Ceros tetra
Moenkhausia ceros
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F
- 24–28°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.0
- Adult size
- 2 in
- 5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 16 gal
- 60 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer
- Rarity
- Very rare
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Peru, Brazil
Overview
The Ceros tetra is a peaceful schooling tetra for a calm community tank. It is a step up from the easiest tetras.
Did you know
Moenkhausia is a large, messy genus, and fish traded under one name are often mixed with close look-alikes. A group bought as Ceros tetras may not all be the exact same species.
Caring for the Ceros tetra
Keep Ceros tetras in a school of six or more, in 16 gal (60 L) or larger. A dim tank with driftwood and some plants suits them. They are active swimmers that work the middle and upper water.
Give them soft water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. They are easygoing omnivores, so feed a varied diet of quality flake, micro pellets, and frozen brine shrimp or daphnia.
Ceros tetras are peaceful and make good residents for a calm community of similar-sized fish. For a uniform school, buy them all at once from a single batch. Like other Moenkhausia tetras, they are egg scatterers with no parental care, and the eggs typically hatch within a day or two.
Good to know
The Ceros tetra is a characin in the genus Moenkhausia, family Characidae. It is a less common species in the trade, so solid keeping information is thinner than for the popular tetras.
In the wild
Ceros tetras come from clear, slow stretches of the Amazon basin in Peru and Brazil. They live in shaded, plant-rich water.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The Ceros 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)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Guapore cory
Gastrodermus guapore
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Fanning characin
Pyrrhulina rachoviana
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Gold rabbit snail
Tylomelania gemmifera
Freshwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Ceros tetra need?
A Ceros tetra needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Ceros tetra need?
A Ceros tetra is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.
What does a Ceros tetra eat?
A Ceros tetra is an easygoing omnivore. Feed it a varied diet of quality flake, micro pellets, and frozen brine shrimp or daphnia.
How big does a Ceros tetra get?
An adult Ceros tetra reaches about 2 in (5 cm).
Does a Ceros tetra need a group?
Yes. A Ceros tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does a Ceros tetra breed?
Ceros tetras are egg scatterers and give no parental care, like other Moenkhausia tetras. The eggs typically hatch within a day or two.
Related species
2 in (5.2 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Aurora tetra
Moenkhausia aurora
2 in (5.2 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)
1.9 in (4.7 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Lopes's tetra
Moenkhausia lopesi
1.9 in (4.7 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)
2.2 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)
2.4 in (6 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Cope's tetra
Moenkhausia copei
2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)