TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Tetras / Red-spotted copeina
★New · no ratings yetPicture coming

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Red-spotted copeina

Copeina guttata · Red-spotted characin, Copeina

Semi-aggressive towards small fish; keep with robust tankmates; needs a lid.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
7.6 cmBody length, without tail ✓
23–28 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Red-spotted copeina eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Red-spotted copeina eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Red-spotted copeina eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
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

313 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 ?3 or more
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Semi-aggressive towards small fish; keep with robust tankmates; needs a lid.

Food

Insects, small fish and frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are more intensely coloured than females and tend to develop extended fins.

Health

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

Breeding

Pit spawner (male guards) · Hard

Lays its eggs in a shallow pit the male digs in the sand; the male fans and guards the eggs and then the fry until they swim freely. It does not spawn above the water like the splash tetra.

Pairing

Keep a pair or group; the male leaps with the female to lay eggs on leaves above the water.

Setup

A tank with fine sand and soft, slightly acidic water.

What starts it

Warm soft water and live food; males guard and splash the eggs.

Eggs

Eggs hatch in about 24 hours; FishBase's model uses a fecundity of about 100 eggs.

Raising the fry

After 3 days the male splashes eggs with water; fry fall into the water and eat infusoria then brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • No lid or overhang
  • Hard water
  • Disturbing the male
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth America – Amazon basin (Peru, Brazil, Ecuador & Colombia)
Rivers and lakesAmazon and its tributaries
HabitatSlow streams and pools
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the red-spotted copeina

A larger relative of the splash tetra from the middle and upper Amazon, named for its spots (Latin gutta); unlike the splash tetra it spawns in a pit in the sand, guarded by the male.

Franz Steindachner described this fish in 1876. Its scales carry small red spots, especially in males. Unlike most tetra-like fishes, the male digs a pit in the sand for the eggs and guards them.

First described by Franz Steindachner in 1876. Named for 'guttata' means spotted.

  • Males have a red spot on most scales.
  • The male digs a pit in the sand for spawning.
  • The male guards the eggs and young.

Sources

13 facts checked with sources