Silver Tip Tetra (Hasemania Nana)
Native Location: South America, Brazil
Climate: Tropical
Maximum Size: 5 cm (2 inches)
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Easy
Temperature Range: 23 – 28 (74 – 82)
Preferred pH Range: 6 – 8
Minimum Aquarium Size: 75L (20 gallons)
Potential Tankmates: Corydoras’, Danios, Other Tetras
Care Level: Beginner
The draw of Silver Tip Tetra fish is their shimmering white/silver tips on their fins. In a large shoal, it is an exciting display.
Silver Tips are easy to feed and will accept almost anything offered to them. For nutrients, feed them flakes and granules. Offer regular meals on small live or frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp. Like many Tetra species, it will not be a difficult task to find tankmates. Silver Tips will live in peace alongside them or below as bottom dwellers. Avoid anything bigger than them or hold an aggressive temperament. Silver Tips need a shoal of no less than six but a recommended ten or more.
When kept not as part of a shoal, Silver Tips can become stressed and aggressive. Otherwise, they are hardy fish and accept a range of water parameters with consistent water quality. Dim lighting will work best for this Tetra. A Silver Tips colouring will reflect and shimmer back any light. As Tetras will move together, it will become an impressive display as they move as one. Their colourings will come up better against a dark substrate that would also mimic their natural environment. If you choose dimmer lighting, it will affect the type of plants you should consider if you want a planted aquarium. If you decide you want plants that need more light, they will also act as cover for Silver Tips.
Their bodies are golden. Male and females share their physical features. Mature females may appear larger and are grey bodied with a yellow-tipped anal fin. Males’ colourings should appear more coppery. Spawning is an easy process, and you will need to set up a breeding tank. It should have dim lighting and contain vegetation of fine-leaved plants. Try java moss or spawning mops, as this will give the female a
place to distribute her fertilised eggs. Remove adult fish after spawning, or they will try to eat their fry.
