Black emperor tetra - Nematobrycon palmeri "black

The Black Emperor T etra or Black Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) is a color variation of the Emperor Tetra from South American Colombia. Its flag-like dorsal fin is striking and makes the beautiful, only 4-5 cm small tetra a great eye-catcher in the aquarium. The Black Emperor Tetra is opaque black almost over its entire body, with transparent black fins. In males, the caudal fin is extended in the middle with a black appendage. The black coloration changes to a light olive brown on the back of the fish, extending to the upper lip. The iris of the eye is a striking turquoise color. In places, the Black Emperor Tetra may still show a purple tinge to the black, especially towards the head.

Nematobrycon palmeri "black" is a very peaceful and compatible small tetra, which as a schooling fish likes to live together with a group of conspecifics. However, the Tetras only group to an actual shoal if they have stress, if they are balanced and feel well, they are rather in single groups. A group size of 10 Black Emperor T etras is recommended. Emperor tetras have a great observable, interesting social behavior and are ideal also for a community aquarium.

Nematobrycon palmeri "black" like it somewhat shaded. A densely planted tank that still offers some swimming space is ideal. A dark substrate and a partial blanket of floating plants dim the light and thus reduce stress. In very bright tanks, emperor tetras like to be very pale; in shaded environments, the colors become nicely intense. Black emperor tetras need soft to medium hard water and prefer an aquarium temperature of about 23-27 °C.

Breeding Nematobrycon palmeri "black" is not as easy as with guppies, but with a little bit of instinct this beautiful tetra can be propagated very well. It is best to work with a separate small aquarium, in which a pair of Black Emperor Tetras is placed for spawning. It is shaded with floating plants and also has a dark substrate. Soft water with a pH between about 5.0 and 6.5 and a water temperature of about 25-27 °C is necessary for breeding this tetra. The parent fish are conditioned with substantial live food and soon begin to court and spawn. Once the eggs are laid, the parents are caught back out so they do not eat the spawn or hatched fish larvae. The black emperor tetra is a so-called free spawner.

After free-swimming, the still very small larvae of the Black Emperor Tetra are fed with tiny live food such as slipper fish, rotifers and a little later also with artemia euplii. Other not too large live foods such as copepods or microworms are later a welcome addition to the diet of the offspring.

As an omnivore with a penchant for animal food, the Black Emperor Tetra is happy with live or frozen food, which should be supplemented from time to time with flake food or granulated food for ornamental fish in the aquarium.

Black emperor tetras are peaceful small tetras that can be socialized very well with other not too large fish in the aquarium. Careless shrimp babies are eaten, but adult dwarf shrimp are already too large for the Black Emperor Tetra and are left alone. Robust shrimps that reproduce well - most Neocaridina species or also Sulawesi inland shrimps, large shrimps such as the lively Amano shrimps or also fan shr imps are well suited for keeping with Nematobrycon palmeri "black", as are more peaceful representatives among the dwarf shrimps.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, perfectly meeting their dietary requirements. The tasty pearls are also very well eaten by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.