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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Dawn tetra
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Dawn tetra

Hyphessobrycon eos · Jewel tetra, Eos tetra, Dawn

Peaceful schooler for planted tanks.

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4.2 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Dawn tetra only grows to 4.2 cm.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Dawn tetra only grows to 4.2 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Dawn tetra only grows to 4.2 cm.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?6 or more
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ?Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2–3 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful schooler for planted tanks.

Food

Flakes and micro foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

MaleSlimmer, brighter fins
FemaleRounder
TipMales are redder
How hard to tellModerate

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Easy

Egg scatterer.

Pairing

Keep a group of 8-10 and move a well-conditioned trio or group to a spawning tank.

Setup

30-40 L tank with a spawning grid or dense java moss, soft to medium water (pH 6-7.5), a sponge filter and subdued light.

What starts it

Heavy live-food conditioning, then a water change with slightly cooler water in the morning.

Eggs

100-300 eggs

Raising the fry

Start with infusoria or powdered fry food, then newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size as they grow.

Common mistakes
  • Leaving adults with the eggs
  • Poor conditioning of the parents
  • Overfeeding the fry tank
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth America – Guyana, Suriname & Venezuela
Rivers and lakesEssequibo basin and other Guiana Shield rivers
HabitatSlow, vegetated streams
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
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The story of the dawn tetra

A small rosy tetra from Guyana, described by Durbin in 1909. Its name comes from Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn, a name given to animals with rosy, sunrise-like colours.

Marion Durbin described the dawn tetra in 1909 from Guyana. Its name eos, Greek for dawn, refers to its soft golden-orange colour. It is a peaceful schooling tetra that is less common in shops than its relatives.

First described by Marion Durbin in 1909. Named for 'eos' is Greek for dawn.

  • Its name eos is the Greek word for dawn.
  • It has a dark spot near the tail base.
  • It does best in a group in a planted tank.

Sources

5 facts checked with sources