
Moenkhausia copei
2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)