All fish / Characidae

Cachimbo Tetra

Hyphessobrycon cachimbensis

Also known as cachimbo tetra, hyphessobrycon cachimbensis, cachimbensis tetra

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A small, deep-bodied tetra from the upper Tapajós drainage. It has a silvery body, a dark shoulder spot and reddish tints in the fins. Keepers like it as a peaceful, active shoaling fish for planted community tanks and Amazon biotopes.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.2

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil: upper Tapajós basin (Rio Cachimbo area, Pará)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that spawns among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops and gives no parental care. Breeding in soft, slightly acidic water is fairly easy, but take the adults out afterwards because they will eat the eggs.

Good to know

It is rarely sold, and fish offered under this name may be mislabelled look-alikes from the Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus or rosy tetra groups. Keep it with calm tankmates of a similar size.