Dwarf tetra - Nannostomus marginatus

The dwarf tetra (Nannostomus marginatus) is a slender tetra from South America. With a body length of 3.5-4 cm, this pretty striped little Nannostomus is one of the smallest ornamental tetras in the aquarium hobby. The light golden shimmering body is decorated with two strong black longitudinal stripes in the middle. On the body and in the fins the dwarf ornamental tetra has red accents. The back is olive green.

The females have a pointed, straight anal fin, in the male it is roundish. As a schooling fish, Nannostomus marginatus should be kept in the aquarium from a group size of 10 animals.

Breeding of this peaceful, calm schooling fish is not easy. The dwarf tetra needs very soft, slightly acidic water and a darkened aquarium. At a water temperature of about 25 °C the breeding should run best. After spawning, the parents must be caught out. The fry are best fed with artemiauplia and other fine live food.

In the wild, the dwarf tetra lives in riparian vegetation and driftwood alluvium. In the aquarium it needs free swimming space as well as aquarium plants. Nannostomus marginatus does not like it brightly, with swimming plants one can darken individual aquarium areas somewhat. In soft to medium hard water the beautiful small ornamental fish feels well, the water temperature should be approx. 22-30 °C.

As a tetra, the dwarf tetra is a small predator, whose small mouth already physically prevents it from eating larger shrimp. However, it is possible that it will go after juvenile shrimp, so it should not be kept together with sensitive species such as bee shrimp. However, no problems are expected with Neocaridina, Sulawesi inland shrimp or Amano shr imp if the aquarium is set up appropriately.

As omnivores with a slight emphasis on animal food, Dwarf Tetra can be fed with flake food, granulated food for aquarium fish or with frozen food, live food and also FD food (freeze-dried).

Our feed recommendation: This 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, 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.