Tetras · Hyphessobrycon
Lemon tetra
Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis · Rio Tapajós basin, Brazil
Photo: Waugsberg, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
23–28 °C 73–82 °F
pH
5.5–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
4.5 cm 1.8 in
Swims
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
6 or more a shoal feels safe
Current
Calm still or slow water
Food
Eats most foods
Temperament
Peaceful
≈ Every value here is an estimate from typical hobby ranges. We're checking them against sources.
Where it comes from
Home water
Rio Tapajós basin, Brazil
Tapajós
Lives in river habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with low flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Leopard frog L134
Plecos · 11 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Will eat the lemon tetra
-
Aggressive and will eat the lemon tetra
-
Want fast, strong current
Angelicus L136Big white spot L142Blue phantom L128Butterfly hillstream loachColombian zebra L129Dwarf snowball L471
In the hobby
In stock now
Not in stock at any store we track.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Lemon tetra get?
About 4.5 cm (1.8 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Lemon tetra need?
23–28 °C (73–82 °F).
What pH does a Lemon tetra need?
pH 5.5–7.5.
Does a Lemon tetra need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 6.
Is the Lemon tetra aggressive?
No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.
What does a Lemon tetra eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Lemon tetra come from?
Rio Tapajós basin, Brazil.
What fish can live with a Lemon tetra?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Leopard frog (L134), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 23 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Estimate |
| pH min | 5.5 | Estimate |
| pH max | 7.5 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 4.5 | Estimate |
| Flow | Low | Estimate |
| Habitat | river | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 6 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Estimate |
| Diet | Omnivore | Estimate |
| Typical price min (CAD) | 3 | Estimate |
| Typical price max (CAD) | 5 | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
