Breeding Silvertip Tetra (Hasemania Nana) In The Aquarium

Location

This species lives in clear-water and black-water tributaries and streams in Brazil.

Body description

Colour of the body is silvery-yellow. There is horizontal, black stripe from the base of the tail to the end of the caudal fin. All fins are yellow-orange. The species doesn’t have the fat fin. Male is more colourful and thinner than female. His tips of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are white. Her tips of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are yellow. Colour of the male is copper during the spawning season. Female is more silvery compared to male.

Temperament and behaviour

This is peaceful, very active and shoal species. Fish prefers to live in a group of 6 minimum. Small group of the fish cause that the males can chase and dominate other species. You should keep these fish with tetras, danios, rasboras, small species of catfish, corydoras, gouramies, dwarf cichlids. This species is recommended for the beginner aquarists.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefers a spacious tanks. It may be a general or biotope aquarium. General tank should include sandy substrate, a lot of hiding-places among roots, plants, space to swim, dimmed light, floating plants and pieces of wood. "Black water" biotope tank should include roots, sandy substrate, dry leaves of oak or beech and some peat put in the filtration system. Plants aren’t necessary. The fish prefers oxygen-rich water with fast flow.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You should breed them in a separate tank with soft water, 28-30°C water temperature, pH=6.5-7.0, dimmed light, plants with soft and fine leaves or breeding mops or fish hatchery. The fish breed in the group or in pairs. If you choose to breed them within the group you need to transfer a group of the fish to the breeding tank and feed them with plenty of live food. If you want to breed them in pairs then you should separate males from females before spawning and feed them with plenty of live food. Then you transfer the most colourful male and the thickest female to the breeding tank in the evening. The fish should spawn in the morning. Female spreads sticky eggs. You should remove parents after spawning – they can eat the eggs and fry. The eggs hatch after 1-2 days. The fry starts to swim and feed 3-4 days later. The eggs and fry are sensitive to light in the initial period.