Glowlight tetra

Overview

The glowlight tetra (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) is named for the neon-copper stripe that runs the length of its otherwise translucent, silvery body — under good lighting it really does seem to glow. Peaceful, hardy and undemanding, it’s one of the easiest tetras for a first community tank, and a shoal moving together through planting is a lovely warm contrast to blue-toned neons.

Tank & water

A classic easy shoaling fish that still needs numbers and swimming room:

• A cycled tank of at least 54 litres — cycle the aquarium before adding fish and check how many fish in an aquarium.
• Temperature 22–28 °C with a steady heater.
• Soft to slightly hard water (pH 6.0–7.5); they adapt well within this range. Gentle filtration is ideal.
• A planted, softly lit layout — live plants, a dark substrate and calm lighting intensify the copper stripe.

Feeding

Glowlights are undemanding omnivores. Base the diet on a quality tropical flake or micro-pellet and supplement with frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm to keep colour and condition up. Feed a small amount once or twice daily. See the fish food hub and best fish food guide.

Tankmates

Gentle and small, glowlights are model community fish. They mix happily with other tetras — neon, black neon and ember tetras — plus corydoras, small rasboras, peaceful gouramis and dwarf shrimp. Avoid large or nippy tankmates that would bully or eat them. A single-species shoal or a mixed peaceful community both suit them well.

For a stable, planted community, our best aquarium for beginners and best nano aquarium guides are a good starting point — glowlights are a warm, easy first shoal.