From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Ember Tetra
Hyphessobrycon amandae
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
- pH
- 5 – 7
- Min. tank size
- 40 L
- Lifespan
- 2-4 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- easy
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Hyphessobrycon amandae |
| Family: | Acestrorhamphidae |
| Origin: | Brazil (Araguaia river basin) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | easy |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 2.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 8+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains, and that is worth noting for a fish this popular — there is no albino, no long-finned form and no colour selection in general circulation. Some suppliers advertise selected lines for deeper red, and captive-bred fish from good breeders are noticeably more intensely coloured than mass-market stock, but nothing is established as a named strain. Natural variation exists, and colour varies enormously with condition, diet, lighting and substrate — the same fish looks like two different species over pale gravel and over dark sand. Almost all embers in the trade are captive-bred, and they are hardy and adaptable. Two similar fish are sold alongside it. The red or fire neon rasbora (Boraras species) is a different family entirely at a similar size and colour, and the phoenix and chili rasboras are the usual alternatives suggested. Among characins, the flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) is a larger relative with orange-red in the rear half of the body rather than throughout. If you want a genuine dense orange shoal, the answer is more ember tetras rather than a different fish. |
| Lifespan: | 2-4 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low
- Min Tank:40 L
- Substrate:Dark sand; densely planted with botanicals
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Low (gentle flow)
Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) is a species of fish in the family Acestrorhamphidae. It is native to Brazil (Araguaia river basin). The ember tetra is 20 mm of glowing orange, and one of the best small fish in the hobby for a planted tank. It comes from the Araguaia drainage in Brazil, living in minor tributaries, backwaters and oxbow lakes rather than main river channels — soft, weakly acidic water over a substrate of fallen leaves and branches. That habitat is the whole recipe for keeping it well. The colour is a translucent orange-red that intensifies with condition and against a dark background; the eye often mirrors the body colour and is outlined in black. The name honours Amanda Bleher, mother of the fish explorer Heiko Bleher. It is peaceful, undemanding and cheap, and the one thing it needs that people skimp on is numbers — the recommended purchase is eight to ten, because the fish are less shy and show more interesting behaviour in a proper group.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 8+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Ember Tetra
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