All fish / Acestrorhamphidae

Minor tetra

Hyphessobrycon minor

Also known as minor tetra, guyana tetra

This is a small, slim tetra from Guyana, described in 1909, with a silvery body and faint reddish tones in the fins. It is rarely seen in the hobby and is mainly kept by specialists who collect wild South American characins, where it suits a quiet, planted soft-water tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

54 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Guyana (Essequibo and Potaro river basins)

Breeding

Like most Hyphessobrycon, it is thought to scatter its eggs among fine plants and give no parental care. There are few or no reliable reports of captive breeding, but soft, acidic water and a separate spawning tank should give the best chance.

Good to know

The trade name 'minor tetra' is very often used for the serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques, once called H. callistus or H. minor), which is a different fish and nips fins, so check the identity of the fish before buying. Taxonomists are still unsure about this species, and it may turn out to be the same as Hemigrammus analis.