Jellybean tetra

Ladigesia roloffi

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–81°F (22–27°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 1.2 in (3 cm)
Minimum tank: 10 gal (37 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Sierra Leone
Family: Alestidae

Overview

This is an easy, peaceful fish best kept in a school of six or more, in a tank as small as about 37 liters. They swim in the middle of the water and show their best shimmer in a planted tank with soft lighting. Feed small foods like fine flake, micro-pellets, and the occasional frozen daphnia or baby brine shrimp. Their small size makes them good nano-tank fish, but keep tankmates equally small and calm.

In the wild

The jellybean tetra comes from clear, slow forest streams and small rivers in Sierra Leone, shaded by trees and full of leaf litter. The water is soft and slightly acidic with a calm, dim feel. A planted nano tank with soft light, some botanicals, and gentle flow matches it well. Keep the pH from 6 to 7.5 and the temperature in the low to mid 20s C.

Good to know

Ladigesia roloffi is a small African tetra in the family Alestidae, growing to about 3 cm. It has a translucent body with a pearly shine and a dark spot near the tail base. It is a peaceful schooling species, and home breeding is not well documented. Wild populations face habitat loss but it is not formally listed as endangered.

Did you know

Its near-see-through body picks up the surrounding light, so the fish looks like it shifts shade as it moves through different parts of a planted tank.