Garnet / Pretty Tetra (Hemigrammus pulcher) Breeding Guide

Hemigrammus pulcher spawns in dark, soft, acidic water; eggs and fry are light-sensitive, hatching in 24-36 hours with fry free-swimming in 3-4 days.

Overview

Hemigrammus pulcher, the garnet or pretty tetra, is endemic to the Upper Amazon in Peru and reaches about 4.5 cm. Seriously Fish documents both group and pair spawning for this egg-scattering species, which eats its own eggs and shows no parental care.

Sexing

Seriously Fish describes sexing by the shape of the swim bladder, which tapers to a point in males but is rounded in females. Adult females also tend to be slightly larger and more heavy-bodied than males.

Conditioning

Condition the fish with plenty of small live foods, using around half a dozen specimens of each sex for group spawning, or conditioning the sexes separately for pairs. General care parameters are 23-27 C, pH 5.5-7.0 and hardness 1-12 dH.

Breeding Setup

Seriously Fish recommends an 18 x 10 x 10 inch tank with very dim lighting, java moss or spawning mops for egg deposition, and optional peat filtering or RO water. Spawning water should be pH 5.5-6.5, gH 1-5 at around 80-84 F.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

For pairs, transfer the fattest female and best-coloured male in the evening; they should spawn the following morning. Adults will consume the eggs and should be removed as soon as eggs are noticed.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs hatch in 24-36 hours and fry become free-swimming 3-4 days later. The eggs and fry are light-sensitive in the early stages of life, so the tank should be kept in darkness if possible. First food is an infusoria-type food, progressing to microworm or brine shrimp nauplii.