Blue Bleeding Tetra - Wild Caught 3.5cm

Blue Bleeding Tetra

For the aquarists who are casing a rare, unique, and stunning tetra to add to a planted aquascape or nano aquarium, then the blue bleeding tetra would be a perfect consideration. These are extremely underrated schooling fish that tend to be overshadowed by the more common rummy nose or neon tetra. These fish however are seldom seen in Australia and offer a great touch of rarity.

Being a member of the Hyphessobrycon family these fish share a similar body shape to their more common cousins like black neons with a stocky but streamlined physique. As their name suggests, the blue bleeding tetra carries a metallic royal blue through the body which is complimented by a bold black lateral stripe. The bleeding part of their name likely comes from the bright red fins which add a stark contrast to the blues. As juveniles these fish might not be that impressive however once they reach maturity their true beauty of them will really shine. These tropical fish only reach a maximum size of 5cm which makes them perfect for a desktop planted tank or even a massive community tank where these fish can be the main school.

Breeding these fish in captivity is possible however it is fairly uncommon due to the fact that these fish are not overly popular amongst the general aquarist base. However, in a breeding setting females will scatter eggs through the aquarium and males follow by fertilising. This can be done in a small 40-litre aquarium with an abundance of java moss or spawning mops. The parent fish should be fed with a lot of microlive or frozen foods to get them into breeding condition. After being placed in the spawning tank, the parents can be removed after 48 hours as this ais mple time for them to lay eggs.

Tank Recommendations for your Blue Bleeding Tetra

Being a small and relatively easy to care for fish the blue bleeding tetra can be kept in smaller aquariums with the minimum being 75 litres. This aquarium size allows for a decent school of these tetras along with other community fish if required. Blue bleeding tetras would also look equally amazing in large schools of 20 or more in a larger aquarium setting which really highlights their shoaling behaviour. A sand or gravel substrate would be fine for these fish as well as a lot of plant growth which not only makes them contrast really well but also makes them more comfortable in the aquarium.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The blue bleeding tetra is an extremely peaceful fish that displays no aggression, they can be kept with a wide range of fish being top, bottom, and mid dweller fish.

Usually Compatible

Discus, the Angelfish, glow light tetras, neon tetras, Apistogramma, rams, and a range of dwarf nano peaceful fish.

Sometimes Compatible

Blue bleeding tetras can be relatively slow fish so any fin-nipping species or fish that may outcompete them for food such as Uaru, Mascara barbs, and similar species.

Rarely Compatible

Large and aggressive species such as rainbow sharks, Raphael catfish, and larger-mouthed community fish may pester or prey on the tetras.

Feeding your Blue Bleeding Tetra

Blue bleeding tetras are a very easy fish to feed. They will take a wide range of pellets, flakes and frozen foods. Just like any fish though they should be fed a varied diet with a mix of different foods. The ideal diet would be a good quality micro slow-sinking pellet or crushed flake, supplemented with frozen bloodworms or black worms.