At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small scaled characin (tetra) with an adipose fin
A translucent, pale lemon-yellow tetra with a fairly deep body. The front of the dorsal fin is black with a creamy tip and the anal fin is edged in yellow and black. The top half of the eye glows a rich ruby red. Males are slimmer, slightly smaller and more strongly coloured in the fins than females.32
Personality what they are like
A very peaceful tetra. Males put on harmless little 'jousting' displays to sort out rank, which is when they show their best colours.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderately active; in nature it stays in shallow, clear water close to aquatic plants, so a planted tank with some swimming room suits it.32
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
No grooming needed. Regular partial water changes and a varied diet keep the yellow and red colours strong. Fish in the trade are farm bred.2
Home where they are happiest
Tank of at least 60-80 cm long (Seriously Fish suggests an 80 x 30 cm base, about 72 litres). Temperature about 20-28 °C (FishBase 23-28 °C), pH about 5.0-8.0, soft to moderately hard water.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. Wild fish eat small invertebrates, crustaceans, algae and fallen fruit; in the aquarium give good dry food plus live or frozen bloodworm, mosquito larvae, Daphnia or Moina.21
Company who they like around
Keep in a group: FishBase says 5 or more, Seriously Fish recommends a mixed-sex group of 8-10 or more.12
The story where it all began
The lemon tetra reached the aquarium hobby in 1932, a few years before Ernst Ahl described it scientifically in 1937. It was first collected in the Rio Tapajós basin near Santarém in Brazil, and today almost all fish on sale are farm bred.32
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its name pulchripinnis means 'beautiful fin' in Latin, after its striking dorsal and anal fins.2
- 2
The top half of each eye is a vivid red, sometimes looking almost like a tiny ruby.3
- 3
It entered the aquarium trade in 1932, five years before it was formally described.3
- 4
Males hold short 'jousting' contests to settle who ranks highest in the group.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 7 November 2018)1
- FishBase
- Rated highly commercial in the aquarium trade1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Lemon 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: Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis (Lemon tetra) fishbase.seused for origin, maximum length, water parameters, natural diet, IUCN status, trade use
- Seriously Fish species profile: Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis seriouslyfish.comused for aquarium size, water parameters, diet, behaviour, group size, sexing, naming
- Wikipedia: Lemon Tetra en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, appearance, lifespan, history, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.