Lemon Tetra

The lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) is a quietly good-looking fish rather than a loud one. The body is a translucent pale yellow, the upper half of the eye is a sharp red, and the dorsal and anal fins carry black edging over a strong lemon yellow that deepens as the fish settles in. It comes from the Tapajos basin in Brazil and it has been a community-tank staple for decades without ever quite becoming fashionable.

Aquarium care

• Reaches roughly 4 to 5 cm.
• Peaceful and community safe.
• Keep six or more.
• Prefers soft, slightly acidic water; dark substrate improves the colour markedly.
• Omnivorous: flake, micro pellets, frozen daphnia and bloodworm.
• Mid-water swimmer.

Lemon tetras take a few weeks to colour up properly after a move, so give them time before deciding what you think. They sit well alongside corydoras, rasboras, dwarf cichlids and other small South American fish, and they are calm enough for a planted tank with shrimp.

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