Colombian Tetra
Scientific Name : Hyphessobrycon colombianus
Common Names : Red and Blue Colombian Tetra, Red Tail Mirror Blue Tetra
Colombian Tetra Care Level : Easy to Medium
Size : Up to 2 inches (5 cm)
pH : 6 – 7
Temperature : 75°F – 80°F (24°C – 27°C)
Water Hardness : 6° to 15° dH
Lifespan : 3 – 5 years
Origin / Habitat : Colombia, South America
Temperament / Behavior : Keep them in small school (shoal) of 6 or more. They can be an aggressive tetra, so avoid keeping them with fish that have larger fins to avoid fin nipping. They may also bully smaller tank mates.
Breeding / Mating / Reproduction : They can be difficult to breed in the home aquarium. They are egg layers.
Tank Size : 20 gallon or larger.
Compatible Tank Mates : Similar semi-aggressive tetras and fish that can take fo themselves since this fish can be a bully.
Colombian Tetra Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease
Diet / Fish Food : Not picky eaters, they should accept flake, frozen, freeze dried and live food.
Tank Region : Mostly middle and bottom.
Gender : Hard to tell the difference between male and female from any visible signs. Females may bulge with eggs when ready to spawn.
The Red Colombian Tetra is a relatively recent addition to the list of aquarium specimens available for sale. They are a somewhat larger tetra than can be semi-aggressive with smaller tank mates and may fin nip fish with larger fins. They do really well in schools (shoal) of 6 or more and may be behave better if kept in schools. They come from Colombia, South America – hence the common name.
It is difficult to determine the difference between male Colombian Tetras and females by visible signs, but the female should appear slightly thicker when swelling with eggs.
The Colombian Tetra should accept common aquarium foods such as flake, frozen and freeze dried foods. They are not picky.
It’s always a good idea to quarantine your Colombian Tetras before introducing them to your main tank so that you can monitor them for disease and also provide them with optimal water conditions and no competition from other tank mates for fish food.
