Lesser bleeding heart tetra

Hyphessobrycon socolofi

Also known as Socolof's tetra

FreshwaterFish

Lesser bleeding heart tetra (Hyphessobrycon socolofi) — H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.6 cm)
Minimum tank: 24 gal (90 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Common
Origin: Rio Negro basin (and Rio Nhamunda), Amazonas, Brazil
Family: Characidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of at least eight to ten in a tank of 90 liters or larger, which brings out their color and spreads out the mild territoriality males show toward each other. They are peaceful and sit in the middle of the water column. Hold the temperature between 23 and 28 C and the pH from 5.5 to 7.5, soft and acidic to neutral. They are sensitive to organic pollution building up, so stay on top of regular water changes and keep the tank clean. Feed small flakes, micro pellets, and frozen foods like daphnia or bloodworms, and pair them with other calm, similarly sized fish.

In the wild

Lesser bleeding heart tetras come from the Rio Negro basin and the Rio Nhamunda in Amazonas, Brazil. These are soft, acidic blackwater rivers stained dark with tannins, where the fish move over sand and leaf litter under low light. To match that, give them a tank of at least 90 liters with dark or sandy substrate, driftwood, and a layer of leaf litter, plus dim lighting and some shade from floating plants. Keep the water warm, from 23 to 28 C, and on the acidic to neutral side, with a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. They show their best color over a dark bottom in soft, tinted water.

Good to know

This is a characin in the family Characidae, part of the "bleeding heart" group but smaller than its better known relative Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma. Adults reach about 5.6 cm. In the wild they live in very soft, acidic water with a pH that can drop near 4, though the practical kept range is 5.5 to 7.5. They are egg scatterers with no parental care, which is part of why they are rarely bred at home.

Did you know

The name comes from the small red spot sitting over the heart, a marking shared across the bleeding heart group. This species is the lesser, or smaller, member of that group, staying well under the size of the more common Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma. Most stock in the trade is still wild caught from the Rio Negro, so the soft, tannin-stained conditions they evolved in are exactly what bring out their look.