Golden Flame Tetra 3cm

Golden Flame Tetra

The Golden Flame Tetra is a rare and dazzling species that adds a fiery charm to the planted aquarium. Only recently described and still not as common in the hobby, this South American tetra is perfect for aquarists looking for something a little different. Its vibrant, warm tones and calm schooling behaviour make it a beautiful and peaceful addition to any soft water setup.

Golden Flame Tetras live up to their name with a shimmering golden-bronze body that appears to flicker like a flame under aquarium lighting. The body features a subtle gradient of orange, gold, and amber, giving a natural and warm aesthetic. Their fins are slightly translucent, often with pale yellow or orange accents, and the eyes are marked with a red ring that adds another pop of colour. These tetras display their best colours when kept in soft, slightly acidic water with a dark background and dense plants.

Breeding in the home aquarium is possible but uncommon due to their rarity. Like other tetras, they are egg scatterers and will deposit their eggs among fine plants or spawning mops. Males are typically slimmer and more colourful, while females are rounder when gravid. Separating the parents from the eggs is necessary to prevent predation.

Tank Recommendations for your Golden Flame Tetra

Being a small and relatively easy to care for fish, the Golden flame tetra can be kept in smaller aquariums with a minimum being 75 litres. This aquarium size allows for a decent school of these tetras, along with other community fish if required. Golden flame 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. Having a darker background and lighting that has a red spectrum will really bring out the best colours in these fish.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Golden flame tetra is an extremely peaceful fish that displays no aggression. They can be kept with a wide range of fish, including top, bottom, and mid-dwelling fish.

Usually Compatible

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

Sometimes Compatible

Golden flame tetras can be a relatively slow fish, so any fin-nipping species or fish that may outcompete them for food, such as guppies, tiger barbs, or Roseline sharks

Rarely Compatible

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

Feeding your Golden Flame Tetra

Golden flame 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, or even live foods like baby brine shrimp or micro worms.