The robust schooling fish, which can grow up to 5 centimetres in size, owe their name to their striking colouring, which has a distinct silvertip colouring.
But the silvertip tetra is not only very popular because of its colouring: it is a rather undemanding tank inhabitant and can already be kept in smaller aquarium.
How you should keep the beautiful silvertip tetras in your aquarium, which water values the animals prefer and with which fish silvertip tetra should be socialized, we show you in the following aquarium guide article.
Table of Contents
Everything important about silvertip tetra in a nutshell
- Silvertiptetra can grow up to 5 cm in size
- In contrast to other characins, this species has no fin (adipose fin) between the dorsal and caudal fins
- silvertip tetra is easy to keep and therefore well suited for beginners
- The keeping in a community aquarium with other small and medium-sized fish is possible
- The silvertiptetra prefers a water temperature of 22 to 28°C
- The small fish are quite undemanding as far as food is concerned
- Breeding is possible in the aquarium without problems
- The life expectancy is up to 10 years
- The aquarium should be densely planted. In addition, silvertiptetra prefer turbid water and shady lighting
- The aquarium of the silvertiptetra should be at least 60 centimetres long
Where do silvertip tetra occur?
silvertip tetra originally occur in Latin America – more precisely in western and eastern Brazil. Especially the white and black water rivers of Rio Purus and Rio São Francisco.
In the fast-flowing and clear rivers they find soft and slightly acidic water with lots of vegetation and can let off steam in the fast currents. They can also be found in spring streams.
How many silvertip tetra keep in the aquarium?
The silvertip tetra is a schooling fish and feels comfortable in a group with a surplus of females. The males tend to harass the females – this behaviour can be curbed with a female majority.
If there are a swarm of 20 or more silvertip tetra in an aquarium, the silvertip tetras show a particularly pronounced swarming and social behaviour.
The fact that animals are then almost exclusively occupied with themselves creates optimal conditions for socialization with other species. However, a sufficiently large aquarium is a prerequisite, as otherwise the actually so peaceful silvertip tetra can develop extremely territorial behaviour and tend to hunt other species.
For keeping in a small group 8 animals are already sufficient. In this case, silvertip tetra can also be kept in a particularly small 60 litre standard aquarium measuring 60 x 30 x 30.
Nevertheless, it is recommended to keep the animals in a larger group, because then the social behaviour of the animals is only really shown to advantage.
How do you keep silvertip tetra in an aquarium?
silvertip tetra is a particularly adaptable fish and has no special demands on the aquarium. This makes it easy to keep, making it suitable for beginners in aquaristics.
The silvertip tetra prefers dim light conditions, but many plants also have enough space to swim. In order to simulate these natural conditions, an aquarium edge length of 60 centimetres should not be exceeded. At best, silvertip tetra should only be kept in a 100 litre aquarium with the standard dimensions 80x35x40, especially if other ornamental fish are to inhabit the same habitat.
Because then there is enough space for dense planting, which silvertip tetra need as a retreat for feeding, resting and spawning.
Lush vegetation and at the same time shady conditions can easily be achieved with a floating plant cover. If you would like to achieve biotope conditions in the aquarium, alder cones, roots and foliage additionally provide a brownish colouring of the water, a slightly acidic pH value and further hiding places for the small fish.
Just like the water, the aquarium substrate should also be kept dark. With the dark substrate and the soft, slightly acidic, brownish water, the colours of the silvertip tetra really come into their own.
Which water values does a silvertip tetra prefer?
In order to increase the well-being of silvertiptetra, the water quality of the natural habitat in the aquarium should be recreated as closely as possible. For this purpose, the following water values should be strictly observed.
- Standard aquarium with at least 54 litres (60 cm)
- Water temperature: 22 to 28° Celsius
- pH value: 5.5-7
- Water hardness: 2-10
The optimal water temperature for silvertiptetra, adapts to the preferred values of most South American or Southeast Asian species, which allows the socialization with many different species. The preferred pH, which should be 5.5-7, and the water hardness, which should be between 2-10 °dGH, also contribute to this fact.
Association of silvertiptetra
silvertip tetra are very peaceful animals and can therefore be easily socialized with other species. It should only be taken care that the other species can adapt to the relatively acidic water requirements of the silvertiptetra. In addition, the other species should have approximately the same size as silvertip tetra : socialisation with much larger species is not recommended, as the small silvertip tetra can otherwise quickly end up as a small snack.
South American dwarf cichlids, such as the Ram Cichlids or the cCockatoo Dwarf Cichlids, are ideal for socialization. But also catfish, especially Corydoras paleatus and corydoras paleatus catfish, are excellent for stocking.
Loricariid catfish, such as the feather bearded catfish or the whiptail catfish, livebearer on the bottom, while silvertip tetra prefer to inhabit the middle and upper part of the tank. The partly territorial species therefore do not get in each other’s way.
What does a silvertip tetra eat?
silvertip tetra is an omnivore and therefore not very demanding when it comes to food intake. It could easily be fed permanently with conventional aquarium flake food.
Nevertheless, care should be taken to ensure a balanced and varied diet consisting of dry food, live and frozen food. More information about the different types of fish food for the aquarium can be found here.
During the preparation for breeding, it is essential to increase the live food supply.
How are silvertip tetra bred?
The breeding of the silvertip tetra is as simple as the keeping. Breeding is particularly easy in a separate rearing tank – a 20-30 litre nano aquarium is easily sufficient for this.
Spawning animals usually move away from the rest of the group to find a place of their own. If such behaviour is detected, the animals should be quickly removed from the community tank and placed in the smaller rearing tank.
The water in the rearing tank should not exceed 10°dGH and should have a pH value of 6 – 6.5. The temperature of 25 – 28° Celsius is optimal for the young flush.
Tufts of plants, finely feathered aquatic plants and a spawning rust are completely sufficient as a place of storage and retreat. The spawning rust serves to keep the parents away from their offspring. To be on the safe side, they should nevertheless be put back into their aquarium after spawning.
The eggs of the silvertip tetra are as small as a grain of sand and are brownish in colour. They are laid in the water plants, usually in the morning hours. After spawning, the aquarium should be darkened until the fish larvae hatch.
As soon as the young fish swim around freely in the water they need the finest live food like paramecium. After a few days they also tolerate Artemia nauplii. And with time the fish can be slowly introduced to larger food until they can finally be used in the tank of their parents.
Conclusion: Keep silvertip tetra in the aquarium
The silvertip tetra (silvertip tetra ) is an easy to keep aquarium ornamental fish. The animals can be bred without major problems even by beginners and have no special requirements for the aquarium and the water quality.
silvertip tetras are omnivores, which do not make any demands on the food. They could certainly be fed permanently with conventional flake food, but show a much more intensive colouring when fed in a varied way.
Well-being is enhanced by dense border planting and a well-structured pool, which offers some hiding places but still enough swimming space.
The silvertip tetra is a peaceful fish that can be easily socialized with most small South American or Southeast Asian species. Especially South American dwarf cichlids, other tetras or catfish have proven themselves.
The breeding of small fish can be done very easily if the conditions in the spawning tank are similar to those in the holding tank.
Silvertip tetra in the aquarium
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