From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Splash Tetra
Copella arnoldi
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
- pH
- 4 – 7.5
- Min. tank size
- 81 L
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Copella arnoldi |
| Family: | Lebiasinidae |
| Origin: | South America (Amazon basin, blackwater margins) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 5.50 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 8+ together |
| Varieties: | No cultivated strains — this is a wild-type fish, and its appeal is entirely behavioural. Some geographic variation in colour exists across a range covering the Guianas, the lower Amazon and the Orinoco. The genus contains several similar fish, and they are frequently mixed in shipments and sold under this name. Copella nattereri, the spotted or beautiful copella, is prettier and does not show the out-of-water spawning. Copella meinkeni and C. vilmae also appear. Only C. arnoldi has the full leaping-spawn behaviour developed to this degree, so a keeper buying specifically for that should check the identification carefully. The related genera Pyrrhulina and Nannostomus belong to the same family, Lebiasinidae, and the pencilfish in particular make natural companions in a quiet South American tank — they use the mid-water while the splash tetra holds the surface. |
| Lifespan: | 3-5 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low
- Min Tank:81 L
- Substrate:Dark substrate; floating plants, overhanging cover and a tight lid
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Low to moderate (gentle flow)
Splash Tetra (Copella arnoldi) is a species of fish in the family Lebiasinidae. It is native to South America (Amazon basin, blackwater margins). The splash tetra does something no other aquarium fish does: it lays its eggs out of the water. A pair leaps together from the surface, clings to an overhanging leaf with the pelvic fins for a second or two, deposits a few eggs on the underside, and drops back. They repeat until a clutch of up to a hundred eggs is stuck to a leaf above the waterline, entirely out of reach of every predator in the river. The male then stays below and splashes water onto them with his tail, roughly every minute, for 36 to 72 hours until they hatch and the fry fall in. The fish itself is a modest 55 mm surface-dwelling characin. The behaviour is the reason to keep it.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 8+
- Swims
- top
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Splash Tetra
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