Silvertip tetra

Water parameters

Tolerated range for this species. Aim for the middle of each band rather than the extremes.

Tank and habitat

Substrate: any.

Behavior

Plant interaction: plant safe.

Feeding

Omnivore that eats anything: flake, pellets, frozen bloodworm, frozen brine shrimp, frozen daphnia, live food. Feeds in the midwater and upper water column. Active feeder that gets its share in community tanks. Feed twice daily. Color improves with a varied diet.

Compatibility

• Active, slightly assertive tetra. Similar temperament to bloodfin tetras: peaceful in large groups, nippy in small ones. Groups of 8+ are recommended.
• Good with other active community fish: barbs, danios, rainbowfish, and larger tetras. Avoid delicate, slow, or long-finned species.
• The white-tipped fins are the visual highlight. In a large school against a dark background, the coordinated movement of white fin tips is eye-catching.
• Hardy and tolerant of a range of conditions. A good tetra for beginners who want something slightly different from neons.

Origin and habitat

Restricted to the São Francisco River basin in Minas Gerais, eastern Brazil. Found in small tributaries with acidic blackwater conditions. Described by Lütken in 1875. Also called the copper tetra for its warm bronzy coloration. Now placed in the family Acestrorhamphidae (formerly Characidae) following recent phylogenomic revision. The genus Hasemania is one of the few tetra genera whose members lack an adipose fin. Males display a vivid copper to golden-orange body color with bright white or silver tips on all fins; females are paler, more yellowish-brown to silver. The recorded maximum is 3.8 cm standard length; total length can reach about 5 cm. Can be somewhat nippy, particularly during spawning; males establish a pecking order and may target slower or long-finned tankmates. All trade specimens are captive bred; it is one of the most widely available and beginner-friendly tetras. Lifespan can reach 10 years. IUCN Least Concern.

Breeding

Egg scatterer. Condition pairs with frozen food for a week. Breeding tank with fine-leaved plants, soft to moderately hard water, temperature at 25–27°C. Spawning at dawn. The pair scatters 200-300 eggs among plants. Adults eat eggs; remove after spawning. Eggs hatch in 24-30 hours. Fry take baby brine shrimp within 3-4 days. Growth is moderate. Breeding is simple and follows standard tetra procedures.

Common problems

Hardy with few health issues. Nipping in small groups is the behavioral concern; solved by keeping 8+. Ich in new arrivals responds to standard treatment. Color fading under poor lighting or on pale substrate is a cosmetic issue, not a health one. Dark substrate and warm lighting bring out the copper-orange body and white fin tips. Lifespan is 4-6 years.

Bioload

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size