Bleeding Heart Tetra
Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma
Also known as: Bleeding heart
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 5-7 cm (2-2.75 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 110 litres (29 gallons)
- Lifespan: 5–8 years
- Temperament: peaceful
- Swimming level: middle
- Diet: omnivore
- Minimum group size: 6
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 23–28°C
- pH: 5.5–7
- Hardness (GH): 18–143 ppm (1–8 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
One of the larger and more substantial tetras, the bleeding heart is a tall, rosy-silver fish marked with a single crimson spot on each flank, as if pierced through the heart, and finished in mature males with long, flowing dorsal and anal fins. Reaching 6cm or more, it needs more room than the nano tetras and a group of at least six to settle, within which the males display their extended finnage to one another. It prefers soft, slightly acidic, warm water and a mature, planted tank, and rewards those conditions with a deep pink flush and confident mid-water schooling. Peaceful toward other species, though under-grouped or crowded fish can turn mildly fin-nippy, so give it numbers and space. A handsome, long-lived centrepiece schooler for a soft-water community.
Tankmates
A larger, peaceful schooler that suits a mature community of medium-sized soft-water fish, and a classic companion for angelfish and German blue rams. Needs a group of at least six and real swimming space; kept in too few or too small a tank, the males become skittish and mildly fin-nippy. Will eat dwarf shrimp and their fry, so keep it only with adult shrimp you are willing to lose. Avoid boisterous fin-nippers such as tiger barbs and serpae tetras, which harass its long fins.
Compatible with
- Rummynose Tetra
- Congo Tetra
- Bronze Corydoras
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Harlequin Rasbora
- German Blue Ram
- Angelfish
- Otocinclus
Avoid keeping with
- Betta
- Tiger Barb
- Serpae Tetra
- Fin Nippers
- Large Cichlids
- Cherry Shrimp
Common Problems
- fin nipping when kept in groups smaller than six or crowded
- shyness and faded colour in bright, bare, or immature tanks
- sensitivity to poor water quality and unstable parameters
- ich
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-06-20