Nematobrycon Lacortei
Written by on 26th April 2012 and viewed 861 times
Profile - Freshwater Fish - Characins
| Latin | Nematobrycon Lacortei |
| Common | Rainbow Tetra |
| Group | Freshwater Fish |
| Type | Characins |
| Family | Characidae |
| Origin | South America; the Rainbow Tetra are endemic to Colombia |
| Adult Size | Up to 2 inches |
| Lifespan | 3-5 years |
| Social | Peaceful |
| Tank level | Minimum tank size of 15 gallons where the Rainbow Tetra will occupy the mid levels |
| Lighting | Subdued |
| dGH | 5-12 |
| pH | 5.6-7.2 |
| Temperature | 23-27 °C (74-81 °F) |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Sexing | Mature males are larger than the females and will develop extended finnage. |
| Breeding | Like all Tetras, they prefer a breeding tank that has dim lighting and add spawning mops or Java Moss to act as spawning sites.The base of the tank should have marbles or a mesh so that any eggs can fall through and protect them from the parent fish, they are renowned for eating their own eggs. Use an air driven sponge filter and set this so that only a low water current is produced. They are group spawners so add a group of fish , preferably the same ratio of each sex and condition them with a rich diet of live or frozen foods. Spawning will always take place at daybreak and thousands of eggs will be deposited. Once spawning is complete, remove the parents and the eggs should hatch 12-24 hours later. Do not attempt to feed the fry at this stage as they will be consuming their yolk sacs, 3-4 days later the fry should be free swiming and can now be fed on infusoria or a commercial egg layer fry food until they have grown large enough to accept newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Never allow strong light to reach the breeding tank in the early stages as both eggs and fry are light sensitive. |
| Feeding | Not a fussy eater so use a quality flake or small granules for the staple diet but vary this with treats of small live or frozen foods twice a week. |
| Care | A peaceful species that must be kept in small groups of at least 6 specimens. They prefer a planted tank with hiding places and adding bogwood will allow tannins to leach into the water. Using a dark substrate and subdued lighting should bring out the best colouration from the fish. Only keep the Rainbow Tetra with peaceful species as they cannot compete for food. |
| Notes | Not a widely seen species in the aquatic stores, this Tetra should never be kept under bright lighting. |
