Rummynose tetra

Overview

The rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) is famous for two things: the blood-red blush over its face and its extraordinary schooling. Few aquarium fish shoal as tightly — a big group turns and flows as a single silver ribbon with red noses at the front. That red is also a built-in water-quality meter, which makes rummynoses a genuinely useful, if slightly demanding, fish. They want soft, stable, mature water, so they earn their intermediate rating.

Tank & water

A tight-schooling fish that needs room, numbers and clean water:

• A cycled tank of at least 75 litres — cycle the aquarium fully and add rummynoses only to a mature, stable system.
• Temperature 24–27 °C with a steady heater.
• Soft, acidic water (pH 5.5–6.8) kept spotless. Strong filtration with gentle flow, and regular maintenance, keep the red vivid. If your water is hard, see how to raise or lower pH.
• An open, planted layout — plants around the edges but clear swimming space down the middle for the shoal to run.

Feeding

Rummynoses are omnivores that feed actively in the open. A quality micro-pellet or tropical flake staple, supplemented with frozen or live daphnia, baby brine shrimp and bloodworm, keeps them in top colour. Feed small amounts once or twice a day. See our fish food and best fish food guides.

Tankmates

Peaceful and shoal-focused, rummynoses suit calm soft-water communities. Pair them with cardinal, neon and other small tetras, corydoras, dwarf cichlids and shrimp. Avoid large, boisterous or nippy species that would unsettle the school. They look their best as a big single-species shoal in a planted display.

Build a mature, soft-water, planted tank — our best aquarium for beginners guide helps with the foundations — and a rummynose shoal is one of the finest sights in freshwater keeping.