Lemon Tetra

• ExerciseModerate

  An active swimmer that appreciates open swimming space.

• GroomingRoutine tank care

  Weekly partial water changes keep them in top shape.

• Living spaceNano-tank friendly

  Happy in a small, stable, well-filtered tank.

• Owner experienceSome experience helps

  A little know-how makes life smoother.

• Commitment5–8 years

  Plan for a long, loving relationship.

Health to watch: Ich (white spot) · Fin rot · Swim bladder disorder

The Lemon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) comes from the Tapajos basin in Brazil and reaches about 4 to 5 cm. Shop fish often look pale and colourless because the yellow deepens only once the fish is settled, well fed and kept over a dark substrate, so judging one in a bare retail tank is unfair to it. Mature males develop a black-edged anal fin and a taller dorsal. Keep a shoal of eight or more in 80 litres or more at 23-27C, pH 6.0 to 7.5 in soft to moderately hard water, with planting, driftwood and floating cover to diffuse the light. Feed quality micro pellets and flake with frozen daphnia, cyclops and brine shrimp. It is a peaceful, undemanding community tetra that does not nip and is long-lived for its size, commonly reaching six years or more. Its one requirement worth taking seriously is numbers: a group of three looks washed out and hides, and the same fish in a group of ten spreads out across the tank and colours up properly.

• How active is a Lemon Tetra?

  Moderate. An active swimmer that appreciates open swimming space.

• How much maintenance does a Lemon Tetra need?

  Routine tank care. Weekly partial water changes keep them in top shape.

• What tank size does a Lemon Tetra need?

  Nano-tank friendly. Happy in a small, stable, well-filtered tank.

• Is a Lemon Tetra a good fit for first-time owners?

  Some experience helps. A little know-how makes life smoother.

• How long do Lemon Tetra live?

  5–8 years. Plan for a long, loving relationship.

• What health issues affect the Lemon Tetra?

  Keep an eye out for Ich (white spot), Fin rot, Swim bladder disorder. These are worth raising with your vet, along with any screening they recommend.

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