Care
The Bloodfin Tetra is known from the Parana River basin in central eastern South America. Here, they inhabit small river tributaries and streams, usually amongst marginal areas of thick aquatic vegetation and shaded by the canopy above. The aquarium should be heavily planted, with a dark substrate and background to best show off the colours of these fish. Filtration should be efficient, but water movement fairly gentle. This is an active shoaling species that should be maintained in groups of 6 or more (10+ is better wherever possible). They can be rather nippy so are best maintained alongside other fast, short-finned fish, avoiding any species which have elaborate finnage. Ensure that the tank has tight fitting coverslides as these fish are expert jumpers. Can also be maintained at steady room temperature, but will often show better colours in warmer water. May also be seen on sale as the Argentine Bloodfin.
Feeding
Flake, micropellets, small frozen foods such as daphnia, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, bloodworm, and white mosquito larvae.
Breeding
This species has been bred in the home aquarium, and when kept in a heavily planted tank, fry are very likely to appear from time to time. If you wish to raise a higher brood number, a separate spawning aquarium should be used. This should have a substrate of sterilised marbles and contain plenty of fine-leaved plants with gentle filtration (an air driven sponge filter is ideal). Spawning usually occurs first thing in the morning, with the male driving the female over the plants. After the clear eggs have been scattered, the parent fish should be removed to avoid predation. This is a particularly fecund species with mature females capable of scattering several hundred eggs each. These should hatch within 24 hours, and once the fry have used up their yolk sacs, they should be offered infusoria, followed by baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) as they grow.
