TankBud

Lesser bleeding heart tetra

Hyphessobrycon socolofi

Also known as Socolof's tetra, Megalamphodus socolofi

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
Egg scatterer · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Characidae
Origin
Rio Negro basin (and Rio Nhamunda), Amazonas, Brazil

Overview

The lesser bleeding heart tetra is a peaceful schooling fish for the middle of a soft-water tank. It is an easy tetra to keep.

Did you know

The lesser bleeding heart tetra is named for the small red spot over its heart, a mark shared across the bleeding heart group. The lesser in its name means smaller, since it stays well under the size of the more common Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma.

Caring for the lesser bleeding heart tetra

Keep lesser bleeding heart tetras in a group of at least eight to ten, in a tank of 24 gal (90 L) or larger. A group that size brings out their color and spreads out the mild territoriality males show toward each other. Give them a dark or sandy substrate, driftwood and a layer of leaf litter, with dim lighting and some shade from floating plants.

Keep the water soft and acidic to neutral, at 73 to 82°F (23 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. They show their best color over a dark bottom in soft, tinted water. They are sensitive to a buildup of organic pollution, so keep the tank clean with regular water changes.

Feed small flakes, micro pellets, and frozen foods such as daphnia or bloodworms. They are peaceful, so pair them with other calm fish of a similar size.

They are egg scatterers with no parental care, which is part of why they are rarely bred at home. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

Hyphessobrycon socolofi is a characin in the family Characidae, and it also goes by Socolof's tetra and Megalamphodus socolofi. Most stock in the trade is still wild caught from the Rio Negro.

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 pH can drop near 4. The fish move over sand and leaf litter under low light.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The lesser bleeding heart 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 lesser bleeding heart tetra need?

A lesser bleeding heart tetra needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a lesser bleeding heart tetra need?

A lesser bleeding heart tetra is comfortable at 73–82°F (23–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does a lesser bleeding heart tetra eat?

A lesser bleeding heart tetra eats small flakes, micro pellets, and frozen foods such as daphnia or bloodworms.

How big does a lesser bleeding heart tetra get?

An adult lesser bleeding heart tetra reaches about 2.2 in (5.6 cm).

Does a lesser bleeding heart tetra need a group?

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

How does a lesser bleeding heart tetra breed?

Lesser bleeding heart tetras scatter their eggs and give no parental care. That is part of why they are rarely bred at home, and breeding them is hard.

Related species