Black phantom tetra

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep six or more in a tank of around 65 liters and they'll hold the middle of the water column. They're peaceful but the males spar by flaring fins at each other, which is harmless posturing rather than real fighting. Aim for temperatures in the mid 20s C and a pH from slightly acidic to neutral. They eat small flake, micro pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworms or brine shrimp.

In the wild

Black phantom tetras live in slow, shaded streams of the Paraguay and Guaporé basins across Bolivia and Brazil. The water there is soft and acidic, with sand or fine gravel underfoot and tree cover keeping the light low. A planted setup with subdued lighting and open mid-water swimming room reads as home to them.

Good to know

It's a characid, family Characidae, reaching about 3.6 cm. Males and females are easy to tell apart. Males have taller dorsal fins, while females carry a rounder body and a reddish tinge to the fins. They breed by scattering eggs and offer no parental care. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

Did you know

Keep a few males together and the fin-flaring displays happen daily, especially at feeding time or when a female is around. The mock duels sort out a loose pecking order without anyone getting hurt.

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