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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Striped headstander
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Variations

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Striped headstander

Anostomus anostomus · Striped anostomus, Anostomus

Territorial with its own kind and other headstanders; keep in a group of five or more in a large planted tank, or alone.

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20 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7.5pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Striped headstander eats animals up to about 3 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Not recommended
  • Striped headstander eats animals up to about 3 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Striped headstander eats animals up to about 3 cm. Ember tetra only grows to 2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

376 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 ✓1–18 dGH
Group size ✓6 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Territorial with its own kind and other headstanders; keep in a group of five or more in a large planted tank, or alone. May nip.

Food

Vegetable-based flakes and pellets, algae, blanched greens and frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature females grow slightly larger and are rounder-bellied than males.

Health

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

Breeding

Egg-scatterer (rarely bred) ·

Not known to have been bred in home aquaria, but apparently bred commercially in South America and Asia. In the wild, pairs spawn in densely weeded places.

Pairing

Needs a large group in mature, stable conditions; pairing is hard to control.

Setup

Roomy, planted tank with very soft acidic water (pH 5-6.5), subdued light and fine-leaved plants or a spawning mat.

What starts it

Rain-season style changes: soft cool water changes, a small temperature rise and heavy live feeding.

Eggs

unknown

Raising the fry

Infusoria then brine shrimp nauplii; survival is poor without very clean water.

Common mistakes
  • Hard tap water
  • Overcrowding the breeding tank
  • Poor water quality
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionNorthern South America – Amazon and Orinoco basins and the Guianas
Rivers and lakesOrinoco, upper Amazon and rivers of Guyana and Suriname
HabitatRocky, fast-flowing stretches of clear rivers
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the striped headstander

A boldly striped headstander from the Amazon and Orinoco that grazes algae from rocks at a head-down angle. The name Anostomus means 'upturned mouth'. It is an excellent jumper.

Carl Linnaeus named this fish in 1758 in the famous 10th edition of Systema Naturae, making it one of the first South American aquarium fishes to receive a scientific name. Its name was later reused for the genus, giving the repeated 'Anostomus anostomus'. It has been kept in aquaria for decades as an eye-catching, if sometimes quarrelsome, community fish.

First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

  • Headstanders feed head-down, grazing algae and small invertebrates from rocks and wood.
  • Its upturned mouth is unusual for a fish that feeds on surfaces below it.
  • The name Anostomus refers to the mouth opening upward.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources