Carbuncle tetra - Hemigrammus pulcher

The attractive carbuncle tetra has the beauty already in its name: Hemigrammus pulcher translates to beautiful Hemigrammus. The small but relatively high-backed tetra comes from the upper Amazon region of Peru in South America, where the small schooling fish inhabits clear waters.

The predominantly champagne-colored carbuncle tetra is coated with a metallic bronze sheen and often displays a short bright gold or orange stripe above its black caudal peduncle. The upper half of the iris of the eye is bright red. A copper-colored spot shows behind the gill cover. Reddish, blackish and sometimes even whitish markings also appear in the fins. Hemigrammus pulcher reaches a total length of about 4.5 cm in the aquarium. Females are more plump around the abdomen than males, especially during the spawning season, otherwise the sexes do not differ externally.

Hemigrammus pulcher is a lively, yet peaceful schooling fish in the aquarium. You should not keep less than 10 specimens of the small tetra, so that the ornamental fish can live out their natural social behavior in the aquarium. In case of stress, carbuncle tetras join together to form a shoal, if the small tetras are relaxed, they spread out in the aquarium. A standard aquarium with 60 cm edge length is already suitable for a small shoal of the pretty nano tetras.

The relatively small carbuncle tetras can be well socialized with larger dwarf shrimp. However, small juvenile shrimp tend to be preyed upon. Hemigrammus pulcher tend to stay in the center of the aquarium. You can keep the small nimble tetras in the aquarium even with rather peaceful minded dwarf shrimp. Other South American tetras, armored catfishes, loricariids and other small to medium sized peaceful fishes with the same demands on the aquarium and water values are well suited for socialization. A school of carbuncle tetras is ideal for a South American aqu arium or an Amazonian biotope aquarium.

The diet of the omnivorous carbuncle tetra in the wild consists mainly of smaller live foods such as insect larvae, worms or other small animals and plant parts. In the aquarium, carbuncle tetras like to take granulated food for smaller omnivorous aquarium fish and high-quality flake food in addition to live food and frozen food. The carbuncle tetra does not tug at healthy plants, but Hemigrammus pulcher will occasionally help itself to fine algae coverings and nibble at dead plant parts.

Hemigrammus pulcher does very well in soft to medium hard water. Humic substances in the aquarium water are very beneficial to the health and well-being of the carbuncle tetra. The aquarium water temperature for the South American tetra should be between 22 and 30°C, the pH between 6.0 and 7.5 and the water hardness between 5 and 12 °dGH.

The carbuncle tetra does not like bright lighting in the aquarium. Under a darkening of floating plants it shows its most beautiful colors. The tank can be planted along the edges well and varied, so that the small schooling fish can hide. Free swimming space in the aquarium center is gladly accepted.

The breeding of the Carbuncle Tetra is possible in the aquarium, although it is a bit more complex. You need a breeding tank of 45 liters or more, well stocked with fine plants such as nixweed or hornwort, in which you put a pair or a harem of one male and two females of Hemigrammus pulcher. In soft water with an acidic pH up to 7 the breeding usually succeeds quite well. The tetras engage in lively courtship, with the males driving the females. Carbuncle tetras are free spawners; the ornamental fish are spawn predators and also eat their young. A spawning grate in the breeding aquarium or thick pebbles on the bottom will protect the spawn from being eaten. Once the carbuncle tetras have spawned, return them to their original aquarium. The first larvae swim free after a few days and are raised with finest dust food and small live food like slipperfish and rotifers, later also with artemia euplii, microworms and cyclops.