Diamond Tetra Care Guide - Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Diamond Tetra is a refined, deep-bodied characin named for the glittering scales that flash across its flanks. Mature fish can show a silvery-gold body with violet or bluish iridescence, while the fins are translucent and the eye may display a striking red-orange upper section.

This species is active but generally peaceful, spending much of its time in the middle levels of the aquarium. In a proper group, Diamond Tetras develop a confident, sociable presence and males may display to one another, spreading their fins and showing off their brightest colours without causing serious harm.

In the wild, they come from warm freshwater environments around the Lake Valencia drainage. Aquatic plants, overhanging vegetation and subdued light help create the shaded, sheltered conditions in which these tetras naturally forage and move between cover.

Diamond Tetras were described from Venezuela in the early twentieth century and have become popular for their unusual reflective sheen. Their appearance changes with age, mood and lighting, with well-developed adults being considerably more impressive than young specimens commonly seen in shops.

Diamond Tetras are native to northern Venezuela in South America, particularly the Lake Valencia basin and associated rivers and streams. They inhabit slow-moving, tannin-stained or clear freshwater habitats with submerged vegetation and shaded margins.

A group of Diamond Tetras should have at least 75 litres, with a footprint of around 60 by 30 cm or larger to provide useful swimming length. Use a dark sand or fine-gravel substrate, areas of dense planting, driftwood and subdued floating cover, while leaving open water through the centre. Gentle to moderate filtration, stable water quality and some shaded retreats suit their natural preference for vegetated, sheltered habitats.

Males reach about 6 cm (2.4 in), while females are usually slightly smaller at around 5 cm (2.0 in).

Diamond Tetras are omnivores that accept quality small flakes, micro pellets and granules, but they show their best colour and condition when their diet is varied. Supplement prepared foods with frozen or live offerings such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and bloodworms. Feed small portions that the group can consume promptly, with appropriately sized food for their relatively small mouths.

Diamond Tetras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with similarly sized, calm species such as harlequin rasboras, cardinal tetras, ember tetras, other peaceful tetras, Corydoras, kuhli loaches and small peaceful gouramis. Avoid housing them with large predatory fish, fin-nippers or boisterous species that may intimidate them. Very small fry and ornamental shrimp may be eaten, although adult shrimp are usually left alone in a well-planted aquarium.

Diamond Tetras are egg-scattering fish that can be bred in a separate, dimly lit breeding aquarium with soft, slightly acidic water and fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. Condition the adults with plentiful live or frozen foods, then introduce a pair or small group. Spawning usually occurs among the plants, after which the adults should be removed because they may eat the eggs. The eggs hatch in roughly 24 to 36 hours, and the tiny fry can be raised on infusoria or other suitably fine first foods before moving on to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Males are generally larger, slimmer and more intensely coloured, with longer, more pointed dorsal and ventral fins. Females tend to have a fuller, rounder abdomen, especially when carrying eggs, and their fins are usually shorter.