TankBud

Ember tetra

Hyphessobrycon amandae

FreshwaterFish

Ember tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
Klaus Rudloff · CC BY-SA 4.0

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
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Characidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The ember tetra is one of the smallest tetras you can keep, a peaceful schooler that stays in the middle of the tank. It is a good first fish.

Did you know

The ember tetra's color shifts with its mood and surroundings. In a bare, brightly lit tank it washes out to a pale orange. Over dark substrate, with plants and tannin-stained water, it deepens to a warm red.

Caring for the ember tetra

Keep ember tetras in a group of at least eight to ten, and more if you have room. A small group looks scattered and nervous. A school fits a tank of 9 gal (35 L) or more. Make it a planted tank with some shade, a darker substrate and gentle flow.

Hold the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C). Soft water with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 keeps them comfortable. Feed crushed flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia or cyclops.

Ember tetras are peaceful and safe with other community fish. They scatter their eggs and give no parental care, and the eggs usually hatch in a day or two. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The ember tetra is a characin in the family Characidae. Its species name honors Amanda Bleher, mother of the aquarist Heiko Bleher. It is not listed as threatened, though its habitat faces pressure from deforestation.

In the wild

Ember tetras come from the slow, warm waters of the Araguaia basin in Brazil. The water there is soft and slightly acidic, tinted brown by leaf litter and decaying plants.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The ember 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 an ember tetra need?

An ember tetra needs at least 9 gal (35 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an ember tetra need?

An ember tetra is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does an ember tetra eat?

An ember tetra eats crushed flake, micro pellets and small frozen foods such as daphnia or cyclops.

How big does an ember tetra get?

An adult ember tetra reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).

Does an ember tetra need a group?

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

How does an ember tetra breed?

Ember tetras are egg scatterers and leave their eggs without care. The eggs usually hatch in a day or two, and breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species