Rosy tetra care
Megalamphodus rosaceus · Northern South America, including the Essequibo River in Guyana
Rosy tetras are pinkish, deep-bodied tetras with a black and white flag on the dorsal fin and red-tipped fins.
- Tank size
- 15 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.3 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 15 gallon
24¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep rosy tetras
Rosy tetras are pinkish, deep-bodied tetras with a black and white flag on the dorsal fin and red-tipped fins. Keep six or more in a planted 15 gallon or larger tank with soft to medium water; males display their taller dorsal fins to each other without real fights.
Diet: Omnivore: crushed flakes, micro pellets, small frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Rosy 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.
Clown killifish
1.4 in · 5+ gal · 72–80 °F
Malaysian trumpet snail
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–86 °F
DrawingRed neon blue-eye
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 74–82 °F
Marbled hatchetfish
1.5 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Medaka
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 65–82 °F
African dwarf frog
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Umbrella dwarf cichlid
1.5 in · 15+ gal · 70–79 °F
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: rosy tetras need 75 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; rosy tetras grow to 1.3 in.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; rosy tetras grow to 1.3 in.
Convict cichlid: Adult convict cichlids eat fish under about 1.5 in; rosy tetras grow to 1.3 in.
Golden wonder killifish: Adult golden wonder killifish eat fish under about 2 in; rosy tetras grow to 1.3 in.
What a rosy tetra tank needs
A tank of 15 US gallons or more (such as the 15 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.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 15 gallon rosy tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, M
Rated by the maker for 12–17 US gal, which covers a 15 gallon rosy tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Rosy tetras need 75 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 rosy 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 82 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common rosy tetra problems
- Color fades in bright, bare tanks; plants and dim light help.
- Slow, long-finned fish may get their fins pulled in a small group; a school of eight or more keeps them busy with each other.
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: Megalamphodus rosaceus. 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.
- Rosy tetra Aquakeeper14, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Clown killifish Dornenwolf, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Malaysian trumpet snail Buchling, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Marbled hatchetfish Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Medaka Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Umbrella dwarf cichlid Gordon Axmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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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