Diamond Tetra

By: Jane Lane
 
Common Name: Diamond Tetra
Latin Name: Moenkhausia pittieri
Origin: Venezuela
Temperature: 76-82°F or 24-28°C
Ease Of Keeping: Relatively easy
Aggressivness: Peaceful
Lighting: subdued is best
Adult Size: 2 ½" or 6.3cm
Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallon, bigger is better
Feeding: Flake, frozen, or live
Spawning Method: Egg-layers
 
Comments: In my experience, the Diamond Tetra is an active and easy fish. To keep it happy, all you need is clean water, plenty of room, and some areas of low lighting. Mine have become much more active since I added a large amount of plants to their tank. This picture really doesn't show the glittery effect of this fishs' scales and the lavander color of its fins. In many pet stores, poor water quality makes them sluggish and look a little brown and dull. Males of the speices are a bit more colorful than females and have much longer fins. Diamond Tetras are great to have not only for their beauty, but because they are one of the least nippy large tetras. They may quarrel among themselves occasionally, but they would never nip at a different species.