The range of tetras exported from South America has been steadily increasing over the years. In this article we’ll be looking at some of the less familiar tetras currently imported. While most are eminently suitable for the community tank, some have particular needs that make them challenging in one way or another. These tetras also tend to be wildcaught rather than farmed. On the one hand, this means that they are less likely to suffer from inbreeding or disease, as is all too often the case with intensively farmed Neon Tetras and the like. But being wildcaught fish, these tetras are often fussier about their food and less adaptable in terms of water chemistry, so appropriate care will need to be taken when settling them in.

Tetras are mostly schooling fish, and the more you keep, they Thappier (and healthier) they will be. Schooling species should be kept in groups of no fewer than six specimens, and ideally keep them in groups of ten or more for best effect. Big groups are more likely to school together properly, and the interactions between males and females ensure that their optimal colours are displayed. In groups that are too small the fish tend to be nervous, exhibit weaker colours, and may be prone to aberrant behaviours such as aggression and finnipping.