Size
Maximum length of 1.8 inches.
Physical Characteristics and Behavior
A fish has a flat, round body and an arched back. The dorsal fin is prominent and relatively high. Body color shifts from violet to copper depending on lighting conditions. The underbelly is paler or even yellow. There’s a coppery mark just behind the gill cover. The iris is reddened at its highest point, and the mouth is positioned upwards. The fins are see-through. A copper-colored stripe begins at the tail’s base and runs around halfway over the body. A substantial black ring may be seen below this.
Keeping in a Tank
- Water Conditions
A tank that’s 10 gallons in capacity (about 18 by ten by 10 inches) will do just nicely for the fish. The ideal water conditions for this plant are soft, acidic water with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0 and a temperature of 80 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The Aquarium Size
For a small shoal of these, a conventional 24′′ x 15′′ x 12′′ (60cm x 37.5cm x 30cm) – 70 litre tank is appropriate.
- Maintenance
Due to its captive breeding, it is flexible and will thrive in the majority of tanks. Although it can look a little washed out in very sparse arrangements, it looks particularly good in a fully planted design. You may set up a biotope tank if you truly want to see it at its finest. Use a substrate of river sand and add a few driftwood branches, twisted roots, and, if you can’t find driftwood in the right form, properly dried and bark-free common beech. The natural feel could be completed with a few handfuls of dried leaves (again, beech or oak leaves work well).
Allow the wood and leaves to turn the water the color of weak tea, changing out the old leaves every few weeks to prevent them from rotting and contaminating the water. To help simulate black water conditions, a small net bag filled with aquarium-safe peat can be placed in the filter. Make good use of a modest light. The fish’s real beauty will emerge in these circumstances.
- Diet
Simple to feed. Any offer will be quickly accepted by it. Offer small live and frozen foods like bloodworm, Daphnia, brine shrimp, coupled with dried flakes and granules on a regular basis for the greatest condition and colors.
- Temperament and Compatibility
Will function well in the majority of community tanks. It is vivacious, colorful, and tranquil. Most livebearers, danios, rasboras, other tetras, and calm bottom dwellers like Corydoras or smaller Loricariids get along nicely with it in the aquarium. Additionally, it can be kept alongside most readily accessible gouramis and dwarf cichlids. Don’t keep it with anything that is significantly bigger or noisier because it is quite shy. It can be kept with other Hemigrammus or Hyphessobrycon species, pencil fish, Apistogramma dwarf cichlids, and the aforementioned bottom dwellers in a biotope aquarium as noted above. Always purchase a minimum of 6 of these, ideally 10 or more. Being a shoaling species by nature, it will do considerably better when surrounded by other individuals of the same species. In fact, it seems much more efficient when kept in this manner.
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