Phoenix Tetra (Hemigrammus filamentosus)

The Phoenix Tetra is an active, peaceful, hardy, undemanding, and non-aggressive fish, that are continuously darting around the tank showing off to one another. Because of its small size, these fish are perfect for many different sized tanks. With its stunning good looks and its pleasant personality, expect this species of tetra to become a popular addition to the community aquarium.

This fish usually displays a silvery grey body with a delicate gold sheen and there dorsal and anal and pelvic fins are a beautiful red colouration with white extensions.

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Feeding

In the home aquarium, the Phoenix Tetra will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.

Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.

It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.

This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.

Sexual Dimorphism

It is relatively easy to differentiate the males from the females. The males have longer filaments on the fins and are a gorgeous red colour, whereas the female's caudal fin in translucent.