TankBud

Red phantom tetra

Hyphessobrycon sweglesi

Also known as Megalamphodus sweglesi

FreshwaterFish

Red phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon sweglesi)
Tsunamicarlos at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
15 gal
55 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg scatterer · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Characidae
Origin
Venezuela, Colombia

Overview

The red phantom tetra is a small, peaceful schooling fish for a planted community tank. It is an easy fish to keep.

Did you know

Male red phantom tetras spar by flaring their fins at each other in a mock display. It sorts out the pecking order without real damage. The sparring shows most when a school is well fed and settled.

Caring for the red phantom tetra

Keep red phantom tetras in a planted tank with open room to swim. A small school needs 15 gal (55 L) or more. Dim, shaded light suits them, and some leaf litter or driftwood will tint the water.

Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5, toward the lower side. Use gentle filtration. Feed small foods such as quality flake and micro pellets, with the occasional frozen or live treat like daphnia or brine shrimp.

Red phantom tetras are peaceful schooling fish, so keep at least six. They color up and behave better in a bigger group, and they do well with other small, calm species.

Males show a deeper red, while females lean toward a softer orange-red and often carry a small dark fin marking. They are egg scatterers with no parental care, and breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

Hyphessobrycon sweglesi is a small characin in the family Characidae. Its species name honors Kyle Swegles, who helped bring the fish into the hobby in the 1950s. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, and it usually lives around 3 to 5 years in a stable tank.

In the wild

Red phantom tetras come from the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. They live in slow blackwater streams shaded by heavy plant growth. The water is soft and acidic, stained brown with tannins from the leaf litter and wood on the bottom.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The red phantom 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 red phantom tetra need?

A red phantom tetra needs at least 15 gal (55 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a red phantom tetra need?

A red phantom tetra is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

What does a red phantom tetra eat?

A red phantom tetra eats small foods such as quality flake and micro pellets. Give it the occasional frozen or live treat as well, like daphnia or brine shrimp.

How big does a red phantom tetra get?

An adult red phantom tetra reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

Does a red phantom tetra need a group?

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

How can you tell a male red phantom tetra from a female?

Males show a deeper red. Females lean toward a softer orange-red and often carry a small dark fin marking.

How does a red phantom tetra breed?

Red phantom tetras are egg scatterers and give no parental care. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Related species