Inpaichthys kerri – Royal Tetra

The Royal Tetra, or Inpaichthys kerri, is a small, peaceful schooling fish. It is best to keep them in groups of at least six.

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Inpaichthys kerri – Royal Tetra

Inpaichthys kerri can reach a length of about 4 centimeters. This fish has a light blue body, the belly is whitish and it has a dark stripe from the gill cover to the tail.

Females of the Royal Tetra are somewhat coarser and larger built than males. The adipose fin is red in females and blueish in males.

Although Inpaichthys Kerri, or Royal Tetra, resembles the Nematobrycon palmeri, or Emperor Tetra, the difference between the species is clear. Inpaichthys Kerri is much smaller and has an adipose fin on its back, just before the tail fin, which is missing from the Nematobrycon Palmeri.

Biotope

Western Brazil, in the Rio Aripuana, a tributary of the Rio Madeira, Amazon, South America. They inhabit the slow-flowing supply rivers there. The water is often covered by vegetation. The fallen leaves provide the soft acidic water values. The water will also be somewhat dark colored.

The Aquarium

To care for Inpaichthys kerri, you will need an aquarium that is at least 80 centimeters in length. These fish are very active and enjoy swimming. It is best not to over-light the aquarium, as they prefer a darker environment. Set up the tank with a dark substrate, plenty of loose plants, and some floating plants. It’s advisable to keep them with small fish. Additionally, they benefit from regular water changes.

Water

Temperature: 24 – 28 Celsius PH: 5,5 – 7,5 GH: 1 – 12

In nature, fish have to deal with fluctuating temperatures. Keeping fish at the minimum or maximum temperature for a long time is not always desirable and can shorten the average lifespan of the animals.

Diet

This fish is an omnivore, both frozen and live food. It prefers live food. It also likes dry food. Only give smaller types of food.

Character

Inpaichthys kerri is a peaceful schooling fish that should be kept in groups of at least ten. They swim in the middle water layers of the aquarium.

Breeding Inpaichthys kerri – Royal Tetra

Breeding Inpaichthys kerri can be quite challenging. However, raising the water temperature by 2 degrees can make this process somewhat easier. The breeding tank should be dark and equipped with fine-leaved plants, such as Java moss or spawning mops, where the eggs can be laid. It’s also helpful to place a grid on the bottom of the tank to prevent the parents from accessing the eggs that fall. For successful breeding, soft to acidic water is required, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 and a low hardness of up to GH5.

For best results, keep a group of six males and six females separate. Feed them well with live food to ensure they are in good condition. The females will become noticeably fatter from the numerous eggs they carry.

Gather the group in the breeding tank. In the morning, they will mate and lay eggs. After the eggs are laid, the parents must be removed to prevent the eggs from being eaten.

The eggs hatch within 24 to 48 hours. Three to four days later, the fry are able to swim freely. This is also the time to begin feeding them. Since the young Royal Tetras are still quite small, the initial food should be infusoria. As they grow larger, you can transition to feeding them artemia nauplii.

Video

Authors

Coby – Rickpad

Copyright images

03.Inpaichtys kerri” by Juan R. Lascorz. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Jeffrey

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Additional information

Family

Genus

Species

kerri

First described by

Jacques Géry

Character

Social behaviour

Breeding behaviour

Diet

Min. aquarium length in cm

80

Zone

Origin

Country

ecosystem

,

Minimum length

3

Length maximum

4

Temperature minimum

24

Temperature maximum

28

pH minimum

5.5

pH maximum

7.5

GH minimum

1

GH max

12