Ember Tetras are a newer freshwater species of the Tetra family that was discovered in the southwestern Brazilian river basins of the Araguaia some time ago in 1987.
They have a lot of similar characteristics to their close relative, the Neon Tetra, and actually share a habitat. Appearance-wise they are rather different. The warm golden-red tone is another reason they can also sometimes be referred to as Fire Tetras.
These are peaceable, social little shoaling fish that make an ideal starter species for the novice, providing some flashy schooling action and gorgeous color.
Let’s take a look at why they are so well-suited for both starting hobbyists yet enjoy equal affection from more experienced fish-keepers.
Ember Tetras Behavior
The saying goes, “They may be small, but they are not retiring.”
They have an almost bold nature about them despite their diminutive size and vibrant amber, orangey-red color that does anything but camouflage them from predators. It’s almost like they are saying, ‘Look at me!’
Ember Tetras prefer to spend their time in the middle layers of your tank, busily schooling with others of their kind. Despite their fearless attitudes, you can be sure that if they are subject to any sort of alarm, they will react skittishly.
Therefore vegetation is an absolute must for these guys to feel secure to go about their business without feeling threatened and resorting to hiding instead of enjoying their space.
They love hanging in and around the plants you provide, logs that are hollowed out, and driftwood.
You will want a minimum group of around 8 to let them shoal like they do naturally and feel comfortable in your chosen surroundings. They will provide maximum impact in groups of 8 or more.
When actively swimming, they are surprisingly fast and can even be described as fun-loving and a bit cheeky.
They are often useful as dither fish for Dwarf Cichlids as they tend to stay out of each other’s way and will also leave fry alone, which is a refreshing change.
Certainly peaceful but full of pep and vigor, Ember Tetras will add some real tropical flair to your tank and will be fun to spot in the densely planted habitat that ideally suits them.
Ember Tetras Lifespan
Being on the tinier side of the fish world, little Embers can live up to 2 years when kept carefully and with good water chemistry.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Ember Tetras Appearance
A fully mature Ember will often reach about a whopping inch in size if they’re lucky. Small? Very! They are more often just shy of an inch, around 0.8 inches long. No wonder they need some fiery coloring to make them appealing to have in a tank.
They are a fiery red or orangey shade that sometimes has both shades intermingling.
A torpedo-like shape featuring a merged anal fin, a short dorsal, and a larger tail fin complete the package. Eyes are often rimmed in orange.
With red and green being complementary colors, the fish look brilliant against their favorite densely vegetated background. A very showy display fish, if you will!
Other than that, there are not a huge amount of other standout features to comment on. They are rather simple in makeup but brilliant to watch and look at. What’s not to love?
The males and females are approximately the same sizes, but females will have the usual rounding of the abdomen around breeding periods and also have a larger swim bladder.
Ember Tetras Habitat And Tank Requirements
Because Ember Tetras come from a tropical location in the Amazon Rainforest, the water that inhabits these areas are usually well covered with overhanging vegetation. So much lush growth results in a somewhat unique type of freshwater below in certain areas known as blackwater.
There are areas of whitewater in these areas, too, but they are generally pH neutral, clearer in appearance and have flowing water.
Blackwater is slow-moving or almost stagnant. It gains its tea-stained appearance from the breakdown of organic materials. Debris like fallen leaves from the myriad of rainforest plant life, fallen trees and logs, twigs, and so on break down and release humic compounds.
As this matter breaks down, the humic substances, which are acidic, are absorbed into the water itself. This results in a slight acidic habitat that over 200 species of fish seem to love and thrive in. This ultimately means if you like looking after a blackwater tank set up, there are plenty more fish who could become a part of your community.
If you fancy trying to replicate this blackwater habitat, it will really make a statement and will involve some careful upkeep to top up the color and acidity needed without letting the water become poor and uninhabitable.
Let’s look at some specifics that are needed.
Tank Conditions
We’ve established that these Embers like heavily planted tanks, so you need to plan carefully for this when working out your setup.
Excellent and easy to find Java Moss, Java Fern, Hornwort, or Anachris plants should serve you well. Floating plants are another excellent option providing cover and are easy to change and freshen up your tank without too much disturbance to the setup.
Planting needs to be full and throughout, but not too dense as they need to swim easily also.
Darker-colored substrates are preferable to mimic their dark and moody blackwaters of home.
Filtration needs to be of a subtle variety as you don’t want a lot of water motion or flow to rustle up floor materials. This means low on the noise scale too! An air-powered sponge filter would suit them well.
When it comes to adding dried leafy materials such as Indian Almond leaves or dried beech, you will need to change them out every few weeks when they start to look a little ratty.
Water conditions should be noted, tested regularly, and maintained as follows:
- pH of 5.8 – 6.8
- Water hardness < 18 dGH
- Temperature between 70 – 84ºF ( 21 – 29ºC)
- Lighting should be subdued as they do not get exposed to much direct light naturally
Tank Size
The minimum tank size needed is 10 gallons for a healthy group or 5-8 Ember Tetras.
For any additional individuals you decide to add, you should increase the volume by 1 gallon per fish.
As they do like to be social and should never be kept solo, consider a tank size of 10 as your minimum, but bear in mind that you will need a lot of vegetation and other assorted bits to amuse them as well as leafy matter to decompose. They will still need ample space to swim, so feel free to go larger.
Choosing Tank Mates For Ember Tetras
It doesn’t take much in the way of common sense to realize that you will want to keep any tank community that you wish to share your Ember Tetras with on the smaller side.
If they can fit in another fish’s mouth, you can bet on your Embers being preyed upon and getting snapped up quite readily.
Beyond that metric, keep out anything aggressive, even if it is small. Ember Tetras spook easily despite their brave little attitudes, and stress can be a real deal-breaker for them to survive successfully in your setup.
Here are your best bets if you wish to add more company for your Ember Tetras to your blackwater tank:
- Neon Tetras
- Rasboras
- Dwarf Cichlids
- Smaller types of Corydoras
- Pygmy catfish
- Guppies
- Mollies
- Hatchetfish
Avoid anything like Bettas, Goldfish, and anything else that is predatory and carnivorous in nature.
You can consider some invertebrates like snails and shrimp if you wish to liven up the floor and glass.
Ember Tetras Diet
They are tiny little omnivorous fish that will require tiny types of food.
In the wild, they feed on zooplankton, nibbling on plants and thoroughly enjoying small invertebrates that populate blackwater.
Interestingly they need to be fed in small amounts 2-3 times per day. They have appetites that never seem to cease, and given the chance, they will eat far more often, but this would not be good for them.
Choose from frozen, flaked, or live but make sure you give them a diverse diet to maintain optimum vibrancy and health.
You can mix it up between dry and wet food types and make sure you grind up food items if necessary to suit their intake.
Common Health Issues Of Ember Tetras
Ember Tetras do not have any inherently worrisome diseases partial to them alone, but they are susceptible to the typical woes of other freshwater fish species.
Ich is a common parasitic infection that can happen to any freshwater aquarium kept fish. White spots are what become noticeable and can lead to issues with respiration, so you must keep an eye out for those.
While Ich is highly treatable, it’s best to catch early as it can otherwise lead to more serious conditions. Isolation of any fish that are affected is best to avoid spread and can be treated with medication as prescribed.
Overfeeding can often be more of a problem for these little gobblers. Keep observant of any behavioral changes that could indicate a problem and might need checking out.
How To Breed Ember Tetras
As a free spawning species, Embers are simple to breed and make a great project for the novice. With a little know-how and advice, you can increase your own population of Embers for larger tanks from just a small startup group if you wish to do so.
The parents do not care for their fry or look after the eggs after fertilization, so once the deed is done, they are best separated into another tank or by using breeding mesh.
Where to start?
You should start by having a separate breeding or fry tank. It would be advisable to use existing tank water for this tank to avoid any jarring differences for the potential parents in this controlled setting.
Raising the temperature to 80-82ºF should do the trick to trigger breeding behaviors.
Ensure your tank base has something like a spawning mop, smooth rocks, or even glass marbles. Keep a sponge filter to protect any newly hatched fry from being swept into the filter in your breeding tank setup.
A few suitable males and even more females should get the job done, and if all is successful, you could expect to see fry hatching shortly. Leaving the parents together for 2-3 days should do it, at which point you should remove them.
Blink, and you might miss the mating ritual, and with the eggs being so tiny, it’s hard to see if anything happened at all. Each season can result in a few hundred eggs being laid by a female Ember.
Soon tiny little fry will be visible about 24-48 hours after hatching.
The fry are free-swimming from hatching and will need food like cultured infusoria before things like brine shrimp and then eventually adult food by the end of one month. Before you know it, they will be in your main tank rolling with the big boys and schooling in no time.
Are Ember Tetras A Good Idea For Your Freshwater Tank Community?
They are a great idea!
As long as you are diligent about maintaining the necessary water parameters that will keep them happy, they will reward you with brilliant displays that enchant you and your visitors.
Their high compatibility with other small peaceful freshwater fish makes them ideal for a low-stress hobby for yourself, as long as you are scrupulous about keeping the tank clean and changing organic material debris.
The rest of the time, the joy of having a school of Embers will be down to their easygoing ways and gorgeous looks.
For such a wee fish, they truly pack a punch and are a choice worth making.
