Emperor Tetra

Special offer 10 for £20.00
This discount will be applied automatically at checkout.

Emperor Tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri) are a species of Tetra native to the Atrato and San Juan River Basins in Colombia, South America.

These fish exhibit a bold black stripe contrasted upon a shimmering silver background.

Habitat

In the wild, Emperor Tetras make their homes in forest streams Atrato and San Juan River Basin. These water systems contain plenty of vegetation and driftwood.

Empror Tetras are a gregarious shoaling fish. 

Male specimens of this species are larger and display much longer flowing fins. The Male's fins are also accented with a vibrant yellow streak that is either reduced or completely absent in the Females.

It is worth noting that Males have blue eyes whereas Females have green.

A comfortable temperature for these fish is between 23°C - 27°C.

Size

Our specimens currently measure approx. 3cm - 4cm

This species' maximum size typically reaches approx. 5cm

Aquarium

We recommend an aquarium with a minimum capacity of 60 Litres. The more fish you have, the more space they will require in which to thrive.

These are very peaceful fish that do well in a community aquarium with other fish of similar size and temperament. 

Emperor Tetras thrive when in a group of at least 6 fish as they are a shoaling fish, and more members of the shoal make them feeler safer and behave with more confidence.

The aquarium should be well planted, and have some floating plants for them to hide in. They also enjoy bog wood and other natural features to explore.

They tend to look best in a properly aquascaped tank, where their shoaling behaviour and vibrant colours make a beautiful centre piece. Group them with other peaceful colourful Tetra species to provide a stunning contrast.

The tank should be well established to avoid any surprise changes in water parameters that may upset or be otherwise detrimental to the fish.

Feed with small flake, granules, or small frozen meaty foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae.

pH levels should fall between the 5.5 - 7.5 range.
Hardness should fall between 1 - 18 dGH

Behaviour

This peaceful fish gets along with most species of similar size. As with most tetras, they look more impressive the bigger their shoal is. Do not put them with larger and more aggressive species as they are liable to be bullied or eaten.

If you have more than one Male specimen, they are likely to bicker for territory and the affections of the Females. This is behaviour is reduced if you give them plenty of space in their aquarium, and if you ensure that you have more Females than Males at an approximate ration of 3:1. No actual harm will come as a result of these displays.

This is a freshwater species - Do not put them in a marine / saltwater aquarium.