Emperor Tetra – Nematobrycon Palmeri

Common name: Emperor Tetra

Scientific name: Nematobrycon Palmeri

Average Adult Fish Size:  1.5 inches  /  3.8 cm

Place of Origin: Columbia.

Typical Tank setup: Well planted with rocks and driftwood/bogwood. Still water or very slight current in the tank is preferred.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 15 gallon / 60 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 – 7.5

Feeding: Normal tropical flake foods will be fine however if you wish to breed them then daily meals of small live and frozen fare such as Daphnia, Artemia and suchlike will result in the best colouration and encourage the fish to come into a breeding condition.

Sexing:  Males are larger, more colourful and develop much extended dorsal, anal and caudal fins as they mature. Males also have a blue iris, whereas that of females is green.

Breeding: Not all that tricky to breed the Emperor Tetra, a dimly lit tank must have various plants on the bottom such as Java Moss to give the fish somewhere to deposit their eggs. Be sure to remove adults from the tank once eggs are deposited to avoid them being eaten.

Additional Information: Wild examples are not as common as they once were in the aquarium hobby, however, with the majority of those in the trade produced on a commercial basis.