All fish / Characidae

Dawn tetra

Aphyocharax nattereri

Also known as dawn tetra, natterer's tetra, false bloodfin, aphyocharax natteri, ドーンテトラ, 娜氏细脂鲤

A small, slender silvery tetra with a warm golden sheen, reddish fin bases and white-tipped fins in males. It's lively and hardy, and looks best as a busy shoal in a planted community tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

54 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small flakes, micro pellets, frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Paraguay and Paraná basins and upper Amazon tributaries (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina)

Breeding

It scatters its eggs among fine-leaved plants and gives no parental care, so adults will eat the eggs. A separate breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water and a mesh or moss layer gives a fair chance of raising fry on infusoria.

Good to know

Males can be a little nippy with each other, so keep it in a decent-sized group. It's easily mixed up with the bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi), which has much stronger red fins.