Emperor Tetra

Overview: The scientific name of Emperor Tetra Fish is Nematobrycon palmeri. It could be a wonderful addition to your community tank. Peaceful in nature and love to mingle with other creatures in the tank, Emperor Tetra is one of the ideal choices. The attractive rainbow hues of this fish make it extremely beautiful. The best part is they are easy to maintain and robust in nature, meaning they can tolerate a wide range of temperature and other water conditions. All this makes Emperor Tetra a great option for beginners too.

Distribution and Habitat: Emperor Tetra is a freshwater fish and native to river basins of Columbia. In general, they prefer areas that are slow-moving and where the temperature is also mild. While it is native of South America, today, due to its peaceful and aquarium-friendly nature Emperor Tetra has become one of the most prevalent aquarium fish. They are good breeders as well. 

Temperature: The ideal temperature for Emperor Tetra ranges from 73 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you keep them in the tank with size not less than 10 gallons. Also, ensure avoiding sudden fluctuation in temperature. 

Water conditions: Water parameters like salinity, measured in pH and hardness should be in the optimum range. The right pH should range between 5.0 and 7.8. If you are keeping tetra for breeding purposes, the pH should remain around 7. Along with this, the hardness of the water also matters, and for tetra, it should be between 10 to 25 dGH.

Breeding: While spawning, the males get aggressive, so try to keep a breeding pair in the separate breeding tank. Also, make sure you feed the fish well before spawning attempts. Maintain the right temperature of the water, along with the ideal pH for the best results. Once the spawning competes, remove the adults as the parents often consume their eggs. Perform water changes regularly in the breeding tank. 

Feeding: Tetras can literally feed on anything. You can give them live food like mosquito larva, brine shrimp, and daphnia to flake foods, frozen foods, and freeze-dried foods. 

Lifespan: When emperor tetras are kept in a well-maintained tank and supplied with sufficient healthy food, they can live healthily up to 3 to 5 years. However, there are reports that tetras live even longer in aquarium conditions. In the wild, they can live for ten years. 

Do you know?

Emperor tetras fascinate aquarists for a long time. The reason behind this is the attractive colors they endorse. It is a wonderful idea to mix and match different tetra species to make the tank look livelier, active, interesting, and pleasing to the eyes.