What tank size does a Rummynose Tetra need?

A Rummynose Tetra needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 90 cm (35.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Rummynose Tetra need?

Rummynose Tetra does best at 23–29 °C (73.4–84.2 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–15 °dGH.

What group size does a Rummynose Tetra need?

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

Is the Rummynose Tetra suitable for beginners?

Rummynose Tetra sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Species library

Rummynose Tetra

Hemigrammus rhodostomus

Characidae

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

📷 Bernat Arlandis · CC BY-SA 2.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Rummynose Tetra — Hemigrammus rhodostomus — 📷 Bernat Arlandis · CC BY-SA 2.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The rummynose tetra is a slender, silver characin from the lower Amazon basin, instantly recognised by its blood-red nose and the bold black-and-white barred tail. It is one of the tightest shoaling fish in the hobby, moving as a single coordinated body when kept in good numbers. Famously sensitive to water quality, its crimson snout fades the moment conditions slip, making it a living indicator that rewards a mature, stable, soft-water aquarium. Note that most fish sold under this name are actually H. bleheri; true H. rhodostomus shows red only up to the gill covers.

Care

Keep a shoal of 8+ (ideally 10+) in a mature, stable tank at least 90 cm long, with soft, slightly acidic water and gentle flow. A faded nose signals stress or poor water quality.

Diet

Omnivorous micro-feeder with a small mouth; feed fine dry foods plus regular frozen and live micro-foods, with krill-rich foods to deepen the red nose.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (44)

Possible with care (134)

African Butterflyfish Altum Angelfish Amano Shrimp Assassin Snail Bamboo Shrimp Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Skirt Tetra Bladder Snail Blood Parrot Cichlid Bloodfin Tetra Blue Acara Blue Dolphin Cichlid Blue Tiger Shrimp Blue Velvet Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Bolivian Ram Borneo Sucker Brichard's Teleogramma Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Butterfly Hillstream Loach Cardinal Tetra Celebes Rainbowfish Celestial Pearl Danio Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Cherry Shrimp Chinese Algae Eater Chocolate Cichlid Chocolate Gourami Clown Killifish Clown Pleco Cochu's Blue Tetra Colombian Ramshorn Snail Convict Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Denison Barb Discus Doctor Fish Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Dwarf Orange Crayfish Dwarf Pea Puffer Elephantnose Fish Ellioti Cichlid Emerald Cory Endler's Livebearer Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Figure-8 Puffer Firemouth Cichlid Flame Tetra Forktail Rainbowfish Freshwater Clam German Blue Ram Ghost Shrimp Glass Catfish Glowlight Danio Gold Barb Golden Wonder Killifish Green Discus Guppy Heckel Discus Honey Gourami Japanese Trapdoor Snail Jewel Cichlid Julii Cory Kissing Gourami Kribensis Least Killifish Leopard Danio Malaysian Trumpet Snail Medaka Ricefish Moonlight Gourami Mystery Snail Neon Tetra Nerite Snail Odessa Barb Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paradise Fish Paraguay Eartheater Pearl Danio Pearl Gourami Peppered Corydoras Pictus Catfish Platy Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Rabbit Snail Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Ramshorn Snail Red Rainbowfish Red Whiptail Catfish Red-Tail Shark Redhead Cichlid Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Rubber Lip Pleco Salt and Pepper Cory Scarlet Badis Scissortail Rasbora Severum Siamese Algae Eater Silver Tip Tetra Spotted Hoplo Sterbai Corydoras Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Sveni Eartheater Swordtail T-Bar Cichlid Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Three-spot Gourami Tiger Barb Turquoise Rainbowfish Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Upside-down Catfish Vampire Shrimp Venezuelan Cory White Cloud Mountain Minnow Wrestling Halfbeak X-ray Tetra Yoyo Loach Zebra Danio Zebra Pleco

Avoid (93)

Acei Cichlid Adonis Pleco Angelfish Auratus Cichlid Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Brevis Shell Dweller Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bumblebee Cichlid Calvus Cichlid Clown Loach Cobalt Blue Zebra Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Demon Eartheater Dogtooth Cichlid Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Petricola Catfish Electric Blue Ahli Electric Yellow Lab Elongate Mbuna Endlicheri Bichir Even-spotted Synodontis Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Five-bar Cichlid Frontosa Goby Cichlid Golden Julie Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Hongi Cichlid Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Kenyi Cichlid Koi Lemon Cichlid Livingstoni Maingano Cichlid Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Molly Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Ocellatus Shell Dweller Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Peacock Bass Peacock Cichlid Pike Cichlid Powder Blue Cichlid Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Empress Red Terror Red Zebra Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal 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 Star Sapphire Striped Raphael Catfish Taiwan Reef Cichlid Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Threadfin Petrochromis Tropheus Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid Zebra Mbuna

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

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

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Rummynose Tetra need?: A Rummynose Tetra needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 90 cm (35.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Rummynose Tetra need?: Rummynose Tetra does best at 23–29 °C (73.4–84.2 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–15 °dGH.
What group size does a Rummynose Tetra need?: Rummynose Tetra is a social species — keep a group of at least 8 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Rummynose Tetra suitable for beginners?: Rummynose Tetra sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature23–29°C

Optimal temp.24–27°C

pH5.5–7.5

Hardness (GH)2–15°d

Carbonate (KH)0–8°d

Adult size5 cm

Min. volume≥ 90 L

Min. tank length≥ 90 cm

Group size≥ 8

Swimming zoneMid

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~5 yrs

Try in the calculator