Ember Tetra Care Guide (Hyphessobrycon amandae): Tank Size, Diet & Tank Mates
The Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) is a tiny, glowing orange schooling fish that has become a favorite for nano and planted aquariums. Peaceful, hardy, and endlessly active, embers bring a warm splash of color to community tanks. This ember tetra care guide explains how to keep these freshwater fish thriving, from tank size and feeding to water quality and compatible tank mates.
Quick care overview
- Adult size: about 0.8 inches (2 cm)
- Minimum tank size: 10 gallons for a proper school
- Temperature: 73–82°F
- pH: 5.5–7.0
- Temperament: peaceful, schooling
- Diet: omnivore (micro foods)
- Lifespan: 2–4 years
Tank setup
Choosing a tank size: The minimum tank size for a small school is 10 gallons, but a larger community tank offers more swimming room and more stable water conditions. Since these shoaling fish depend on social interaction, plan the aquarium around a group rather than a single specimen.
Ember tetras look their best in a well-planted tank with darker substrate, which makes their orange coloration pop. Provide gentle flow, plenty of plants, and some open swimming space in the middle of the tank. A tight-fitting lid is optional given their small size, but subdued lighting and floating plants help them feel secure and show richer color. A heavily planted tank with fine-leaved greenery such as java moss gives these tiny fish shelter without eliminating swimming room. Heavily planted tanks can also help timid fish settle in, especially when paired with gentle filtration that does not push them around. They are a great fit for a densely planted aquascape—browse live aquarium plants to build one.
Water parameters
Embers prefer soft, slightly acidic to neutral water and appreciate stability more than any specific number. Keep temperature in the low-to-mid 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit and avoid sudden swings. These fish do well in slightly acidic to neutral water; even neutral water can work when conditions stay steady. Test your water parameters regularly, and use partial water changes to maintain good water quality without sudden temperature or chemistry shifts. As with all small fish, consistent maintenance matters—see our guide on how to do an aquarium water change to keep nitrates low.
Diet and feeding
Because of their tiny mouths, ember tetras do best on small foods: micro pellets, crushed flakes, and small frozen or live foods like baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and cyclops. Offer small meals once or twice a day, providing only what they can finish in a couple of minutes. A balanced diet combines finely crushed high-quality flakes or tiny pellets with appropriately sized live or frozen foods. Baby brine shrimp and other small brine shrimp are useful treats when they are small enough for the fish to eat.
Behavior and schooling
Ember tetras are true schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least 8–10; larger groups look stunning and reduce shyness. Kept in groups, these shoaling fish stay out in the open, display more intense color, and behave far more confidently. Avoid keeping just one or two; a larger school helps reduce stress.
Tank mates
Their peaceful nature makes them ideal for a calm community tank. This peaceful species does best with other small, nonaggressive fish. Good companions include other small tetras, rasboras, pygmy cory catfish (such as pygmy corydoras), otocinclus, and appropriately sized dwarf shrimp. Choose peaceful tank mates with similar temperature and water requirements. Avoid large or aggressive fish that may see embers as food. For more on keeping schooling fish, read our tetra care basics and our complete guide to freshwater tetras.
Is the ember tetra right for you?
If you want a hardy, brilliantly colored nano fish for a planted community or shrimp-friendly tank, the ember tetra is hard to beat. Get a school going and pair them with peaceful tank mates for a lively, low-drama display. You can find them among our freshwater fish.