Silvertip tetra

Overview

The silvertip tetra (Hasemania nana) is a warm coppery-gold tetra tipped with bright silver-white on every fin. Unusually among tetras it lacks an adipose fin, and it is one of the more active, inquisitive shoalers you can keep — always on the move and quick to greet you at feeding time. Hardy and easy, it just needs a decent-sized group to stay well behaved.

Tank & water

Give an active shoal at least 60 litres (15 gallons) with open water to swim. Key points:

• Temperature: hold 22–28 °C with a heater for stability.
• Water: adaptable at pH 6.0–7.5 and soft to moderately hard water.
• Filtration: a good filter with gentle current keeps them clean and content.
• Layout: a dark substrate and planted margins deepen their copper colour while leaving room to shoal.

Feeding

Silvertip tetras are eager omnivores. A quality flake or micro-pellet makes a good staple, boosted with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, bloodworm and brine shrimp for colour and condition. Feed small amounts once or twice a day; they are enthusiastic eaters, so avoid overfeeding. A varied diet with regular protein-rich foods keeps males a rich coppery gold and conditions the shoal, while too much dried food alone tends to dull their colour over time.

Tankmates

Best kept with other active, robust species: zebra danios, cherry barbs, black skirt tetras, rasboras and peaceful corydoras. Steer clear of slow, timid or long-finned fish that could be nipped. Keep a shoal of eight or more — see best community fish for beginners for good matches.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keeping too few, which makes them nip
• Pairing them with slow, fancy-finned fish
• A cramped tank that limits their swimming
• A bright, bare layout that mutes their colour

Give silvertips a proper shoal and open water and they become one of the liveliest, most interactive small tetras in the hobby.