Tambopata glass tetra

Tyttocharax tambopatensis

Also known as Sailfin glass tetra, Blue tiny tetra

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 0.7 in (1.9 cm)
Minimum tank: 5 gal (20 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Tambopata drainage, Madre de Dios, Peru
Family: Characidae

Overview

This is one of the smallest tetras in the hobby, barely two centimeters long and nearly see-through, so it needs a peaceful, finely tuned tank of its own. Keep it as a school of at least eight in a mature, stable nano aquarium with soft, gently acidic water and no larger or boisterous tankmates that would bully or outcompete it. It swims in the middle and lower water and feeds on very small foods, so offer micro-pellets, crushed flake, baby brine shrimp, and other tiny live and frozen items several times a week. A tank of around 20 liters can hold a good school of these motes.

In the wild

Tyttocharax tambopatensis lives in clear forest creeks of the Tambopata drainage in Madre de Dios, Peru, warm, soft, gently flowing water shaded by forest. Recreate that with 23 to 27 degrees Celsius and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, kept soft and very clean. A planted tank with fine-leaved plants, some leaf litter, and gentle filtration suits a fish this small, which cannot cope with rough water or heavy current.

Good to know

This is a characin of the family Characidae and a true miniature, maturing at under two centimeters, which still makes it the largest member of its genus. It was described in 1995 from the Tambopata River. Males grow deeper-bodied than females and carry more developed fins, the basis for the sailfin name it sometimes trades under. No captive breeding has been recorded.

Did you know

Its genus name, Tyttocharax, means tiny charax, and the fish lives up to it. An adult barely reaches two centimeters, small enough that a whole school can live in a tank most fish would find cramped.

Tank mates

Tambopata glass tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.