The bloodfin tetra is a popular fish for aquarium owners of all skill and experience levels. What makes them a great beginner fish is their ability to tolerate a wide range of water parameters — so if you don’t get your tank conditions perfect right away, your bloodfin tetra will probably survive.
Also known as the true bloodfin, the glass bloodfin, and the red finned tetra, bloodfin tetra are on the small side — the average size of a fully grown bloodfin tetra is around two inches (5 centimeters). This breed is relatively peaceful, and can be in danger from larger fish who will eat them. Keep your bloodfin tetra with tank mates of similar size, and everyone will be happy.
Bloodfin tetra can be skittish at times. You can help keep them calm and happy by keeping them in schools of six or more. Provide a large tank (twenty gallons or more) with lots of open swimming space — these fish are every active in the middle and top of the tank! If you see your bloodfin tetra nipping at each other once in a while, don’t worry. This is normal behavior in the school.
These fish are not picky eaters at all! Use a good quality fish flake for the majority of your bloodfin tetra diet. Supplement the main diet with brine shrimp (live or dried), live worms, small insects, and frozen freshwater foods.
Figuring out the gender of your bloodfin tetra can be tricky. Females may be larger in the body and have less red on the fins; males may be more streamlined with more red on the fins. If you want to encourage your bloodfin tetra to breed, you’ll want your water to be slightly more acidic, your lighting to be lower, and your food to be of the highest quality — like live brine shrimp. The female will lay her eggs on aquarium plants with wide leaves. If your bloodfin tetra do lay eggs, you’ll need to remove the adults immediately — otherwise, they’ll eat the eggs. The eggs will hatch in a few days; give them liquid fry food for the first week or so.
Tank basics for the bloodfin tetra:
- pH levels between 6 and 8
- Temperature between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 and 28 degrees Celsius)