All fish / Characidae

Flag Tetra

Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus

Also known as flag tetra, false ulreyi tetra, three-lined tetra, tricolour tetra, ulreyi tetra, フラッグテトラ, 旗灯鱼, 三色灯

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A slim, silvery tetra with a lengthwise stripe in three colours: red at the top, then a thin pale line, then black underneath. It is peaceful and hardy, and looks its best in a large shoal in a planted tank with dark substrate and soft light.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: small flakes and granules, frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lower Amazon basin in Brazil, including the Tocantins and Xingu areas

Breeding

It scatters eggs among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops and gives no parental care, so the adults will eat the eggs if left in. It is fairly easy to breed in soft, acidic water in a separate tank, and the tiny fry need infusoria first.

Good to know

It is often confused with Hyphessobrycon amandae's relatives and with the rarer true Ulrey's tetra, Hemigrammus ulreyi, which has a similar stripe. Keep it in a group, because single fish get timid and may nip fins.