Ornate tetra
Hyphessobrycon bentosi
easypeacefulmiddle swimmerCharacidae
Photo: D. Bork, A. Zarske, and H.J. Richter · CC BY 4.0
- Adult size
- 5 cm2 in
- Group
- 6+
- Tank length
- 60 cm24 in
- Lifespan
- 3–6 yrs
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C73–82 °F
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Hardness
- 1–15 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Plant cover and a quiet group support confident feeding.Plant cover and a quiet group support confident feeding.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Acei cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Brevis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Caudopunctatus
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Multies
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Pindani
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Rusty cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Saulosi cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Similis shell dweller
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Afra cichlid
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- African knifefish
African knifefish may eat Ornate tetraAfrican knifefish may eat Ornate tetra
- African pike
African pike may eat Ornate tetraAfrican pike may eat Ornate tetra
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Ornate tetraAlligator gar may eat Ornate tetra
Sources
| temperature | 23–28 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 5.5–7.5 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| gh | 1–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
| origin | South America | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Plant cover and a quiet group support confident feeding. | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| beginner friendly | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| care level | easy | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| color palette | #BBC7C9, #C43D39 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| activity | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| swim zone | middle | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| temperament | peaceful | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| fin nipper | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| long finned | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| territorial | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling min | 6 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| diet | omnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| lifespan years | 3–6 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| growth to adult months | 12 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| length weight | {"a":0.012,"b":3} | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| planted safe | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| min tank length | 60 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | tetra | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |