Bleeding Heart Tetra Breeding Guide

How to breed Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma: sexing by fin length and body shape, soft acidic spawning conditions, and why captive spawning is rarely achieved.

Overview

Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma is a deep-bodied characid from the western Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia and Peru, where it inhabits floodplains and large tributaries with clear to slightly stained water. It is an egg scatterer that shows no parental care. Captive spawning is considered difficult and is achieved only infrequently, so a dedicated breeding setup and well-conditioned adults are required.

Sexing

Males grow noticeably larger and more intensely coloured than females, and develop highly extended dorsal, pelvic and anal fins. Females tend to be rounder in shape, especially when gravid and full of eggs.

Breeding Setup

Use a separate, dimly lit spawning tank. As an egg scatterer with no parental care, the species benefits from a base of fine-leaved plants or spawning mops to receive the eggs, while soft, slightly acidic water reflects its natural habitat.

Egg & Fry Care

Because the adults provide no parental care and will consume eggs, they should be removed once spawning is complete. Fry are very small and need infusoria-grade or finely powdered foods before they can take larger items such as brine shrimp nauplii.