TankBud

Dusky tetra

Moenkhausia phaeonota

Also known as Phaeonota tetra

FreshwaterFish

Dusky tetra (Moenkhausia phaeonota)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–82°F
23–28°C
pH
5.0–6.8
Adult size
2.2 in
5.6 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
Upper Tapajós basin, Brazil

Overview

The dusky tetra is a peaceful schooling fish for the middle of a tinted, blackwater-style community tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

The dusky tetra is matte and smoky, in a genus known for bright, mirror-silver fish. That dusky finish is so distinctive that it doubles as the easiest way to tell the species apart.

Caring for the dusky tetra

Keep dusky tetras in a group of at least eight to ten, in 20 gal (75 L) or larger. Give them a blackwater-style tank with leaf litter and driftwood for tannins, over a dark substrate. Dark decor and dim, soft light deepen their smoky coloring and settle the group.

Aim for warm water at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C), with a pH of 5.0 to 6.8 and very low hardness. Filter over botanicals or peat. Feed small foods, such as quality flake, micro pellets, and regular frozen or live daphnia, cyclops and bloodworm.

Dusky tetras are peaceful, so choose gentle companions of similar size, such as small tetras, pencilfish, hatchetfish and corydoras. Skip anything large or pushy. They are egg-scattering spawners, but there are no established aquarium breeding records.

Good to know

Moenkhausia phaeonota was described by William Fink in 1979 and belongs to the characin family Characidae. Its name means dusky, and its coloring is a smoked bronze.

In the wild

The dusky tetra comes from the upper Rio Tapajos in Mato Grosso, Brazil. It lives in the soft, tea-stained tributaries of that river.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The dusky 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 dusky tetra need?

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

What temperature and pH does a dusky tetra need?

A dusky tetra is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.8.

What does a dusky tetra eat?

A dusky tetra eats small foods, such as quality flake and micro pellets. Give it regular frozen or live daphnia, cyclops and bloodworm as well.

How big does a dusky tetra get?

An adult dusky tetra reaches about 2.2 in (5.6 cm).

Does a dusky tetra need a group?

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

How does a dusky tetra breed?

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

Related species