Kerri tetra care
Inpaichthys kerri · Tributaries of the Aripuanã River, Brazil
The kerri tetra is a small, purple-blue tetra with a dark stripe, sold as the purple or blue emperor tetra, not to be confused with the emperor tetra itself.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 81 °F (24 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.1 in (standard length, without the tail)
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep Kerri tetras
The kerri tetra is a small, purple-blue tetra with a dark stripe, sold as the purple or blue emperor tetra, not to be confused with the emperor tetra itself. Keep six or more in a planted 20 gallon or larger tank of soft, slightly acid water at 75 to 81 °F, with calm tankmates of a similar size. In the wild it snaps insects off the surface, so it takes floating food readily.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, frozen and live foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Kerri 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.
Malaysian trumpet snail
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–86 °F
DrawingRed neon blue-eye
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 74–82 °F
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
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: Kerri tetras need 75 to 81 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; Kerri tetras grow to 1.1 in.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; Kerri tetras grow to 1.1 in.
Paradise fish: Adult paradise fish eat fish under about 1.2 in; Kerri tetras grow to 1.1 in.
Convict cichlid: Adult convict cichlids eat fish under about 1.5 in; Kerri tetras grow to 1.1 in.
What a Kerri tetra tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) 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.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon Kerri tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon Kerri tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Kerri tetras need 75 to 81 °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 Kerri 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 75 to 81 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 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 Kerri tetra problems
- Stress brings on disease: rough or much larger tankmates wear it down.
- Males spar a little; a bigger group spreads it out.
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 and origin checked against Wikipedia: Inpaichthys kerri; adult size from FishBase: Inpaichthys kerri. 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.
- Kerri tetra Juan R. Lascorz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Malaysian trumpet snail Buchling, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, 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
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, 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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