All fish / Lebiasinidae

Carsevenne Copella

Copella carsevennensis

Also known as copella arnoldi, splash tetra, copeina carsevennensis, carsevenne tetra, spraying characin

This is a slim, pencil-shaped lebiasinid with a brownish body. Males have reddish fins and a dark spot on the dorsal fin. Keepers like it as a calm surface fish for soft-water tanks with floating plants, and it turns up now and then mixed in with wild shipments from the Guianas.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Group of 6 or more

Diet

Carnivore: small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp, plus good quality flakes

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Coastal rivers of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Amapá, Brazil

Breeding

It was split from the splash tetra (C. arnoldi) partly because it is reported to lay its eggs among submerged plants, where C. arnoldi lays them above the waterline. It breeds fairly readily in soft, acidic water with fine-leaved plants, but the parents should be removed after spawning.

Good to know

It jumps well, so use a tight-fitting lid. Its status is disputed: some authors treat it as the same species as C. arnoldi, and fish sold under either name are easily confused.