Lemon Tetra

The lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) is a very easy to care for fish, that is tolerable to almost any water parameters the common hobbyist maintains.

This tetra stays a small size of no more then 2 inches (5 cm) and prefer to be in a school of at least 6, which limits them to a minimum tank of 10 gallons. They come from the Amazon river, and any rivers that flow off of the Amazon River. They will accept a wide range of water parameters, but the ideal parameters include a pH of 6.0 – 7.5, soft water, a water temperature of 70-80°F (21-27°C) and if cared for properly, these fish can live from 6 to 8 years. They are very peaceful by nature and can be put in a tank with anything that will not eat them and with those species having the same water parameter requirements.

Lemon tetras are omnivores and will accept a wide variety of foods from flakes to granules to pellets to frozen foods to live foods to even wafers or sinking Shrimp Pellets.

Breeding these tetras can be difficult since the males and females are fairly hard to tell the gender. The females are more gravid and full of eggs when looked at from above. The female will scatter the eggs and then the male will fertilize the eggs as they fall and adhere to whatever they fall onto.

Scientific Name : Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis

Common Names : Lemon Tetra

Care Level : Easy

Size : 1.5 to 2 inches (3.75 – 5cm)

pH : 6.0 to 7.5

Temperature :70 – 80°F (21 – 27°C)

Water Hardness : Prefers soft water

Lifespan : 6 to 8 years

Origin / Habitat : Amazon River

Temperament / Behavior : Fairly peaceful, but best kept in schools of 6 or more

Breeding : This tetra can be difficult to breed in the home aquarium. They are egg layers and the parents do not care for the fry.

Aquarium Size : Minimum of 10 gallon for just a school of 6 of them assuming nothing else is in the tank with them. They need a bigger tank due to schooling preferences when kept with other species.

Tank Mates : Virtually anything that won’t eat them or has relatively the same water parameter requirements

Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease

Diet / Fish Food : Omnivore, will accept flakes, granules, pellets, frozen foods and live foods.

Tank Region : Middle to top of the aquarium

Gender : The females when full of eggs are wider when looked at from above

Similar Species : All the other Hyphessobrycon species and most of the other Characin species.

Profile and Photos by : Tom

Photo Credit : Photos copyright JJPhoto.dk