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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Ember tetra
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Ember tetra

Hyphessobrycon amandae · Ember, Amanda tetra

Tiny, peaceful shoaler; good with shrimp.

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2 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7pH ✓
41 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Ember tetra only grows to 2 cm.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Ember tetra is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (24–28 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Betta eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Ember tetra only grows to 2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

238 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–10 dGH
Group size ✓8 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ?Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1–1.5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Tiny, peaceful shoaler; good with shrimp.

Food

Crushed flakes, micro-pellets, baby brine shrimp.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Male Ember tetra
Male
Female Ember tetra
Female

Males are more intensely coloured, especially in spawning condition; females are noticeably rounder-bodied.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

Egg-scattering free spawner with no parental care, spawning among fine-leaved plants or moss; remove adults so they do not eat the eggs.

Pairing

Buy a group of 8-10 and let them pair up. Tiny fish, so use fine mops.

Setup

10-20 L tank with fine java moss, soft, slightly acid water and gentle filtration.

What starts it

Warm water, soft water and good feeding with tiny foods.

Eggs

Around 30-80 eggs; hatch in about 24-48 hours.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria or green water for days 1-3, then newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms. Keep light low early on. Grow out in a larger tank once fish are about 1 cm.

Common mistakes
  • Foods too large
  • Strong filter
  • Bigger fish with them
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionRio Araguaia basin – central Brazil
Rivers and lakesRio das Mortes and Rio Araguaia
HabitatDensely vegetated, slow-flowing water
Native rangeAbout 400 km across
See it on the world map

Plants that suit it

BucephalandraJava mossDwarf hairgrassMonte CarloDwarf baby tearsStaurogyne repensRotala

The story of the ember tetra

Described by Géry & Uj in 1987 and named after Amanda Flora Hilda Bleher, a German limnologist and the mother of explorer Heiko Bleher, who collected the type specimen.

Géry and Uj described the ember tetra in 1987, naming it after Amanda Bleher. Though known to collectors for years, it became widely popular with the rise of nano and planted tanks. It reaches only about 2 cm.

First described by Jacques Géry & Ádám Uj in 1987. Named for Named after Amanda Bleher, mother of fish explorer Heiko Bleher.

  • It is one of the smallest tetras commonly kept, at about 2 cm.
  • Its glowing orange colour deepens in well-planted tanks.
  • Ember tetras are gentle enough for tanks with shrimp.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources