Black darter tetra

Poecilocharax weitzmani

Also known as Black morpho tetra

FreshwaterFish

Black darter tetra (Poecilocharax weitzmani) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 4.0–6.0
Adult size: 1.9 in (4.7 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Origin: Upper Negro and Orinoco blackwaters
Family: Crenuchidae

Overview

A demanding blackwater fish and not one for a general community. Keep it in a dedicated 54 liter tank with deep leaf litter, wood and very soft acidic water, and give males enough structure to hold separate territories, since they will not tolerate each other in the open. It takes live and frozen micro foods and usually refuses dry food entirely, at least at first. Patience with feeding is the whole game.

In the wild

Poecilocharax weitzmani lives in shallow blackwater streams of the upper Negro and Orinoco, among thick leaf litter in extremely soft, acidic, dark water. Keep it at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius and pH 4.0 to 6.0, with low light and litter on the floor.

Good to know

Poecilocharax weitzmani reaches about 4.7 centimeters. Males develop tall, flag-like dorsal and anal fins and a deep blue-black body when displaying, which they do at each other constantly. It is a cave spawner rather than an egg scatterer, unusual among characins, with the male guarding the eggs.

Did you know

It behaves like an Apistogramma built from a tetra kit, holding caves and flaring fins a family away from the cichlids it imitates.

Tank mates

Black darter tetra is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.