All fish / Characidae

Firehead Tetra

Petitella bleheri

Also known as rummy nose tetra, rummynose tetra, rummy-nose tetra, firehead tetra, bleher's rummy nose, brilliant rummy nose, hemigrammus bleheri, petitella bleheri, rummy nose, rummynose, ปลาจมูกแดง, ปลารัมมี่โนส

This slim silver tetra has a bright red head and black and white bands on the tail fin. Kept in a large group it swims in a tight, eye-catching shoal, and many keepers use its red head as a handy sign of good water quality, since the colour fades when the fish is stressed.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

5 to 7

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 10 or more

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Rio Negro and Rio Meta basins, Brazil and Colombia

Breeding

It scatters eggs over fine-leaved plants in soft, acidic water and gives no parental care. Spawning in captivity is fairly difficult because the eggs and fry need very soft, clean water, so most fish on sale are wild caught or commercially farmed.

Good to know

It is sensitive to nitrate build-up and poorly suited to new tanks. Two look-alikes, Hemigrammus rhodostomus and Petitella georgiae, are often sold under the same rummy nose name.