Royal tetra

Inpaichthys kerri

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.5
Adult size: 1.4 in (3.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Brazil
Family: Characidae

Overview

Keep them in a group of six or more in a tank of around 55 liters, where they stay active in the middle levels. They are peaceful and do well in a calm community with other small, gentle fish. Feed quality flake or micro-pellets plus occasional live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. They want soft, slightly acidic to neutral water, pH about 5.5 to 7.5, and temperatures in the mid 20s C.

In the wild

Royal tetras are found in the Brazilian Amazon, including the Rio Aripuana drainage. They favor slow or still water over soft, sandy or muddy bottoms, shaded by dense forest canopy that keeps the light low and the water soft and slightly acidic. A planted tank with subdued lighting, fine substrate, and some driftwood gives them what they are used to. Tannin-stained water is a bonus, not a requirement.

Good to know

This characin in the family Characidae is small, reaching about 3.5 cm. The body carries an iridescent blue to violet sheen with a dark lateral stripe, and males tend to show stronger color. They are egg scatterers that spawn among plants and give no parental care. They are not listed as threatened, though Amazon habitat loss is a background concern.

Did you know

Royal tetras are often confused with the emperor tetra at a glance, but they have an adipose fin (the small fin between the dorsal and tail) that the emperor tetra lacks. That little fin is a quick way to tell the two apart in a mixed shop tank.