Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Fish profile

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

They are very peaceful, active, and occasionally playful fish. While males will frequently posture and flare their fins at one another to establish dominance, this rarely results in any physical injury. Their constant movement and sparkling scales make them a stunning visual addition to any planted community tank.

Diet

Omnivore

They are unfussy omnivores that readily accept a wide variety of aquarium foods. A high-quality micro-pellet or flake food should serve as their staple diet to ensure proper nutrition. To bring out their stunning iridescent scales, frequent feedings of live or frozen foods like brine shrimp and daphnia are highly recommended.

Sex ratio

School

Sexing adult Diamond Tetras is relatively straightforward; males are more intensely colored, possess significantly longer dorsal fins, and are generally slimmer than females. It is important to keep them in schools of at least six, preferably more, to encourage natural schooling behavior. A balanced sex ratio or a slight female majority works best to disperse male posturing.

Feeding frequency

Twice daily

Feeding them small amounts two times a day is the optimal routine. They are enthusiastic eaters that will quickly dart around the tank during feeding time, snatching food from the water column. Ensure that they consume everything offered within a few minutes to prevent excess food from decaying.

Bioload

The Diamond Tetra produces a relatively low bioload, typical of small to medium-sized characins. They are active schooling fish, so the cumulative waste of a large school must be accounted for when sizing the filter. Standard aquarium filtration and a consistent schedule of weekly water changes are perfectly adequate.

Flow

Stagnant

They originate from Lake Valencia and its surrounding slow-moving tributaries in Venezuela. They prefer a gentle to moderate water flow that provides adequate oxygenation without forcing them to constantly swim against a strong current. Utilizing a spray bar to diffuse the filter output creates a very comfortable environment.

Reproduction

Oviparous

They are egg scatterers that provide no parental care and will readily eat their own eggs. Breeding requires a separate, dimly lit tank with soft, slightly acidic water and plenty of fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop. The parents must be promptly removed the morning after spawning to protect the eggs.

Compatibility & tankmates

They are peaceful schooling fish that make excellent residents in a community aquarium. They do well with other similarly sized tetras, peaceful bottom dwellers like corydoras, and dwarf cichlids. Due to their relatively deep bodies, they can even be safely kept with some larger, mild-mannered cichlids that might eat smaller, slender tetras.

Tank level

Middle

They are highly active swimmers that predominantly occupy the middle and upper levels of the aquarium. They appreciate plenty of open swimming space in the center of the tank to display their schooling behavior. Dense planting around the perimeter will provide them with necessary cover and make them feel secure.