All fish / Characidae

Bleeding heart tetra

Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma

Also known as bleeding heart tetra, bleeding-heart tetra, bleedingheart tetra, bleeding heart, red heart tetra, hyphessobrycon rubrostigma, bleeding hart tetra, ブリーディングハート・テトラ, 红心灯, 红心灯鱼

This is a deep-bodied, pinkish silver tetra with a bright red spot on each flank. Adult males grow a tall, sickle-shaped dorsal fin marked with black and white. People keep it because it is hardy, calm and looks striking in a planted community tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin in Peru, Colombia and Brazil

Breeding

It scatters its eggs over fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, ideally in soft, acidic water, and the parents will eat the eggs. Spawning in captivity is possible but not reliable, so most fish sold are farm bred.

Good to know

Males may spar with each other and the fish sometimes nip long fins, so avoid keeping them with bettas or angelfish that have long fins. Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus looks similar and is often mixed up with it.