Bloodfin tetra

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a group of six or more in a tank of about 75 liters; they swim in the middle and upper levels and are active, sometimes nippy when in too small a group. They're tough and adaptable, handling anything from the low to high 20s C and a wide pH range. Feed flake, micro pellets, and the occasional frozen brine shrimp or daphnia.

In the wild

Bloodfin tetras come from clear, shallow rivers and streams with some current across Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. The bottom is usually sand or mud with scattered rocks and leaf litter, and the water runs slightly acidic to neutral. A planted tank with a bit of flow and open swimming room suits them, and they tolerate cooler temperatures than most tetras.

Good to know

A member of the family Characidae, this tetra reaches about 5.5 cm, with a silver body and the red fins that give it its name. It's an egg scatterer with no parental care, and eggs typically hatch in roughly a day or two. The species is hardy and long-lived for a small tetra. Conservation status is Least Concern.

Did you know

Bloodfins are one of the few tetras that take cool, even unheated, room-temperature water in hand, which makes them a reasonable choice for a tank without a heater in a warm room. They're also strong jumpers, so keep the tank covered.

Related species

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  Aphyocharax rathbuni

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

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  2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)

• 

  Diamond tetra

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• 

  Blue tetra

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• 

  Emperor tetra

  Nematobrycon palmeri

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• 

  Glass tetra

  Moenkhausia oligolepis

  2 in (5 cm)18 gal (70 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)