Ember tetra

Hyphessobrycon amandae

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 0.8 in (2 cm)
Minimum tank: 9 gal (35 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Brazil
Family: Characidae

Overview

Keep embers in a group of at least eight to ten, more if you have room. They are peaceful and spend most of their time in the middle of the tank. A small group looks scattered and nervous, so numbers matter. Feed crushed flake, micro pellets, and small frozen foods like daphnia or cyclops. Water in the low to high 20s C suits them, and a tank of about 35 liters or more works for a school.

In the wild

Ember tetras come from the slow, warm waters of the Araguaia basin in Brazil. The water there is soft, slightly acidic, and tinted brown from leaf litter and decaying plants. To match that, give them a planted tank with some shade, a darker substrate, and gentle flow. Soft water in the pH 5.5 to 7 range keeps them comfortable.

Good to know

This is a characin in the family Characidae, and one of the smallest tetras you can keep at around 2 cm full grown. The species name honors Amanda Bleher, mother of aquarist Heiko Bleher. They are egg scatterers with no parental care, and eggs usually hatch in a day or two. They are not listed as threatened, though their habitat faces pressure from deforestation.

Did you know

Their color shifts with mood and surroundings. In a bare, brightly lit tank they wash out to a pale orange, but over dark substrate with plants and tannin-stained water they deepen to a warm red. It is the same fish, just responding to its setup.