Breuseghem's moon tetra

Bathyaethiops breuseghemi

Also known as Moon tetra

FreshwaterFish

Breuseghem's moon tetra (Bathyaethiops breuseghemi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.0–7.0
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Central Congo basin
Family: Alestidae

Overview

Breuseghem's moon tetra is a peaceful, lively schooling fish that shows its best colors in a group, so keep at least six to eight together. It occupies the middle of the tank and mixes well with other calm community species that share different levels, from small West African fish to gentle catfish and quiet cichlids. Give it open swimming space in front of planting and some gentle flow. Feed a varied diet: a quality flake or micropellet staple plus frequent frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworm keep males richly colored. Around 110 liters gives a small school the space it needs.

In the wild

In the wild this tetra lives in soft, slightly acidic tributaries of the central Congo basin, including parts of the Kasai and Bomu systems. These are shaded, slow to moderate forest waters over sand, wood, and leaf litter. Recreate that setting with driftwood, a dark substrate, and dimmer lighting, with some plants around the edges. Keep the water soft and gently acidic to neutral at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 6.0 to 7.0, and maintain clean conditions with steady water changes.

Good to know

Bathyaethiops breuseghemi is an alestid, one of the African moon tetras, and reaches about 7 centimeters. It is a silvery, deep-bodied fish with a dark rectangular marking toward the tail, and displaying males flush with warm orange and red on the head and fins, which is why it also sells as the red cap moon tetra. The species honors the Belgian scientist Raymond Van Breuseghem. There is no reliable aquarium breeding record, though it is assumed to scatter eggs among fine plants like its kin.

Did you know

The genus name Bathyaethiops joins the Greek word for deep with Aethiops, an old term for sub-Saharan Africa, so the whole moon tetra group are, in effect, the deep African tetras.

Tank mates

Breuseghem's moon tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.