TankBud

Golden tetra

Hemigrammus rodwayi

Also known as Gold tetra, Guyanese gold tetra

FreshwaterFish

Golden tetra (Hemigrammus rodwayi)
Daiju Azuma · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
The Guianas, Peru, Brazil

Overview

The golden tetra is a peaceful shoaling fish that swims mostly in the middle of the tank. It takes a little more care than the easiest tetras.

Did you know

The golden tetra is named for a gold that is not really its own color. In the wild, a skin reaction to a trematode parasite makes the fish lay down a golden layer of guanine as a defense. Tank-bred golden tetras never meet the parasite, so they stay a simple silver and lack the shine.

Caring for the golden tetra

Keep golden tetras in a group of at least six, which keeps them confident and shows off their bright sides. A tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger gives a group room to move. A mature, well-planted layout offers the shoal shade, cover and open water to school in. A dark substrate, driftwood, dried leaves and some floating cover mimic their shaded home and settle the fish.

Warm, gentle water suits them, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5 and soft to moderate hardness. They are easy eaters and do well on a quality flake. Round it out with small frozen and live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm.

Golden tetras are peaceful and get along easily with other small, calm community fish, plants and gentle bottom dwellers. They scatter their eggs and give no parental care. They are hard to breed reliably in the aquarium and need soft, acidic, dimly lit conditions to trigger spawning.

Good to know

The golden tetra belongs to Characidae, the American tetra family, and is a small, slim fish. Most of the golden color seen in shops comes from wild-caught stock.

In the wild

Golden tetras come from the coastal drainages of the Guianas and on into parts of Peru and Brazil. They live in slow, soft, tannin-stained creeks and forest pools.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The golden 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 golden tetra need?

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

What temperature and pH does a golden tetra need?

A golden tetra is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does a golden tetra eat?

A golden tetra is an easy eater that does well on a quality flake. Small frozen and live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm round out its diet.

How big does a golden tetra get?

An adult golden tetra reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

Does a golden tetra need a group?

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

How does a golden tetra breed?

Golden tetras scatter their eggs and give no parental care. They are hard to breed reliably and need soft, acidic, dimly lit conditions before they will spawn.

Related species