Blood tetra data sheet
German name:
blood tetra
Scientific name:
Hyphessobrycon eques
Origin:
South America, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina
Size:
Up to 4cm
Aquarium
Length:
Width from 100cm
Contents:
from 200 liters
water values
Temperature:
18-29ºC
pH:
5.5 – 7.5
GH:
5 – 15 °dGH
CH:
4
Behave
Area:
middle to top
Lining:
mostly carnivores, live and dry food
Behave:
Schooling fish, peaceful and social, gregarious, active and curious
Number:
From 10 animals
Difficulty level:
is only suitable for beginners to a limited extent, as they sometimes nibble on the fins of their fellow fish and other fish
© Philippe Coulo
Various species of tetra are traded as blood tetras.
Examples are Minor Tetras, Hyphessobrycon callistus, and Hyphessobrycon serpae.
Blood tetra form small territories. Like many tetras, blood tetras are not typical schooling fish that constantly swim together.
About 10 animals should be kept together. Blood tetras grow slightly larger than neons.
You are very lively.
aggressiveness in blood tetras
© Mirko Rosenau Fotolia.com
There are very different experiences as to how peaceful or belligerent blood tetras are.
According to some reports, they harass other species of fish, even armored catfish. They may also pluck at the threads of fish with threads, e.g. B. in angelfish and threadfish.
Other reports state that they are only aggressive within their own species but do not attack other species.
The aggressiveness may depend on the space available. Apparently they need a lot more space than other tetras. In a 500 liter aquarium they were just as peaceful as other tetras, although they had previously behaved aggressively towards all their fellow occupants in a smaller quarantine tank, including conspecifics.
According to other experiences, aggressiveness depends on the individual animals or the individual swarm. According to this, blood tetras behave very differently with each other and with other animals, even in the same aquarium.
One flock behaved absolutely peacefully and quietly, while another quarreled among themselves in a week so that only a few animals remained.
Some animals from a group literally tore themselves apart, so that every day a blood tetra was missing a different body part. The injuries were so bad that the affected blood tetra died and the group became smaller and smaller.
Still other blood tetras only attacked roach moenkhausia living in the same tank. These blood tetras were peaceful among themselves. Other blood tetras left other fish species completely alone.
Possibly there are such different experiences because several very similar species are traded under the name Hyphessobrycon callistus. A species is z. B. sometimes also called Minor Tetra.
Breeding of blood tetras
A separate breeding tank is used for breeding. The water should be soft and acidic, as is usual for South American tetras.
The spawning cycle is 8 to 11 days. After hatching, Liquifry is fed for about 2 weeks, then artemia nauplii are fed. At the beginning it must be checked whether they can already eat the nauplii.
If many juveniles live together, the group must be cut in half when the juveniles are about 1 centimeter tall. Blood tetras are cannibals and sometimes eat away at the neighbor’s eye if the space is too small.
water values:
- medium hard water
- a pH of 6 – 7.5
- Temperature between 20° and 27°C
Blood Tetra videos
Blood Tetra, Hyphessobrycon callistus:
Blood tetra, Hyphessobrycon eques:
blood tetra:
Blood tetra feeding:
Blood tetras during courtship and egg laying:
Blood Tetra larvae: