Edit Petitella bleheri
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Name
Scientific name
Petitella bleheri
Described by
Bracketed
Family
Characidae
Common names
Firehead Tetra
Photograph credits
All 2 credited
Summary
The firehead tetra, Hemigrammus bleheri, is a characin from blackwater rivers of the Rio Meta and Rio Negro in Colombia and Brazil. Most fi…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
50mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Not recorded
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 23–26°C, pH 5.5–7
Hardness
2–15dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Peaceful
Social needs
A shoal or group
Community suitability
Community-safe
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Not recorded
Writing
Etymology
Petitella Géry & Boutière 1964, from the French –ella, a diminutive connoting endearment; in honor of zoologist-anatomist Georges Petit (1892-1973). bleheri, h…
Distribution
Rio Meta and Rio Negro in Colombia and Brazil.
Habitat
Blackwater rivers and tributaries. The water in these biotopes is typically stained brown with tannins from decaying organic material and is very acidic as a r…
Aquarium size
This is a species that should be maintained in groups numbering 10 or preferably more, and its active swimming nature requires a tank length of 36 inches/90 cm…
Maintenance
A biotope setup would be very simple to arrange. Use a substrate of river sand and add a few driftwood branches (if you can't find driftwood of the desired sha…
Water conditions
Temperature: 23 – 26 °C pH: 5.5-7.0. Its colours will become faded if kept in alkaline conditions. Hardness: 2-15°H
Diet
Omnivorous and will accept just about anything offered. It does have a small mouth, though, so correspondingly sized foods are best. Feed a mixture of dried fl…
Behaviour and compatibility
It's a very peaceful species that won't compete well with very boisterous or much larger tankmates. Ideally keep it with other South American species, such as …
Sexual dimorphism
Mature females are noticeably rounder in the body than males.
Reproduction
You'll need to set up a separate tank in which to do so if you want to raise any numbers of fry. Something around 18" x 12" x 12" in size is fine. This should …
Notes
This is the species most commonly sold as 'rummy-nose tetra' in aquatic outlets. A selectively-bred "golden" variant has also been produced by commercial breed…
References
References
3 on this profile