Ember Tetra

Scientific name: Hyphessobrycon amandae

Adult size: about 2 cm

Origin: Rio das Mortes, Araguaia drainage, central Brazil

Water: 20–28 °C, pH 5.0–7.0, 1–10 dGH

Group: 8–10 or more

Diet: micropredator, tiny live, frozen and dried foods

Temperament: very peaceful, schooling

The ember tetra is a tiny, warm orange-red fish that tops out at around 2 cm, which puts it among the smallest tetras available. It comes from the Rio das Mortes system in the Araguaia drainage of central Brazil, a region of slow, plant-choked backwaters. Colour deepens noticeably over a dark substrate and among dense planting, and washes out over bright gravel or in a bare tank. Like most small tetras it is a schooling species, staying in a loose group for security, and it only behaves naturally when kept in numbers, so plan on eight to ten as a minimum. It is very peaceful and, according to Seriously Fish, does not normally hunt the fry of other fish. In nature it is a micropredator, meaning it picks tiny invertebrates from the water, so it appreciates small live and frozen foods rather than a diet of flake alone. A quiet, well-planted tank with other small, calm fish shows it off best.

Water: 20–28 °C and pH 5.0–7.0, hardness 1–10 dGH, so soft and slightly acidic. It copes with a broad temperature band but benefits from stable, clean water and regular partial water changes.

Tank and planting: densely planted, with floating plants to soften the light and a dark substrate. Driftwood and leaf litter add tannins, the tea-coloured compounds that mimic its home streams.

Feeding: daily meals of small live or frozen food such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia or grindal worm, with a fine-grade dried food as backup. Crush flake so it fits the tiny mouth.