Buenos Aires Tetra

The Buenos Aires tetra (Hemigrammus caudovittatus) comes from the La Plata basin in Argentina and Uruguay, further south than most aquarium tetras, and it shows: this is a big, tough, cool-tolerant fish rather than a delicate blackwater species. The body is bright silver with a dark spot at the base of the tail, and the fins carry a strong red wash that intensifies as the fish matures. It is fast, greedy and constantly on the move.

Aquarium care

• Large for a tetra, reaching roughly 7 cm.
• Very hardy and tolerant of a wide temperature range.
• Keep six or more and give them a long tank with open swimming room.
• Omnivorous and not remotely fussy.
• Occupies the middle and upper levels.

Two honest warnings. First, this fish eats soft plants; it will strip most stem plants and leave only tough species such as anubias and java fern alone. Second, it nips fins, so bettas, angelfish and fancy guppies are out. Where it works well is a robust, unplanted or hardscape-only community with barbs, danios, larger rainbowfish and similar fast, thick-skinned company.

Stock rotates with each shipment, and livestock is sold for local pickup at our Lethbridge store. See the current tetras.