TankBud

Kyburz tetra

Pseudochalceus kyburzi

Also known as Kyburzi tetra, Giant spotted emperor tetra

FreshwaterFish

Kyburz tetra (Pseudochalceus kyburzi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
3.1 in
7.8 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg scatterer
Rarity
Rare
Family
Characidae
Origin
Pacific-slope streams of Colombia

Overview

The Kyburz tetra is a large, boldly colored schooling fish for the middle of a roomy tank. It suits a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Kyburz tetras stay uncommon partly because of where they come from. Fishes from the Choco, the rain-drenched Pacific coast of Colombia, seldom cross the Andes into the aquarium trade.

Caring for the Kyburz tetra

Give a group of Kyburz tetras plenty of space, at least 29 gal (110 L), and decorate the tank well. Leave open midwater for swimming, with structure around the edges. Driftwood, rocks and plants create shady retreats and break up lines of sight between rival males.

Keep the water soft and slightly acidic, at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Kyburz tetras treat feeding as a competition. They take flake, pellets, and frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae.

Keep them in a group of at least six, and more if you can, to spread out their energy. They are mostly peaceful but pushy, and rival males spar with one another. They can nip smaller, slower or long-finned tank mates, so choose robust, fast-moving companions of a similar size.

Breeding Kyburz tetras is not documented in home aquaria. Like other characins, they scatter their eggs and give no parental care.

Good to know

Pseudochalceus kyburzi is a robust characin in the family Characidae, with pink to turquoise spangling over a wine-red body. It honors the collector William Kyburz, and it is also sold as the giant spotted emperor tetra.

In the wild

The Kyburz tetra comes from forest streams on the Pacific slope of Colombia. It lives in the wet Choco region, rather than on the Amazon side of the Andes.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Kyburz tetra is a mostly 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 Kyburz tetra need?

A Kyburz tetra needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Kyburz tetra need?

A Kyburz tetra is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a Kyburz tetra eat?

A Kyburz tetra takes flake, pellets, and frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae. It treats feeding as a competition.

How big does a Kyburz tetra get?

An adult Kyburz tetra reaches about 3.1 in (7.8 cm).

Does a Kyburz tetra need a group?

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

How does a Kyburz tetra breed?

A Kyburz tetra scatters its eggs and gives them no parental care, like other characins. No one has documented it breeding in a home aquarium.

Related species