Flame tetra care
Hyphessobrycon flammeus · Coastal rivers of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, southeast Brazil
Flame tetras are small, peaceful schooling tetras: silver at the front with two dark bars, flame red behind.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1 in (standard length, without the tail)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep flame tetras
Flame tetras are small, peaceful schooling tetras: silver at the front with two dark bars, flame red behind. Keep six or more in a planted 10 gallon or larger tank at 72 to 82 °F. Nearly all in shops are bred in captivity, which matters: the wild fish are now rare.
Diet: Omnivore: crushed flakes, micro pellets, small frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Flame tetra tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Salt-and-pepper corydoras
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Zebra nerite snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 70–80 °F
Assassin snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 72–80 °F
Ramshorn snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 64–82 °F
Thai micro crab
1 in · 5+ gal · 70–82 °F
Spotted blue-eye
1 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Crystal red shrimp
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 62–76 °F
Malaysian trumpet snail
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–86 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; flame tetras grow to 1 in.
Paradise fish: Adult paradise fish eat fish under about 1.2 in; flame tetras grow to 1 in.
Golden wonder killifish: Adult golden wonder killifish eat fish under about 2 in; flame tetras grow to 1 in.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
What a flame tetra tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon flame tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon flame tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Flame tetras need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding flame tetras.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common flame tetra problems
- Pale and hiding in a bare, bright tank; plants and a darker substrate bring the red out.
- Losses in the first weeks usually come from adding them to a new, uncycled tank.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Hyphessobrycon flammeus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Flame tetra Igor Balashov (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Salt-and-pepper corydoras D.W., CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Assassin snail Steffi Klee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ramshorn snail Dat doris, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Thai micro crab Sean Murray, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted blue-eye Der Regenbogenfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Malaysian trumpet snail Buchling, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Paradise fish André Karwath; edited by Muhammad, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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