At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Scaled characin (tetra), deep-bodied, with an adipose fin
A fairly deep-bodied tetra covered in reflective scales that glitter like scattered diamonds once the fish matures. Young fish look plain and silvery, and the sparkle develops with age and good feeding. Adult males are larger and grow long, flowing dorsal, anal and pelvic fins with a violet sheen, while the females' fins stay mostly clear.23
Personality what they are like
A peaceful, sociable tetra. In too small a group it may nip fins now and then, but kept in a proper shoal it settles in calmly with other peaceful fish.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A moderately active mid-water swimmer that likes some open space alongside thick planting.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Straightforward: stable, clean water and a varied diet bring out its best sparkle. Its full colours only appear once it is mature, so patience pays off.21
Home where they are happiest
Tank with a base of at least 60 x 38 cm (about 68 litres); FishBase suggests a minimum length of 80 cm. Water 24-28 °C, pH 5.5-7.0 (colours are best below neutral), hardness 5-12 °H. Dense planting and fairly dim light suit it.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Eats worms, small crustaceans and insects in the wild. In the aquarium it accepts flakes and granules; add small live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia and brine shrimp regularly.21
Company who they like around
Keep a shoal of at least 6-8. Good with livebearers, danios, rasboras, other tetras and peaceful bottom dwellers.21
The story where it all began
German-American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann described the diamond tetra in 1920 as Moenkhausia pittieri, most likely honouring Henri Pittier, a botanist and geographer living in Venezuela who collected fish for him. In 2020 it was moved to the new genus Makunaima. The fish in the hobby are bred on commercial farms in Eastern Europe and Asia.321
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is an 'ugly duckling' fish: juveniles look plain silver and only develop their diamond-like glitter as adults.2
- 2
The genus name Makunaima refers to a creator figure in the mythology of several Amazonian peoples.3
- 3
In the wild it comes from a single lake basin, Lake Valencia in Venezuela.1
- 4
In 2009 photographer Ivan Mikolji found a wild population in a stream near Lake Valencia.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Endangered in the wild (assessed 29 November 2022); aquarium fish come from commercial breeding farms1
- FishBase
- Used commercially in the aquarium trade1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Diamond Tetra. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase species summary: Makunaima pittieri fishbase.seused for describer, maximum length, distribution, water range, IUCN status
- Seriously Fish species profile: Makunaima pittieri seriouslyfish.comused for aquarium care, water parameters, behaviour, diet, sexing, habitat
- Wikipedia: Diamond tetra en.wikipedia.orgused for taxonomy history, etymology, appearance
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.