Breeding Bleeding Heart Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Erythrostigma) In The Aquarium

Location

This fish lives in the mainstream of the Upper Amazon and its tributaries and streams with "black waters" in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

Body description

Body of the fish is a laterally compressed. Colour of the body is gold-pink with whitish lower part of the body. There are red spots behind the gills cover (heart-shaped) and on the base of the tail. Sometimes there is a red, narrow stripe stretching along the lateral line up to the tail. All fins are clear with white border. The dorsal and anal fins have a black dot. Fish has visible fat fin. This species is often confused with Hyphessobrycon socolofi and Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus. First one is smaller (up to 5 cm) and its lower part of the body is more red. Second one has less visible spot behind the gills cover and it has wider red stripe stretching along the lateral line than the bleeding heart tetra. Male is more colourful and he has first rays of the dorsal and anal fins longer than female.

Temperament and behaviour

This is peaceful, active, and shoal fish. Fish prefers to live in a group of 6 minimum. In the group males have brighter colors. In too small group fish can be shy or aggressive towards other residents, especially towards fish with long, flowing fins. This species should be kept with other tetras, danios, rasboras, corydoras, gouramies, small species of catfish and dwarf cichlids.

Aquarium decoration

You may keep this species in a general or "black water" biotope tank. The general aquarium should have a lot of plants, space to swim, dimmed light (floating plants), dark decorative elements, dark substrate, hiding-places. The biotope tank should have dimmed light, dark sandy substrate, floating pieces of wood, twisted branches, dried leaves of beech or oak which need to be changed every few weeks. Water should have colour of "light tea" - you may add peat to a filtration system or you may put it to a net and dive it in the water. It is necessary to cover the tank because this fish may jump out of the aquarium, clear water and substrate, partial water changes – up to 50% - should be made once a week. Fish are sensitive to sudden fluctuation of water parameters. They seem to be getting velvet disease quite often.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. Breeding should be made in a separate tank. Tank should be covered to stop light getting to the water and all light sources should be off all the time because the eggs and young fry are sensitive to light. Breeding aquarium should have soft water, pH=5,5-6,5, 27-30°C temperature, sponge filter with peat, soft and fine-leaved plants or a fish hatchery. Before spawning you should separate males from females and feed them with plenty of food. The thickest female and most colourful male should be transferred to the breeding tank, in the evening. They should spawn next day, in the morning. The fish will spawn every few days but male's capabilities in eggs fertilization will be gradually decreasing. You have to immediately remove the parents after spawning because they eat the eggs. The eggs hatch after 1-1.5 days. The fry start to swim and feed 3-4 days later. You should make a partial water changes (about 1/3) every day.