Flame Tetra Breeding Guide

How to breed Hyphessobrycon flammeus: sexing by fin markings, soft acidic spawning conditions, and rearing the fry of this endangered, captive-spawning characid.

Overview

Hyphessobrycon flammeus is a small characid native to southeastern Brazil, around Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, pollution and introduced species. It is an egg-scattering free spawner with no parental care that breeds readily in captivity.

Sexing

Males are less deep-bodied, slightly smaller and more intensely coloured than females, and carry bony hooks in the anal and pelvic fins that females lack. The tips of the male's anal and pelvic fins are black, while females show less red colouration with darker tips to the pectoral fins.

Conditioning

Adults can be conditioned together, but a separate spawning container with mature water gives more controlled results.

Breeding Setup

Use a very dimly lit spawning container with slightly acidic to neutral water and a temperature towards the upper end of the maintenance range of 20-26 °C. Cover the base with mesh, plastic grass matting, glass marbles or fine-leaved plants such as Taxiphyllum or spawning mops so eggs fall out of reach, and add an air-powered sponge filter or air stone.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Introduce a single pair or a group of one or two males with several females. Well-conditioned fish spawn often, with eggs typically detected the following morning.

Egg & Fry Care

As an egg scatterer without parental care, the adults should be removed once spawning is complete. Start the fry on Paramecium or a proprietary dry food of 5-50 micron grade, then progress to Artemia nauplii and microworm as they grow.