What tank size does a Ember Tetra need?

A Ember Tetra needs an aquarium of at least 40 litres (10.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 45 cm (17.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Ember Tetra need?

Ember Tetra does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 5–7 and a general hardness of 1–8 °dGH.

What group size does a Ember Tetra need?

Ember Tetra is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Ember Tetra suitable for beginners?

Yes — Ember Tetra is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Ember Tetra

Hyphessobrycon amandae

Characidae

FishDifficulty: ●●○○○Data: well-established

📷 Klaus Rudloff · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Ember Tetra — Hyphessobrycon amandae — 📷 Klaus Rudloff · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The ember tetra is a tiny, glowing orange characin from the Araguaia river basin in central Brazil, where it inhabits slow, densely vegetated tributaries and floodplain pools. Its warm ember colouration intensifies in mature, planted blackwater-style aquaria with subdued lighting. Peaceful, hardy and ideally suited to nano and shrimp-safe community tanks, it is best appreciated in a large, tightly grouped shoal.

Care

Keep in shoals of 8+ in a well-planted nano tank with gentle flow, soft to moderately soft water, and dark substrate to bring out the orange glow.

Diet

Micro-omnivore with a tiny mouth; feed finely crushed dry foods plus small live/frozen micro-foods.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (30)

Possible with care (115)

African Butterfly Cichlid Agassiz's Cory Altum Angelfish Amano Shrimp Bamboo Shrimp Banjo Catfish Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Skirt Tetra Blackline Rasbora Bladder Snail Blood Parrot Cichlid Bloodfin Tetra Blue Acara Blue Tiger Shrimp Blue Velvet Shrimp Bolivian Ram Borneo Sucker Brichard's Teleogramma Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Butterfly Hillstream Loach Celestial Pearl Danio Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Cherry Barb Cherry Shrimp Chinese Algae Eater Chocolate Cichlid Chocolate Gourami Clown Killifish Clown Pleco Cochu's Blue Tetra Congo Tetra Crystal Red Shrimp Denison Barb Diamond Tetra Discus Doctor Fish Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Flag Cichlid Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Dwarf Orange Crayfish Dwarf Pea Puffer Elephantnose Fish Emerald Cory Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Firemouth Cichlid Flame Tetra Forktail Rainbowfish Freshwater Clam German Blue Ram Ghost Shrimp Glass Catfish Glowlight Danio Gold Barb Golden Dwarf Cichlid Green Discus Heckel Discus Honey Gourami Japanese Trapdoor Snail Julii Cory Keyhole Cichlid Kissing Gourami Kribensis Kuhli Loach Leopard Danio Little Corydoras Medaka Ricefish Moonlight Gourami Neon Tetra Odessa Barb Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paraguay Eartheater Pearl Danio Pearl Gourami Peppered Corydoras Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Pygmy Corydoras Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Red Whiptail Catfish Red-Tail Shark Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Salt and Pepper Cory Scarlet Badis Scissortail Rasbora Severum Siamese Algae Eater Silver Tip Tetra Sparkling Gourami Sterbai Corydoras Striped Kribensis Sveni Eartheater Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Three-spot Gourami Tiger Barb Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Upside-down Catfish Vampire Shrimp Venezuelan Cory White Cloud Mountain Minnow X-ray Tetra Yoyo Loach Zebra Danio Zebra Pleco

Avoid (126)

Acei Cichlid Adonis Pleco African Butterflyfish Angelfish Assassin Snail Auratus Cichlid Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Blue Dolphin Cichlid Boesemani Rainbowfish Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Brevis Shell Dweller Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bumblebee Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Calvus Cichlid Celebes Rainbowfish Clown Loach Cobalt Blue Zebra Colombian Ramshorn Snail Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Convict Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Demon Eartheater Dogtooth Cichlid Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Petricola Catfish Electric Blue Ahli Electric Yellow Lab Ellioti Cichlid Elongate Mbuna Endler's Livebearer Endlicheri Bichir Even-spotted Synodontis Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Figure-8 Puffer Five-bar Cichlid Frontosa Goby Cichlid Golden Julie Golden Wonder Killifish Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Guppy Hongi Cichlid Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Jewel Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Kenyi Cichlid Koi Least Killifish Lemon Cichlid Livingstoni Maingano Cichlid Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Malaysian Trumpet Snail Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Molly Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Mystery Snail Nerite Snail Ocellatus Shell Dweller Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Paradise Fish Peacock Bass Peacock Cichlid Pictus Catfish Pike Cichlid Platy Powder Blue Cichlid Rabbit Snail Ramshorn Snail Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Empress Red Rainbowfish Red Terror Red Zebra Cichlid Redhead Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Rubber Lip Pleco Rusty Cichlid Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Molly Sailfin Pleco Salvini Cichlid Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Saulosi Cichlid Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Silver Moony Similis Shell Dweller Spotted Hoplo Star Sapphire Striped Raphael Catfish Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Swordtail T-Bar Cichlid Taiwan Reef Cichlid Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Threadfin Petrochromis Tropheus Turquoise Rainbowfish Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid Wrestling Halfbeak Zebra Mbuna

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Full tank-mates guide with reasons →

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

Belly depthA hint only · only on well-fed adults, and only as a comparison
For most tetras, barbs and rasboras this is all there is: a conditioned female is deeper through the belly than a male of the same length.

All the methods, with diagrams

Also in these lists

Nano fish Fish for a 54 litre tank Shrimp-safe fish Fish for a first aquarium

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Ember Tetra need?: A Ember Tetra needs an aquarium of at least 40 litres (10.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 45 cm (17.7 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Ember Tetra need?: Ember Tetra does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 5–7 and a general hardness of 1–8 °dGH.
What group size does a Ember Tetra need?: Ember Tetra is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Ember Tetra suitable for beginners?: Yes — Ember Tetra is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature22–28°C

Optimal temp.24–27°C

pH5–7

Hardness (GH)1–8°d

Carbonate (KH)0–5°d

Adult size2 cm

Min. volume≥ 40 L

Min. tank length≥ 45 cm

Group size≥ 8

Swimming zoneMid

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~3 yrs

Try in the calculator