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Cope's tetra

Moenkhausia copei

Also known as Copei tetra, Red tail tetra

FreshwaterFish

Cope's tetra (Moenkhausia copei)

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
Amazon lowlands

Overview

Cope's tetra is a peaceful schooling fish for the middle of a soft-water community tank. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

Cope's tetra is named for Edward Drinker Cope, the nineteenth-century American naturalist and fossil hunter of the so-called Bone Wars. This quiet little Amazon tetra may be the gentlest thing ever to carry his combative name.

Caring for the Cope's tetra

Keep Cope's tetras in a group of at least eight to ten, in 20 gal (75 L) or larger. Give them a dark sandy bottom, driftwood and leaf litter to tint the water. Plant the margins, leave open swimming space in the center and keep the light dim.

Soft water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 suits them. Keep it clean, with steady, gentle flow. Offer a varied diet of quality flake or micro pellets, with frozen and live foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp.

Cope's tetras are docile and blend easily into a soft-water community. Corydoras, dwarf cichlids, pencilfish and other small, calm tetras make good partners. Keep them away from large or aggressive fish that would bully them or beat them to food. They are egg-scattering spawners, but there are no established aquarium breeding records.

Good to know

Moenkhausia copei belongs to the family Characidae. It has pearly flanks and a dark tail marked with a white tip. The genus name commemorates the physiologist William Moenkhaus.

In the wild

Cope's tetra lives along the quiet edges and floodplains of the Amazon lowlands. The water there is soft, warm and gently acidic.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Cope's 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Cope's tetra need?

A Cope's tetra needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Cope's tetra need?

A Cope's tetra is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a Cope's tetra eat?

A Cope's tetra eats a varied diet of quality flake or micro pellets. Add frozen and live foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp.

How big does a Cope's tetra get?

An adult Cope's tetra reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Does a Cope's tetra need a group?

Yes. A Cope's tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Cope's tetra breed?

Cope's tetras are egg-scattering spawners. There are no established records of them breeding in aquariums.

Related species