Breeding Pretty Tetra (Hemigrammus Pulcher) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in slow-flowing reservoirs, floodplains and tributaries in Amazon forest.

Body description

Colour of the body is gray-olive-pinkish with shine. There is a not complete, dark stripe along the lateral line. This stripe ends with black wedge. There is also an opalescent, light, irregular dot above the wedge stripe. Iris of the eye is red in the upper part. Female is larger and thicker than male. She has rounded swim bladder which is clearly visible through her transparent skin.

Temperament and behaviour

This is timid and shy species when it is in small group. It is active and lively in the large shoal. This fish swims at the all water levels in the aquarium. It is hard and easy fish.

Aquarium decoration

You can keep these fish in "black water" biotope aquarium or a general tank. Biotope aquarium should have sandy substrate, roots, branches, twigs, dry leaves of oak or beech (you should replace them every few weeks), peat (you may add it to a filtration system or you may put it in a net and immerse it in the water), dimmed light, floating plants. You must let the fish in to the chemically stable water which has all the water parameters stable. The general tank should have plants at the back, space to swim and dark substrate. You should keep these fish with peaceful and similar size species.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. You should breed these fish in a separate aquarium. Breeding tank should have soft water with slightly acidic pH and a bit higher temperature, dimmed light or without light, fine-leaved floating plants or fish hatchery, gentle but effective filtration system. You should separate males from females before spawning and you should feed them with plenty of live food. You transfer selected pair of the fish (the thickest female and the most colourful male) in the breeding tank in the evening. The fish should spawn next day in the morning, after intense courtships. You should immediately remove the parents after spawning. The eggs hatch after 1 day. The fry starts to swim and feed 3 days later. The roe and fry are sensitive to light and water quality.