All fish / Characidae

Lemon Tetra

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

Also known as lemon tetra, yellow tetra, lemon, hyphessobrycon lemon, ปลาเตตร้าเลมอน, レモンテトラ, 柠檬灯, 柠檬灯鱼

A small, deep-bodied tetra with a pale lemon-yellow body, a bright red upper eye and black-edged yellow fins on the dorsal and anal fins. It is kept because it is hardy, peaceful and shows its best colour in a well-planted tank with a decent-sized group.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil (Tapajós and Tocantins basins)

Breeding

It scatters eggs among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops and gives no parental care, so adults will eat the eggs. Breeding is fairly easy in soft, slightly acidic water if the parents are removed after spawning and the fry are first fed infusoria.

Good to know

Colours fade in bare tanks or when the fish are stressed, so keep it with plants, dark substrate and peaceful tankmates. Males show the boldest fin markings and will spar with each other but do no real harm.