Glowlight Tetra – Hemigrammus Erythrozonus

Common name: Glowlight Tetra

Scientific name: Hemigrammus Erythrozonus

Average Adult Fish Size:  1.5 inches  /  3.8 cm

Place of Origin: Native to Essequibo River in Guyana, South America.

Typical Tank setup: Well planted with rocks and driftwood/bogwood. They love playing in a moderate to strong current.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 10 gallon / 40 litre

Compatibility: It is very common to find tetras with Corydoras as companions, as they are both quite peaceful and other tank mates like Guppies, other Tetras, Rasboras, Mollies & Platies

Temperature: 73 – 81 Deg F / 23 – 27 Deg C

Water chemistry: pH 5.0 – 7.8

Feeding: Wild Glowlight tetras are omnivores that feed chiefly on plants, worms and small crustaceans. They should be kept on a varied diet in the aquarium. You can give them small live food such as brine shrimp, but they will also accept frozen and dry foods

Sexing:  It is difficult to sex young Glowlight Tetra but the female should be slightly plump compared to the male.

Breeding: Water temperature of 25°c, very soft water of PH 5 or lower and subdued lighting. The eggs are laid over fine leaved plants and hatch in 24 hours. Feed the newly hatched fry on fine live food infusoria or liquid food for 10-12 days. They should then be able to feed on newly hatched brine shrimp.

Additional Information: The Glowlight tetra is a shoaling fish that should be kept with at least four other members of its own species. Keeping an even larger shoal is recommended, since this will make the Glowlight tetras feel much safer in the aquarium. They will also be more active and exhibit a much broader range of natural behaviours. It is common for this species to form smaller groups when there is a predator (or perceived predator) in the aquarium, and then proceed to swim more freely when they feel safe again. Glowlight tetras are mid-dwellers in the aquarium and will usually stay a few centimetres above the bottom. During feeding, they will quickly swim to the top of the water column since they are happy eaters. If you take good care of your Glowlight tetra, it can live for up to 2-4 years in captivity.