All fish / Characidae

Gold tetra

Hemigrammus rodwayi

Also known as golden tetra, brass tetra, rodway's tetra, gold tetra, golden brass tetra, ゴールデンテトラ, 金灯鱼, 金四间

This small tetra has a slim, silvery body. Wild fish often have a metallic gold sheen, a dark spot at the base of the tail and a reddish edge on the fins. People keep it because a shoal is lively and peaceful and suits planted community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Amazon basin in Brazil and Peru

Breeding

It scatters its eggs over fine-leaved plants or spawning mops and does not look after them, so the adults should be taken out after spawning. Spawning is fairly easy in soft, slightly acidic water. The tiny fry need infusoria at first.

Good to know

The gold shine comes from a skin reaction to trematode parasites in the wild, so tank-bred or long-kept fish often turn plain silver. This is harmless. Fish without the gold look a lot like other small Hemigrammus species.