Description
Rummy Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
Overview
The Rummy-Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus), is a popular and striking freshwater schooling fish native to the Amazon basin in South America, particularly found in the clearwater tributaries and blackwater rivers of Brazil and Colombia.
- Appearance: Features a slender, torpedo-shaped translucent body with a distinct, brilliant fiery red nose and face that extends past its eyes. Its caudal (tail) fin is beautifully patterned with striking black-and-white horizontal stripes, giving it a zebra-like appearance.
- Size: Grows to approximately 4 to 5 cm (1.5 to 2 inches) in length.
- Lifespan: Typically 3 to 5 years when provided with pristine water conditions.
Care Requirements
- Aquarium Size: Because they are active, fast-swimming schooling fish that spend most of their time darting back and forth across the mid-water column, they require a good length of swimming space. A minimum aquarium size of 80 to 100 liters (approx. 2 to 3 feet in length) is recommended for a proper school.
- Water Parameters:
- Temperature: 24°C to 28°C (75°F to 82°F)
- pH: 5.5 to 7.0 (they thrive best in soft, acidic water)
- General Hardness (GH): 2 to 12°H (soft to moderately hard water)
- Filtration & Flow: Good filtration with moderate water movement. Rummy-Nose Tetras are notoriously sensitive to poor water quality and high nitrate levels; their red noses act as a natural “indicator”—if water quality drops or stress occurs, their bright red color will fade to a pale pink or white.
Maintenance
- Aquascaping: Replicate a natural South American blackwater environment by using a dark substrate to highlight their colors, combined with dense background and side plantings (Cryptocorynes, sword plants, or floating plants) and plenty of open swimming space in the center. Driftwood branches and dried Indian almond leaves or botanicals to leach tannins are highly appreciated.
- Water Quality & Changes: Perform routine partial water changes (20% to 25% weekly) religiously to maintain pristine conditions. They should never be introduced to a newly set up or uncycled aquarium. A secure lid is also recommended.
Diet
- Nature: Omnivorous micro-feeders that eagerly accept a wide variety of foods in the aquarium.
- Staple Diet: High-quality micro-pellets, crushed flake foods, or fine granular foods.
- Enhancing Color & Health: Supplement their diet regularly with live or frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops, daphnia, and finely chopped bloodworms.
Behaviour and Compatibility
- Temperament: Exceptionally peaceful, active, and tight-schooling. They occupy the middle levels of the water column.
- Shoaling Needs: This is a strict schooling species that must be kept in a group of at least 8 to 10 individuals (the larger the school, the more secure and active they will feel). Keeping them in isolation or pairs leads to chronic stress and faded coloration.
- Tank Mates: Excellent for peaceful community setups. Good companions include small rasboras, other peaceful tetras, dwarf cichlids, livebearers, and bottom-dwellers like Corydoras catfish or small loaches. Avoid housing them with large, aggressive predators or boisterous fish that will intimidate them.
Breeding Behaviour
- Spawning Setup: Breeding Rummy-Nose Tetras in a home home aquarium is notoriously difficult and considered an expert-level challenge. It requires an established breeding tank with extremely soft, acidic water (pH around 5.5 to 6.0, near zero hardness), dim lighting, and dense clusters of fine-leaved plants or spawning mops.
- Conditioning: Condition a bonded pair or group with frequent, high-protein live and frozen feedings.
- The Process: As continuous egg-scatterers, females release small batches of adhesive eggs among the fine vegetation, which are immediately fertilized by the males. Spawning typically happens in the dim morning hours.
- Raising Fry: Adults do not exhibit parental care and will eagerly consume their eggs and fry. Spawning mops or plants should be removed to a separate rearing tank immediately after spawning. The microscopic fry hatch in 24 to 48 hours and require infusoria or liquid fry food initially before graduating to newly hatched brine shrimp.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Either come in store to view available stock or request pictures to be sent to you.
Please Note: Due to variations within species resulting from age, region, sex, etc., the actual livestock may not look identical to the image. Approximate size range may also vary between individual specimens.
