TankBud

Splash tetra

Copella arnoldi

FreshwaterFish

Splash tetra (Copella arnoldi)
Zikamoi · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
18 gal
70 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Lebiasinidae
Origin
Brazil

Overview

The splash tetra is a mostly peaceful shoaling fish for a calm, planted tank. It is an easy fish to keep.

Did you know

The splash tetra is best known for spawning out of the water, which is rare among fish. Eggs laid out of the water stay safe from underwater predators.

Caring for the splash tetra

Keep splash tetras in a group of six or more, in a calm, well planted tank of at least 18 gal (70 L). Add floating cover and keep the water level a bit lower, so there is air space above. They spend time right at the surface and will jump, so a tight lid matters.

Give them soft, acidic water at 68 to 82°F (20 to 28°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. In the wild they eat insects and larvae. Feed floating flakes, small pellets and surface foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae. Splash tetras are mostly peaceful and safe with other community fish.

A spawning pair leaps out of the water together and presses against an overhanging leaf or other surface. The female lays her eggs there, above the waterline. The male stays below and flicks water up with his tail to keep the eggs wet until they hatch. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The splash tetra belongs to the family Lebiasinidae, the pencilfish family. It is a widely available species with stable wild populations.

In the wild

Splash tetras live in shallow, slow water in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. These include small streams and flooded forest with leaf litter and surface plants. The water is clear, soft and slightly acidic.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The splash tetra is a mostly peaceful, shoaling 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 splash tetra need?

A splash tetra needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a splash tetra need?

A splash tetra is comfortable at 68–82°F (20–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a splash tetra eat?

A splash tetra eats insects and larvae in the wild. In the tank, feed it floating flakes, small pellets and surface foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae.

How big does a splash tetra get?

An adult splash tetra reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

Does a splash tetra need a group?

Yes. A splash tetra is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a splash tetra breed?

Splash tetras spawn out of the water, and breeding them is hard. A pair leaps up against an overhanging leaf, where the female lays her eggs above the waterline. The male then splashes them with his tail to keep them wet until they hatch.

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