Product Description
The rummy-nose tetra, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, is a species of tropical freshwater characin fish originating from South America, popular among fishkeepers as an aquarium fish. one of many small tetras belonging to the same Genus, it is a 5 cm long fish when fully grown, and is a long established favourite among tropical fishkeepers. The fish is one of several very similar species including Hemigrammus bleheri Géry & Mahnert 1986, and Petitella georgiae Géry & Boutiére 1964, and it is possible that more recently collected specimens available in the aquarium trade are members of one or other of these alternative species. The common name applied to most of these fishes is "rummy-nose tetra", though other common names are in circulation (such as "firehead tetra" for H. bleheri.
The rummy-nose Tetra is a torpedo-shaped fish, whose basal body colour is a translucent silvery colour suffused in some specimens with a greenish tint: iridescent green scales are frequently seen adorning the fish at the point where the fontanel (a part of the head roughly corresponding to the forehead in humans) meets the body. The fins are hyaline, with the exception of the tail fin, this fin being adorned with black and white horizontal stripes, variable in number, but usually comprising one central black stripe in the central portion of the tail fin, with two horizontal black stripes upon each caudal fin lobe, the spaces between the stripes being white, the total count of black stripes being five. The head is a deep red colour, iridescent in lustre, with the red continuing into the iris of the eye, and some red colouration extends beyond the operculum or gill plate into the anteriormost section of the body proper. Some specimens classified as Hemigrammus rhodostomus possess three black tail stripes instead of five, and some specimens classified as Petitella georgiae have a black stripe in the caudal peduncle extending forwards into the body, surmounted above by a thin iridescent gold line: however, whether these features are reliable determinants of species identity has yet to be fully ascertained.
Male and female individuals exhibit no obvious visual differences, other than increased fullness of the body outline in ripe females.
The details of aquarium maintenance for all three species are more or less identical: the rummy-nose tetra is a schooling fish, which exhibits tight schooling behaviour both in the wild and in the aquarium. Consequently, these fishes should be maintained in groups of no fewer than six individuals, with larger numbers being preferable where space permits. All three species are lovers of warm aquarium water, the temperature range for maintenance being 24°C to 31°C, with the fishes sometimes requiring temperatures as high as 33°C for breeding. Consequently, compatibility of these fishes with cooler water fishes is contra-indicated: for example, panda catfish would be a bad choice of companion as these fishes prefer lower temperatures, and there is little overlap in the temperature ranges of the two species. Suitable companions for rummy-nose tetras include other small, peaceful species that will thrive in similar water conditions, among them being numerous other tetras from South America, various small barbs, danios and rasboras, and where space permits, individuals of the dwarf cichlid Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, another warm water loving South American fish with a similar temperature range. Some other dwarf cichlids collected from similar habitats in the wild may also be compatible in a sufficiently spacious aquarium.
The water chemistry preferred by these fishes, as might be inferred readily from that of the wild habitat, is soft, acidic water (hardness no higher than 6° dH and pH around 6.4 is definitely preferred if possible) though for maintenance purposes, the pH of the aquarium water can range from 5.6 to 7.4.
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