Flag Tetra
Genus name: Hyphessobrycon Heterorhabdus
Distribution: Rio Tocantins, lower Amazon
Length: up to 1.8″ (4.5cm)
Water Temperature: 73-77F (23-25C)
Diet: Worms, small crustaceans, plant matter, dried food
Water: soft and slightly acidic water preferred
Lives: In the upper and middle areas of the aquarium
The Flag Tetra was introduced to the aquarium in about 1910, and it is not as hardy as many of the more popular tetras.
The general shape of the body of the Flag Tetra is similar to the Black Neon Tetra. As with other tetras, the Flag Tetra male is different from the female in that it is slimmer, whilst the female is bulkier and more rounded.
The Flag Tetra has a reddish-brown back, and the abdomen is silvery, sometimes with an olive-green tinge. It also has a band of colour along its body, which is a black stripe, with a strip of green/yellow above it, and an orange line above that.
As with other tetras, Flag Tetras like to shoal together, so it is best to keep between five and eight together at a time.
Flag Tetras will breed in captivity, spawning will generally take place out in the open water, and the eggs will drop on to the bottom, or rest on a leaf. The parent fish should be removed immediately, as Flag Tetra will eat their own eggs or young.
Flag Tetra do not breed very successfully, as the eggs are susceptible to fungus, and the young often get diseases.