Identity and search names
- Common name
- Lemon tetra
- Scientific name
- Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
- Other names
- Lemon tetra, Pulchripinnis tetra
- Category
- Freshwater fish
- Group
- Tetras and characins
- Origin
- Tapajós River basin of Brazil
- Review outcome
- PASSED
Environment and housing
- Environment
- Freshwater
- Care level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Adult size
- Usually 4–5 cm total length; published maximum about 3.8 cm standard length
- Expected lifespan
- About 5–8 years
- Minimum housing
- At least 90 L with a 75 cm or longer swimming length for a school
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
- pH
- 5.5–8.0
- Hardness or minerals
- Soft to moderately hard
- Salinity
- Freshwater
- Lighting
- Subdued to moderate with shaded planted margins
- Social structure
- Keep at least 10–12; males display and establish temporary spawning areas within the school
- Placement or swimming zone
- Middle water with access to upper spawning cover
- Temperament
- Peaceful, active and social
- Compatibility
- Use peaceful similarly sized community fish; avoid large predators and persistent fin-nippers
- Habitat structure
- Mature planted aquarium with dark substrate, shaded margins and open mid-water swimming room
Feeding and nutrition
- Diet
- Small insects, crustaceans, zooplankton and fine omnivore prepared foods
- Feeding frequency
- Feed small varied portions once or twice daily and avoid high-waste overfeeding
Breeding and reproduction
- Breeding or reproduction
- Conditioned adults scatter eggs among fine plants or spawning media. Males may defend temporary morning spawning areas; remove adults or collect eggs because no brood care is provided
- Parental care
- No parental care; adults may eat eggs and fry
System demands
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
Detailed husbandry
- Identity scope
- This profile applies to Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis from the Tapajós basin. It should not be confused with other yellow Hyphessobrycon species sold under loose lemon-tetra names.
- Adult size and space
- Usually 4–5 cm total length; published maximum about 3.8 cm standard length. At least 90 L with a 75 cm or longer swimming length for a school. Plan around adult dimensions, activity, social structure, aggression and waste production rather than sale size.
- Social structure
- Keep at least 10–12; males display and establish temporary spawning areas within the school
- Placement or swimming zone
- Primary zone: Middle water with access to upper spawning cover. Keep that zone usable for movement, feeding and refuge.
- Feeding ecology
- Small insects, crustaceans, zooplankton and fine omnivore prepared foods
- Feeding plan
- Feed small varied portions once or twice daily and avoid high-waste overfeeding
- Water stability
- Maintain 23–28 °C; pH 5.5–8.0; hardness/minerals: Soft to moderately hard. Stable oxygenation and nitrogen-cycle control matter more than chasing one exact number.
- Adult projected load
- Plan capacity for Keep at least 10–12; males display and establish temporary spawning areas within the school at the documented adult size (Usually 4–5 cm total length; published maximum about 3.8 cm standard length) in At least 90 L with a 75 cm or longer swimming length for a school. Include feeding intensity, territorial behaviour and breeding growth rather than counting sale-size juveniles.
- Filtration
- Use mature biological filtration sized for the full adult group and feeding load, with intake protection where juveniles, long fins or small fish are present. Provide steady turnover without preventing normal swimming or resting.
- Aeration
- Maintain strong surface gas exchange and stable dissolved oxygen. Increase aeration during warm weather, medication, transport recovery, breeding crowding or any ammonia or nitrite event.
- Maintenance
- Test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, remove waste from feeding and shelter zones, and perform regular temperature- and chemistry-matched water changes before nitrate or dissolved organics accumulate.
- Habitat structure
- Mature planted aquarium with dark substrate, shaded margins and open mid-water swimming room
- Compatibility plan
- Use peaceful similarly sized community fish; avoid large predators and persistent fin-nippers
- Breeding plan
- Conditioned adults scatter eggs among fine plants or spawning media. Males may defend temporary morning spawning areas; remove adults or collect eggs because no brood care is provided Parental care: No parental care; adults may eat eggs and fry.
- Quarantine
- Quarantine new fish in a separate cycled aquarium with dedicated equipment. Match temperature and mineral chemistry gradually, confirm feeding and normal respiration, and never add transport water to the established aquarium.
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Faded colour usually signals a small group, stress, poor diet or unsuitable lighting—not a need for unverified colour additives.
- Biosecurity and release
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
- Main risk
- Faded colour usually signals a small group, stress, poor diet or unsuitable lighting—not a need for unverified colour additives.
- Overridable warnings
- Faded colour usually signals a small group, stress, poor diet or unsuitable lighting—not a need for unverified colour additives. Any override must still preserve adult space, social welfare, stable chemistry, oxygen and filter capacity.
Welfare and risk
- Welfare checks
- Maintain the stated adult space and social structure, verify feeding and intervene early when injury, exclusion, weight loss, abnormal respiration or altered behaviour appears. Faded colour usually signals a small group, stress, poor diet or unsuitable lighting—not a need for unverified colour additives.
- Main warning
- Faded colour usually signals a small group, stress, poor diet or unsuitable lighting—not a need for unverified colour additives.
- Biosecurity
- Never release fish, fry, eggs, aquarium water, sediment, plants or live foods into drains, dams or natural waterways. Confirm current Australian import conditions and South Australian possession, trade and movement rules before acquisition or transfer.
Sources
Source note
Current identity or scope, husbandry, system-demand, welfare and Australian biosecurity evidence checked; active retired-source links removed; all AquaNexus wording is original.
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis — Current accepted-name, synonym, family and habitat check
- Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes — Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis — Accepted-name, synonym and taxonomic-placement cross-check
- Seriously Fish — Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis — Adult size, Tapajós distribution, schooling care and reproductive behaviour cross-check
- IUCN Red List search — Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis — Conservation-status and wild-provenance cross-check
- PIRSA — South Australian noxious fish list — Current South Australian possession and trade restriction cross-check
- DAFF — importing live ornamental fish to Australia — Current Australian live-fish import pathway and permitted-species warning