Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

Common Names:

Lemon Tetra

Synonyms:

Family:

Characidae

Category:

Characins

Distribution:

America - South; Brazil, South America.

Main Ecosystem:

River; River

Temperament:

Schooling; Peaceful and inquisitive. Excellent for community tanks.

Diet:

Ominvore; Ominvore

Care:

Feed with good quality flakes to mantain colouring. Live foods really bring out the yellow in this fish. Change the tank water regularly. They may occasionally nip at fish with long fins. Also, lemon tetras will nip at each other to establish a social heirarchy. This behavior is usually observed after a new tetra has been added to the school, and it usually lasts for a week at most. Males will sometimes engage in mock 'battles', with no harm resulting. This tetra is very hardy, and is able to th

pH:

5.5 - 8

Temperature:

23°C - 28°C

73°F - 82°F

Hardness:

3 dH - 25 dH

Potential Size:

Male: 3.5cm (1.4")
Female: 3.5cm (1.4")

Water Region:

Middle; Middle

Activity:

Diurnal; Diurnal

Gender:

Mature females are fuller across the body than are males. In addition, males of this species have more black on their dorsal and anal fins than females. If you watch these fish closely, you will see that males often display at each other, in a head up posture. The most relaible gender diagnostic feature in non-breeding adults is the depth of the black anal find band: in females, this is a fine line, while in males it is much broader, in particularly fine specimens being almost a third of the dep

Breeding:

Has been bred, but the principal problem with this species is that it is an avid egg eater. An egg trap is vital if preserving eggs and fry is the objective. Males chase each other and females vigorously, frequently after being exposed to morning sunshine, which is a spawning stimulus for this species. Sometimes, best results obtained with 2 males to 1 female in breeding aquarium. Spawns can be large (400 plus eggs from a well-conditioned mature female). Condition breeders with live foods, espec

Variants:

The lemon tetra is available in an albino form, but because there is little demand for it this variation is not commonly seen in stores.

Comments:

These fish, like all tetras, are best kept in schools of six or more. Any fewer, and they may become nervous and stressed. The Lemon Tetra is a delightful Characin, and displays interesting behavior. In particular, males are very fun to watch. This tetra is very hardy and will thrive in just about any tank, regardless of water type.

Main Colours:

Clear, Yellow

Markings:

No Markings

Mouth:

Normal

Tail:

Forked

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Image Credit:

Submitted By:

Adam

Contributors:

sirbooks

History:

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