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Freshwater   Fishes

Royal tetra
(Inpaichthys kerri)

Royal tetra

Alternative species (click on the thumbnail to see the card)

Names

Scientific name
Inpaichthys kerri

Common name
Royal tetra

Origin

what are its countries of origin?

Origin: Brazil, Colombia
Biotope: Amazonian

Dimorphism

what are the physical differences between males and females?

The male is larger and very colourful. He has a rounded anal fin. The female is yellow-brown and has an angular anal fin.

Group

Group

Characidae

Volume

what is the minimum volume for this species?

100 L / 22 imp gal / 26 US gal

Parameters

what are the water parameters for the maintenance of this fish?

T°: 23 to 26°C or 73 to 79°F
pH: 6 to 7.5
Hardness: 3 to 10°dGH

Difficulty

Difficulty

Easy

Size

what is the maximum size of this fish?

3 to 5cm (1.2 to 2")

Longevity

what is the average Longevity of this fish?

2 years

Living zone

in which area of the aquarium does this fish live?

Middle

Individuals

sociability of the species

10

Food

How to feed the Royal tetra?

Food

How to feed the Royal tetra?

Omnivorous: all forms of food are accepted.

Behavior

What kind of behavior does the Royal tetra have?

Behavior

What kind of behavior does the Royal tetra have?

It is not particularly fearful and quite active, even quarrelsome and turbulent! Like all species of the genus, it is gregarious and must be kept in groups. It suffers from an unjustified reputation as a fin-cracker because if it is maintained in sufficient numbers, this behaviour should not appear. Males compete in colourful parades.

Cohabitation

Who can live with the Royal tetra?

Cohabitation

Who can live with the Royal tetra?

Community baccalaureate accepted (independent, it does not care about the other inhabitants). It will be necessary to avoid too turbulent roommates and to be careful of the predation of big fish. You can for example associate other Grouse, Rasboras or Apistogramma to it.

Breeding

How to breed the Royal tetra?

Breeding

How to breed the Royal tetra?

Its reproduction is quite easy. It is possible to breed in a general tank but if you wish to have a large number of fry, plan a tank specially dedicated to the reproduction of the Tetra. Place a male and a female in a laying trough (15 liters / 3 Imp Gal / 4 US Gal) equipped with a protective grid and fine plants. Temperature 23-27°C (73-81°F), pH at 6.5 and very low light. Filtration on peat. You will have previously separated the sexes and conditioned the parents by feeding them live prey. Introduce the couple in the egg-laying box in the evening and spawning will take place the next morning. An egg clutch consists of 50 to 350 eggs. Remove the parents as soon as the eggs appear. Incubation lasts 24 hours. The fry is shy and difficult to spot.

Food for the fry: artemia nauplias.

Its aquarium

Which aquarium for the Royal tetra?

Its aquarium

Which aquarium for the Royal tetra?

A very planted aquarium will please him very much. It will offer him hiding places and increase his sense of security.

In the wild, it lives in a strong current: don't skimp on the power of filtration! This will guarantee a high flow but also a strong oxygenation. Filtration on peat would be a plus.

You can also opt for an aquarium with an Amazonian biotype. For this, use a river sand substrate that you can sprinkle with dried leaves (beech or oak). These leaves will tint the water (slightly "tea-coloured"). Renew these leaves before they rot. Add some driftwood roots or twisted branches which will be of the most beautiful effect. Finally, plant abundantly and dim the lights.

Although it will survive in simpler, less organized aquariums, its colours will often fade and it will tend to be shy.

Good To know

Find all additional information!

Good To know

Find all additional information!

Inpaichthys-kerri

They do not form a special bench, but rather a group. We will be able to observe fights and chases between individuals that will liven up the aquarium!

Note that it would be particularly susceptible to white spot disease.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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