Silvertip tetra

Geographic Origin and Biotope: São Francisco river basin (eastern Brazil). Clear but shady rivers (Whitewater/Clearwater), with strong flow among the gallery vegetation and the muddy or rocky bottom.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania nana). Small lively characin. Differs from most tetras in the absolute lack of the small adipose fin (on the back, before the tail). Compact torpedo body.

Social Behavior: Always on the move, snappy and often defined a bit of a "bully" if kept in small numbers. Males engage in fake circular fights for hierarchies. Schooling is mandatory (minimum 10 specimens).

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Color in copper and gold base. The name (Silver Tip) derives from the unmistakable pure white/silver dots, almost reflective, present on the tip of all fins and tail. Males turn a bright dark copper, females are yellowish and pot-bellied.

Aquarium Setup: Standard 80-100 cm (32-40 inches) tank. Loves the intersection between dense plant forests (Hygrophila) in the center/back of the tank and endless free spaces on the front where to swim frantically. The water must be kept moving by a small pump.

Diet and Feeding: Not picky at all (Omnivorous micro-predator). Throws itself fiercely on flakes, freeze-dried brine shrimp and bloodworms, sweeping the food from the surface, but struggles to feed from the bottom.

Water Quality: Very tolerant of hardness and pH, it can withstand even pH 7.5 and hardness above 15 GH without losing its coloring, which makes it perfect for tap water, provided good changes are made.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Ideal companion for large Corydoras (Sterbai) and tough cleaners. Must NOT be paired with Discus or Angelfish: its frantic swimming terrifies Discus and it will arrogantly nip Angelfish fins.

Aquarium Reproduction: Randomly scatters eggs in the mossy substrate without caring for them and, if not separated, eats the caviar back instantly. Very easy to breed by isolating 2 males and 1 swollen female in a net tank.

Risks and Diseases: Repressed aggression from limited schooling. If bought in small groups of 3 or 4 fish, they will dedicate themselves to decimating and skinning the fins of all the slower tankmates until they die of stress.