TankBud

Flame tetra

Hyphessobrycon flammeus

Also known as Von Rio tetra

FreshwaterFish

Flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)
(c) Igor Balashov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The flame tetra is a small, peaceful schooling fish and a good first tetra for a calm community tank.

Did you know

Flame tetras color up better and act more naturally in numbers. A settled, well-fed group looks noticeably different from a few stressed loners.

Caring for the flame tetra

Keep flame tetras in a group of at least six, in a tank of at least 10 gal (38 L). Plant it, add some shade and use a sandy bottom. A bit of botanical material, such as leaves or wood, helps recreate the conditions they know.

Hold the temperature at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C). Soft water suits them, with the pH toward the lower end of their 5.5 to 7.5 range. Feed a mix of quality flake and micro pellets, with the odd serving of frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp.

Flame tetras are peaceful and get along well with other calm community fish. They scatter their eggs and give no parental care, and breeding them in a tank is moderately tricky. During courtship, males turn a deeper, hotter red to win over females, and they flare their fins at rival males.

Good to know

The flame tetra is a small characin in the family Characidae. Its wild range near Rio has shrunk under urban development and pollution, so wild stock is under pressure. The species is still common in the hobby and easy to find captive-bred.

In the wild

Flame tetras come from the coastal rivers near Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. They live in slow, shaded streams over fine sand and leaf litter, where the water runs soft and slightly acidic.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The flame 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 flame tetra need?

A flame tetra needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a flame tetra need?

A flame tetra is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does a flame tetra eat?

A flame tetra eats quality flake and micro pellets, with the odd serving of frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp.

How big does a flame tetra get?

An adult flame tetra reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Does a flame tetra need a group?

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

How can you tell a male flame tetra from a female?

Males turn a deeper, hotter red during courtship to win over females. They also flare their fins at rival males in small displays.

How does a flame tetra breed?

Flame tetras are egg scatterers and give no parental care. Breeding them in a tank is moderately tricky.

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