Care
Originating in forest streams where the water is the colour of black tea and the light levels low, Glowlights are most at home in conditions that duplicate their Amazonian homeland.
A familiar aquarium species, the Glowlight tetra is a peaceful and sometimes slightly shy species suitable for community aquaria containing fish of a similar size and disposition, as well as making a good dither fish for dwarf cichlids in larger aquaria. Glowlights appreciate the cover of aquatic plants but are equally at home in tanks furnished with bogwood and leaf litter. Due to their shoaling nature these fish should be kept in groups and although 6 is a workable minimum, they can be breathtaking when kept in larger shoals, which will tend to occupy the lower reaches of the aquarium.
Widely bred in captivity, wild Glowlights are seldom seen, as their natural distribution is far from most commercial collecting operations and tank-bred specimens are found in every store. Having been kept in aquaria for generations, these fish are hardy and adaptable, thriving in tap water in most parts of the country but undoubtedly showing their best colour in soft water with dim lighting and a tanin tint, when the white fin tips will be a strong contrast to their bright orange body stripe.
In addition to the wild type, an albino strain is widely available.
Feeding
Offer a good quality flake food, supplemented with small frozen foods such as daphnia and cyclops.
Breeding
This species has been bred in the home aquarium following the same method as for spawning the Neon Tetra.
