TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Tetras / Glass bloodfin tetra
★New · no ratings yetPicture coming

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Glass bloodfin tetra

Prionobrama filigera · Glass bloodfin, Transparent bloodfin

Active schooler.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
6 cmBody length, without tail ✓
23–27 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
68 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Glass bloodfin tetra is tropical.
  • They need different temperatures (23–27 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Glass bloodfin tetra only grows to 6 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (23–27 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 23–24 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

360 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 ✓0–30 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Top
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–4 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Active schooler.

Food

Flakes and small foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature females are noticeably fuller in the belly. Males show a dark stripe on the anal fin next to the white edge, and are said to have slightly longer dorsal and anal fins.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Easy

An easy egg scatterer. Spawn a group or a pair in a separate, dimly lit tank (about 45 x 25 x 25 cm) with java moss, spawning mops or a mesh base, soft acidic water (pH 6.0-7.0, gH 1-5) at 26.5-29 °C. Remove the adults once eggs appear, as they eat them. Eggs hatch in 14-36 hours and fry swim freely 3-4 days later.

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

200+ 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 – Amazon basin (Brazil, Peru, Colombia & Bolivia)
Rivers and lakesAmazon and its tributaries
HabitatOpen water of rivers and floodplain lakes
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the glass bloodfin tetra

A nearly transparent South American tetra with a red tail, described by Cope in 1870 from Pebas, Peru. Unlike the better-known bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi), it has no red in the anal and ventral fins.

Edward Drinker Cope described this tetra in 1870. Its glass-clear body contrasts with a blood-red tail. It is an active, surface-swimming schooling fish.

First described by Edward D. Cope in 1870. Named for 'filigera' means thread-bearing.

  • Its body is almost transparent.
  • Males have a white, thread-like extension on the anal fin.
  • It swims near the surface.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources