Rummy Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
The Rummy-nose tetra is a torpedo-shaped fish, and its body colour is a translucent silvery colour with a greenish tint. Iridescent green scales are frequently seen on the fish at the point where the fontanel meets the body, and they have a vibrant red colour nose which is quite striking. The tail has a zebra-like design of black and white horizontal stripes.
Rummy nose Tetras are a shoaling fish that does well in groups of 6 or more, creating a lovely visual display in the aquarium.
This species has a peaceful nature and can tolerate slightly higher temperatures, but they may be pretty sensitive to a change in water parameters, so you need to be careful.
They can happily be housed with other community fish as long as they are not aggressive or predatory fish.
They need hiding places and plants to hide away in incase they feel stressed.
| Quick Facts | |
| Scientific Name | Hemigrammus rhodostomus |
| Family | Characidae |
| Genus | Hemigrammus |
| Origins | South America |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Middle |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | Yes |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 4 - 8 years |
| Water Parameters | |
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| Temperature | 75 - 81 ℉ (23.9 - 27.2 ℃) |
| PH | 6.5 - 7.5 |
| GH | 2 - 15 |
Habitat
Rummynose tetras are naturally found in the blackwaters, close to the Atlantic coastline of the Amazon river in South America.
The water is soft but acidic due to humic acid decay from leaf litter on the soft sandy substrates of the riverbed.
Rocks and caves are standard, along with plenty of planted areas providing shade and foods.
Other Tetras of interest
Diet & Feeding
Use pellets or flakes as the staple of their diet, containing all the nutrients they will need and maybe give them additional treats once or twice a week.
Both frozen and live foods are great ways to provide them with some protein; bloodworm and daphnia are good choices. Any leftover green vegetables can also be added to the aquarium, providing you chop them into small pieces.
Sexual Dimorphism
Sexing Rummy nose tetra individuals is quite tricky as there is no obvious way to distinguish them by your eyes. Some people say that females have a slightly larger body than males.
Breeding
The main problem in breeding this species is making sure you have the right mix of male and females. Since they are so tricky to sex, this can often be trial and error.
To encourage breeding, the water conditions in the aquarium need to be just right. Heat the tank to around 84 degrees Fahrenheit; this should trigger spawning. Reliable filtration is essential; these fish are sensitive and will not spawn in polluted water.
The breeding process will take place around plants, so make sure you have added plenty to the aquarium.
The female Rummynose will swim over to a leaf, rollover, and let the male fertilise the eggs.
She will release a few large eggs. Once this has happened, make sure you separate the adults from the eggs not to be eaten.
The babies will hatch after 24 hours but will not start swimming around for roughly six days.
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