TankBud

Buenos Aires tetra

Psalidodon anisitsi

Also known as Hyphessobrycon anisitsi

FreshwaterFish

Buenos Aires tetra (Psalidodon anisitsi)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
66–81°F
19–27°C
pH
6.0–8.0
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
25 gal
95 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina

Overview

The Buenos Aires tetra is a hardy, mostly peaceful schooling fish for a community tank, just not a delicate planted one. It is a good beginner fish.

Did you know

The Buenos Aires tetra's appetite for greens is strong enough that some keepers use it as a cleanup crew for hair algae. It will happily eat your prized stem plants along with the algae.

Caring for the Buenos Aires tetra

Keep Buenos Aires tetras in a tank of at least 25 gal (95 L) with open swimming space. They are fast, busy swimmers that work the middle and lower water. They shred soft-leaved plants, so use tough ones like anubias and java fern, or plastic plants they cannot wreck. You can also skip live plants entirely.

They tolerate cooler water than most tetras, anywhere from 66 to 81°F (19 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0. That wide temperature tolerance makes them one of the tougher tetras to keep alive. They eat just about anything, and flakes, pellets and frozen foods all go down.

Keep them in a school of six or more, since a small group tends to get nippy. They are mostly peaceful and safe with other community fish. They are egg scatterers that give no parental care, and the eggs usually hatch within a day or two. Breeding them takes some effort.

Good to know

The Buenos Aires tetra is a characin in the family Characidae. A popular albino form is more common in shops than the silver wild type.

In the wild

Buenos Aires tetras range across the La Plata basin in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. They live farther south than most tetras, in rivers and streams with some flow and plant growth.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Buenos Aires tetra is a mostly 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Buenos Aires tetra need?

A Buenos Aires tetra needs at least 25 gal (95 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Buenos Aires tetra need?

A Buenos Aires tetra is comfortable at 66–81°F (19–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–8.0.

What does a Buenos Aires tetra eat?

A Buenos Aires tetra eats just about anything, including flakes, pellets and frozen foods. It also eats plants and will shred soft-leaved ones.

How big does a Buenos Aires tetra get?

An adult Buenos Aires tetra reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

Does a Buenos Aires tetra need a group?

Yes. A Buenos Aires tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Buenos Aires tetra breed?

Buenos Aires tetras scatter their eggs and give them no care. The eggs usually hatch within a day or two, and breeding them takes some effort.

Related species