Glowlight Tetra: Vet Reviewed Pictures, Size, Care & Tank Setup
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The Glowlight Tetra is a striking fish that has many things going for them as an excellent beginner species. Their temperament makes them a welcome addition to a community tank. These fish will school, creating an attractive display with their gorgeous colors. They are affordably priced and hardy. They are also active tank mates that make them enjoyable to watch.
Quick Facts about Glowlight Tetra
| Species Name: | Hemigrammus erythrozonus |
| Family: | Characidae |
| Care Level: | Easy |
| Temperature: | 24-28oC (75 – 82.4oF) |
| Temperament: | Peaceful schooling fish |
| Color Form: | Translucent body with a lateral red-orange stripe |
| Lifespan: | 3 years |
| Size: | 1.2–2 inches |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 gallons for a shoal of 6 |
| Tank Setup: | Sand or gravel substrate with dim lighting and ample cover |
| Compatibility: | Compatible with a community tank with docile tank mates |
Glowlight Tetra Overview
This species lives in the Amazon Basin and Essequibo River in South America. They typically live in the dark waters of small waterways. That makes their flashy colors an adaptive feature. They swim in schools in the wild and in aquariums. We recommend getting them in groups of at least six to replicate the conditions of their native land.
How Much Do Glowlight Tetras Cost?
The Glowlight Tetra is both affordable and ubiquitous. You won’t have any problems finding them. You can usually buy them singly for less than $5 a piece. Some sellers offer group purchases, which can make stocking your aquarium easier with compatible fish. You’ll see small specimens for sale, often around an inch long.
Typical Behavior & Temperament
You couldn’t ask for a more peaceful fish. This species will get along with compatible, docile species. They tend to keep to their own species when schooling. Individuals often swim alone and come back together when they perceive a threat. The dancing colors make for quite a show. This species usually swims in the middle of the tank.
Appearance & Varieties
The Glowlight Tetra shares many traits of other species in the Characidae family. This fish has an elongated body with laterally placed black eyes. The characteristic feature and the reason for its name is the iridescent red-orange stripe down their length. The coloration extends to the base of their fins. Male and female fish look similar, with the latter slightly larger than the former. The maximum size is around 2 inches long.
How to Take Care of Glowlight Tetra
Its ease of care makes the Glowlight Tetra a popular choice with hobbyists. This fish is both hardy and relatively tolerant of minor changes in the water chemistry. The fish is relatively long-lived for species of its kind, reaching 3 or more years with stable conditions.
Habitat, Tank Conditions & Setup
The species is a tropical fish, making a heater a necessary addition. We recommend keeping the middle of the tank open so that they can swim with their school. Remember that they are active and will likely spend their time darting around the tank when not swimming along the bottom.
Aquarium Size
You should purchase the Glowlight Tetra in small groups of at least six fish for a 10-gallon tank, although the bigger, the better. That’s especially true if you plan on adding other schooling species to give everyone their space. We don’t recommend anything smaller with the aquarium or group size. The beauty of this tetra stands out more when there are several in the tank.
Water Conditions
The Glowlight Tetra fares best in temperatures between 24-28oC (75 – 82.4oF). Their native habitat often is water that is slightly acidic from rotting vegetation. You can keep the pH at a constant value between 5.5–7.5, with a dH at a constant level between 1–15. While these tetra are somewhat tolerant of fluctuating conditions, we recommend keeping the water chemistry as stable as possible to avoid stressing the fish.
You should do weekly partial water changes as part of your routine maintenance. We also suggest testing it regularly for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH levels.
Substrate
This species isn’t picky about the substrate. You can use either gravel or sand. We suggest getting a dark color to make the colors of the tetra pop against it.
Plants
In the wild, these fish live in waters with plenty of plants and cover. You should replicate those conditions in your aquarium with live or artificial plants. The Glowlight Tetra is an omnivore, though, making live plants more desirable. If you have live plants though, you’ll need lighting that caters to their needs.
Are Glowlight Tetra Good Tank Mates?
The Glowlight Tetra makes an excellent tank mate for livebearers and similarly docile species, such as Zebra Danios, rasboras, and other small tetra species. Of course, size is another consideration. Large fish may eat smaller ones, no matter how peaceful they are. It’s worth mentioning that this species is also a micro-predator that will readily eat live food.
What to Feed Your Glowlight Tetra
The Glowlight Tetra is an omnivore and, thus, plays a role in several branches of the food web—including prey! In the wild, they eat aquatic plants, crustaceans, and invertebrates. However, this fish isn’t a picky eater. They will readily eat commercial granules or flakes. If you want to keep their colors bright and vibrant, it’s recommended to offer your tetras frozen and live foods, like bloodworms and brine shrimp.
We recommend feeding smaller quantities a few times daily instead of a large meal that will sink into the substrate. Make sure to also offer your tetras foods small enough for them to eat.
Keeping Your Glowlight Tetra Healthy
A stable environment and a well-balanced diet are the ways to keep your Glowlight Tetras healthy and vibrant. Don’t skimp on maintenance despite their hardiness and tolerance. Remember that the larger waters in which these fish live don’t change a lot or often. Your challenge is ensuring the same environment with your aquarium. Tetras don’t need special care, just regular maintenance.
Breeding
It’s best to set up a separate tank for spawning since the parents will eat the eggs. It doesn’t have to be large. A 10 gallon all-glass tank with soft water (hardness up to 8°dGH and carbonate hardness not higher than 2°dCH) is required. Adding peat to the tank or filter will soften the water and make it slightly acidic. The tank should have dim or no lighting. These fish are egg scatters and are fond of spawning over fine-leaved plants.
A spawning mop or plants with fine leaves, such as Java moss, will provide a platform. Keep watch on the spawning tank so that you can remove the parents quickly back into the main aquarium.
Glowlight Tetras are moderately difficult to breed. The removal part is the challenge. The eggs will hatch in about 2 days. You can offer the free-swimming fry a starter food or crushed flakes to give them a healthy start. You can put them in the main tank once they reach a suitable size. Remember that the young are vulnerable at this stage. Make sure the conditions stay stable, and don’t overfeed them.
Are Glowlight Tetras Suitable For Your Aquarium?
The Glowlight Tetras are excellent beginner fish because of their easy care and maintenance. Their beautiful color is another reason to add them to your community tank. Basic aquarium maintenance will provide an ideal environment for them to grow and thrive. Stocking your tank with compatible species no larger than your tetras will offer a rewarding experience.
Featured Image Credit: hemigrammus erythrozonus underwater view
