TankBud

Spot-tail tetra

Brycinus imberi

FreshwaterFish

Spot-tail tetra (Brycinus imberi)
Mahomed Desai · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
65 gal
245 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Alestidae
Origin
Africa

Overview

The spot-tail tetra is a large, fast-moving African tetra for the middle of a big, long tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Under its many local names, the spot-tail tetra supports small food fisheries across much of Africa. It is one of the giants of the African tetra family, several times the length of the little tetras in most home tanks.

Caring for the spot-tail tetra

Give the spot-tail tetra a long tank of at least 65 gal (245 L), and more length is always better. Open swimming space matters more than heavy planting for this active fish. A sandy bed, some driftwood and hardy plants around the edges frame the tank.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 and moderate hardness. As a river fish, it likes strong, well-oxygenated flow, so give it brisk current from strong filtration. Feed a varied diet of sinking and floating dried foods, with frozen and live items such as insect larvae and prawn.

The spot-tail tetra is social and does fine alone or in a group, and it swims in the middle of the tank. It is mostly peaceful but will eat much smaller fish, so choose robust tank mates of a similar size rather than tiny species. It has no established record of breeding in home aquariums. It is presumed to be an open-water egg scatterer like its relatives.

Good to know

The spot-tail tetra belongs to Alestidae, the African tetra family. It is a silvery, streamlined fish named for the dark blotch at the base of its tail.

In the wild

The spot-tail tetra is widespread across sub-Saharan Africa. Its range runs from West African rivers through the Congo basin to the Zambezi and the great lakes of the east. It lives in flowing rivers and lake margins, often in open, moving water.

Common questions

What size tank does a spot-tail tetra need?

A spot-tail tetra needs at least 65 gal (245 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a spot-tail tetra need?

A spot-tail tetra is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a spot-tail tetra eat?

A spot-tail tetra eats a varied diet of sinking and floating dried foods. Add frozen and live items, such as insect larvae and prawn.

How big does a spot-tail tetra get?

An adult spot-tail tetra reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

How does a spot-tail tetra breed?

The spot-tail tetra is presumed to be an open-water egg scatterer like its relatives. There is no established record of it breeding in home aquariums.

Related species