Cochu's blue tetra
Boehlkea fredcochui
Also known as Blue tetra
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- 22–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 2.2 in
- 5.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer · Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Peru
Overview
Cochu's blue tetra is a peaceful schooling tetra that is easy to keep in a community tank.
Did you know
The species name of Cochu's blue tetra honors Fred Cochu, an aquarium fish importer from the mid 1900s. He was one of the figures who helped build the early ornamental fish trade out of South America.
Caring for the Cochu's blue tetra
Give a school of Cochu's blue tetras 20 gal (75 L) or more. A planted tank with some open swimming space and gentle flow matches what they know. Keep the water warm and clean, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
Feed quality flake and micro pellets, along with frozen brine shrimp and daphnia. Keep a group of at least six, and more if you have room. It turns into a fin-nipper when kept in small numbers, but otherwise it is peaceful with similar-sized fish. It is an egg scatterer with no parental care, and breeding it at home is difficult.
Good to know
Cochu's blue tetra is a small characin in the family Characidae. Its steel-blue body color is its defining trait, and it is strongest on healthy, settled fish.
In the wild
Boehlkea fredcochui comes from the Amazon region of Peru, where it lives in warm, slow stretches of river and side channels. The water there is soft and runs from acidic to neutral.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Cochu's blue 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.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Adolfo's cory
Hoplisoma adolfoi
Freshwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)
Marble wood shrimp
Atya scabra
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Common spiny loach
Lepidocephalichthys thermalis
Freshwater3.1 in (8 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Six-barred panchax
Epiplatys sexfasciatus
Freshwater3.9 in (10 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Cochu's blue tetra need?
A Cochu's blue tetra needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Cochu's blue tetra need?
A Cochu's blue tetra is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a Cochu's blue tetra eat?
A Cochu's blue tetra eats quality flake and micro pellets, along with frozen brine shrimp and daphnia.
How big does a Cochu's blue tetra get?
An adult Cochu's blue tetra reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).
Does a Cochu's blue tetra need a group?
Yes. A Cochu's blue tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does a Cochu's blue tetra breed?
Cochu's blue tetra scatters its eggs and gives them no parental care. It is difficult to breed at home.
Related species
2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Golden tetra
Hemigrammus rodwayi
2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 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)
2.2 in (5.6 cm)24 gal (90 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Lesser bleeding heart tetra
Hyphessobrycon socolofi
2.2 in (5.6 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)
2.1 in (5.4 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Flameback bleeding heart tetra
Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus
2.1 in (5.4 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)
2.1 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)