Gold Leaf Aquarium

This community tank is based around a Guyana stream and includes some of the most popular fish in the hobby.

- Tai Strietman

Walk through any aquarium store that sells fish and you will, without doubt, encounter at least one species of tetra, possibly dozens. They fill the shops and our tanks, and just when we think that they are becoming cliché, they provide us with a new species, or an old one erupts into fashion again. It’s a safe bet that many beginners start with a few tetras and many of the ‘elite’ freshwater enthusiasts will spend serious money on a shoal of rare and unusual tetras without batting an eyelid because hey, cool tetras!

A tetra for everyone

One of the charms of tetras, apart from the variety of species, shapes and colours, is that they are for the most part suitable for smaller to mid-range aquaria. Got a nano tank? Ember tetras! Something mid range? A nice shoal of Cardinals! Need to fill a big display tank? How about some hefty Long-finned tetras?

Mostly, they tend to do better in larger groups of their own species and the aquarist who keeps them this way will be rewarded with a more natural dynamic behaviour. There are a few exceptions, such as Rathbun’s tetras, Aphyocharax rathbuni, which are usually found in groups of around seven in the wild, or often mixed with other species. The point is, even a shoal comprising several species is better than a few nervous individuals, darting from cover to cover.