Hemigrammus pulcher – Garnet Tetra
Hemigrammus pulcher or Garnet Tetra is a small and peaceful schooling fish that belongs in a community tank. They should be kept with other peaceful not too busy fish. The water should be soft. Their common name is Garnet Tetra.
They used to be available most of the time in local fish stores but are a bit harder to come by nowadays. You can find their cousins Hemmigrammus ocellifer more often now.
This species was first described in 1938 by Ladiges.
Origin
The Garnet Tetra originates from Peru, they can be found in the upper parts of the Amazon.
Diet
You can feed them small living or frozen foods. They will take flakes and small granules as well.
Breeding Hemigrammus pulcher
Breeding Hemigrammus pulcher is not really easy. They are a bit picky about their choice of partner. You will probably have better results when trying with some older fish. It takes some time to condition the female and get her full of eggs. Add two males and let them spawn. The spawning tank should contain fine-leaved plants like Java Moss. After hatching the fry should be fed with plenty of infusoria. As soon as they are big enough you can start feeding them brine shrimp. Breeding temperature should be around 27 degrees Celsius.
Video
Author
Jan Bukkems – Aquavisie
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