Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Fish profile

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

They exhibit a gregarious and peaceful social behavior, making it essential to keep them in groups of at least 6-8 specimens. They spend almost all of their time immediately below the water surface, where they feel secure among the floating vegetation. They show a shy nature that requires a quiet environment to display their natural behaviors.

Diet

Omnivore

As specialized micropredators that hunt near the surface, they prefer small insects and larvae. In captivity, their diet should consist of small live or frozen foods such as drosophila (fruit flies), newly hatched brine shrimp, and daphnia. They also accept dry food in flakes or floating micro-granules, provided the size is appropriate for their very small mouths.

Sex ratio

Group

It is best to keep splash tetras in groups with a ratio favoring females, ideally two to three females for every male. The males spend significant energy displaying and attempting to coax females into participating in their unique jumping spawning ritual. Having multiple females ensures that the male's relentless courting behavior is dispersed, preventing any single female from becoming overly stressed or exhausted. In a suitably large tank, a larger mixed-sex group can be kept to observe fascinating social dynamics.

Feeding frequency

Twice daily

They require feeding once or twice daily with minimal amounts that they can consume quickly. Because they have small stomachs and a fast metabolism, frequent but small feedings are preferable to a single large meal. Care must be taken to ensure that the food does not sink quickly to the bottom, where it would be ignored.

Bioload

The splash tetra has a very low bioload, consistent with its small size and modest dietary requirements. They are micro-predators that feed on small insects and zooplankton, meaning they require only small amounts of food in captivity. Standard biological and mechanical filtration, along with regular water maintenance, easily manages their waste output. Overfeeding should be avoided, as decaying food will pollute the water much faster than the fish themselves.

Flow

Stagnant

They prefer waters with weak or almost no current, favoring calm areas of the aquarium rich in plants. Excessive flow would force them into continuous physical effort that could eventually weaken them. The inclusion of floating plants is optimal both for shading the light and damping the flow of surface filters.

Reproduction

Oviparous

This species is famous for its extraordinary method of reproduction out of the water. The pair jumps in unison out of the tank to adhere to the underside of an overhanging leaf, where they lay and fertilize the eggs within seconds. The male remains beneath the leaf and, vigorously moving his tail, constantly splashes water onto the eggs to keep them moist until they hatch.

Compatibility & tankmates

They are extremely peaceful and shy fish that must be kept in dedicated aquariums or with very quiet tankmates. Ideal companions are other small characins, pencilfish, dwarf Corydoras, and small loricariids. It is absolutely mandatory to have a tightly fitting lid on the tank, given their exceptional propensity to jump.

Tank level

Middle/Bottom

Surface