Rummy-nose tetra

Care at a glance

The rummy-nose tetra stands out for the contrast between its bright red head and its black-and-white striped tail. That red is also its most useful feature: it works as a built-in water quality meter. If the head goes pale, something is off with nitrate, temperature or pH.

Few freshwater fish school as tightly; a large group moves through the tank as a single body. Never keep it in small numbers, and give it a mature, calm tank with open swimming space in the middle. New arrivals are fragile for the first few weeks, so buy from a shop that has already had them in stock for a while.

Related species

• Cardinal tetraParacheirodon axelrodi
• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• Neon tetraParacheirodon innesi
• PlatyXiphophorus maculatus
• Variatus platyXiphophorus variatus
• MollyPoecilia sphenops