Rainbow emperor tetra

Care at a glance

Overview

The rainbow emperor tetra is a mostly peaceful schooling fish for a soft-water community tank. It is best with a little experience.

Caring for the rainbow emperor tetra

Keep rainbow emperor tetras in a group of six or more, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or larger. Give them soft, gently flowing water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. A dark substrate brings out their color, and the males need room to show off their fin display.

They keep to the middle of the tank in loose groups and are mostly peaceful toward other fish. Dominant males set up small territories and spar with each other, so keep a couple more females than males.

Males glow with green, blue and gold, and they grow long central tail rays and flowing fin extensions. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Nematobrycon lacortei is a close relative of the more familiar emperor tetra, in the family Characidae. Its rainbow sheen helps set it apart from that fish.

In the wild

Rainbow emperor tetras come from clear and slightly tannin-stained forest streams in western Colombia, in the Rio San Juan drainage. These are gentle, shaded waters with sandy bottoms, leaf litter and plenty of submerged wood and roots.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Emperor tetra

  Nematobrycon palmeri

  2 in (5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Blue tetra

  Knodus borki

  2 in (5 cm) · 22 gal (85 L)

  2 in (5 cm)22 gal (85 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Glass tetra

  Moenkhausia oligolepis

  2 in (5 cm) · 18 gal (70 L)

  2 in (5 cm)18 gal (70 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Green fire tetra

  Aphyocharax rathbuni

  2 in (5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)

• 

  Bloodfin tetra

  Aphyocharax anisitsi

  2.2 in (5.5 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Serpae tetra

  Hyphessobrycon eques

  1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 17 gal (65 L)

  1.8 in (4.5 cm)17 gal (65 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)