Brilliant tetra - Moenkhausia pitteri

It is not surprising that the brilliant tetra, Moenkhausia pittierei, which originates from Venezuela, has a large circle of fans. The fish, which belongs to the true tetras, received its name after the Swiss naturalist Henri Pittier. Brilliant tetras are schooling fish that are endemic to Lake Valencia in northern Venezuela. These charming fish have been on the market since the 1930s.

Typical for the Brilliant Tetra is the flat body with the high back. With about 6 cm they are fully grown, whereby the females remain somewhat smaller. The elongated dorsal and anal fins are striking, and they also have an adipose fin. The basic color is silvery gray, sometimes they iridesce greenish or bluish. Occasionally shiny scales can be found on their body. Especially their red colored eye is immediately noticeable, as well as the white fin tips. Especially at spawning time the males intensify their colors, so that they really look like small brilliants in the aquarium.

These little floating gems can also be propagated in the aquarium. However, since brilliant tetras are spawn predators , they should be placed in a rearing aquarium with fine plants or moss for spawning . The fry can be fed after the free swimming with dust food, like for example our YoungFeed can be fed.

The aquarium for the tetras should have a volume of at least 150 liters. Since the animals draw their strength from the group, they should be maintained if possible in a group with ten animals. Especially some shaded areas in the aquarium serve their well-being. With floating plants or lotus plants , for example, these can be well established. Also a dense planting in places suits them very well. With Roots and stones on a medium gravel a great structure can be set, which also offers retreats. The water values for brilliant tetras should preferably be a total hardness (GH) of 5 to 10 °dGH and a pH between 6 and 7.5.

Corydoras, Ancistrus and larger Tetras are excellently suited as by-fish. However,pronounced fin biters such as Sumatran barbs, Red of Rio or blood tetras should not be socialized with them. Dwarf crayfish and crayfish should not be socialized with them as they may catch or injure the pretty fish. Well reproducing Dwarf shrimpssuch as Neocaridina, but also the popular Amano shrimp or Fan shrimp get along however well with it.

In the aquarium, the brilliant tetras can be fed with conventional dry food such as flake food or granulated food for carnivorous ornamental fish. Especially by feeding live and frozen food it shows particularly beautiful colors, so its menu can be filled with impeccable live food or frozen food like Artemia, Mosquito larvae, Daphnia or Water fleas can be occasionally spiced up.

Our feed recommendation: The NatureHolic main feed is a professional staple feed for all aquarium fish. Main feed we supply in the form of soft granules, which thanks to its grain size of half a millimeter can be easily absorbed by small to medium-sized fish. The soft consistency resembles the texture of insect larvae in nature and protects the fish mouth from micro-injuries.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planaria 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.