Buenos Aires Tetra
Many people think of tetras as small, boring fish that can be found in any pet store. But the Buenos Aires tetra is anything but boring!
This colorful fish is found only in the Rio de la Plata system in Argentina and Uruguay, making it a rare and unique find.
With its bright blue, yellow, and black markings, the Buenos Aires tetra is sure to add some excitement to your aquarium.
If you’re looking for something a little different, be sure to add a few Buenos Aires tetras to your tank!
Characteristics
| Scientific Name | Hyphessobrycon Anisitsi |
| Common Name | Buenos Aires Tetra |
| Origin | Paraná river system in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina |
| Family | Characidae |
| Minimum Tank Size | 30 gallons |
| Length | It grows to a maximum of about 2.8 inches (7 cm) |
| Diet | Omnivorous and will eat both plant and animal matter |
| Ease of Care | Beginner |
| pH | In the range of 5.8 to 8.5 |
| Temperature | Between 23 and 27 degrees Celsius (72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit) |
| Breeding | Egg layers |
| Aggression | Peaceful |
| Lifespan | 4-5 years |
Buenos Aires Tetra Origins
The Buenos Aires Tetra is a freshwater fish that originated in the streams, lakes, and rivers of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay’s eastern region, and parts of Uruguay.
These species prefer tributaries with a smaller volume of water so that you can find them in the backwater lakes, floodplain lakes, and oxbow lakes.
They also can be found in all areas where it is naturally distributed, known as sub-tropical regions, where they have mild winters on average.
This fish is named for the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina, where it is found.
What Are the Features of Buenos Aires Tetra?
1. Appearance & Colors
The Buenos Aires Tetra is a popular aquarium fish because of its beautiful colors. The fish is iridescent blue and silver, with a dark horizontal stripe running along its body.
The fins are orange-red, and a sprinkle of red may be seen at the top of the eye.
There are also several color variants have been developed, including one with a yellow tail.
2. Length
The Buenos Aires tetra (Hyphessobrycon anisitsi) is a freshwater fish that can grow to nearly three inches in size.
3. Lifespan
The average lifespan of a Buenos Aires Tetra is three to five years.
To help your fish reach the upper end of that lifespan range, you must give them excellent care regularly.
Is Buenos Aires Tetra Hardy?
The Buenos Aires Tetra is a robust fish that can withstand a wide range of water conditions.
However, it’s still essential to conduct routine water checks and be aware of any changes in your tank.
A dependable test kit will allow you to keep track of the water conditions in your tank, ensuring that your tetras stay healthy and happy.
Buenos Aires Tetra Availability
The Buenos Aires Tetra is widely available in pet stores and online retailers.
Most specimens are captive-bred, although a small number of wild-caught fish are still exported from their native habitat in South America.
Generally, these fish are relatively inexpensive.
How to Care for Buenos Aires Tetra ?
1. Tank Size
The tank size for Buenos Aires Tetras will vary based on how many you want to keep in your aquarium.
Keeping a few fish in tiny 10-gallon tanks has been effective for some aquarists. However, we suggest housing them in an aquarium with at least 30 gallons of water.
This will provide them with an adequate area to swim and discover and aid in preventing aggressive behavior.
2. Temperature
Although Buenos Aires can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, tropical fish prefer warm water.
The ideal temperature for Buenos Aires tetras is between 64°F and 82°F. If you can keep the temperature in the middle of their preferred range, they will be happy and healthy.
3. PH Level
These fish are tolerant of a wide range of pH levels, from 5.5 to 8.5.
However, they prefer neutral pH levels (around 7) and will do best in these conditions.
4. Lighting
Lighting is not a significant concern for Buenos Aires tetras, as they are happy with any type of substrate and do fine with standard aquarium lighting.
However, the tank should be securely covered as these fish are skilled jumpers and will probably do so if given the opportunity.
5. Filters
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a filter for your Buenos Aires tetras.
First, make sure that the filter can accommodate the size of your tank. Secondly, choose a filter that provides quality filtration. And lastly, establish regular water changes to keep the water quality high.
6. Tank Decoration
Buenos Aires tetras are not too fussy about the decorations in their tank.
However, they do have a reputation for being jumpers, so it’s essential to have a tight-fitting lid on the aquarium.
Other than that, feel free to use any type of gravel, plants, or other decorations that you like.
If you want plants in the habitat, you’ll need to use artificial ones.
On the other hand, if you want to be more creative with everything else, there’s no telling what you’ll achieve.
Choose between gravel and sand as your foundation. Then add driftwood, boulders, caverns, or even plastic decorations to complete the look.
Buenos Aires Tetra Diet
As omnivores, Buenos Aires Tetras require a diet that includes both meat and plant matter.
They would eat worms, waterborne creatures like daphnia and mosquito larvae, small crustaceans, and decaying plant matter in the wild.
In the aquarium, their diet should be based around a good quality flake or pellet food with the addition of live or frozen foods like bloodworm, brine shrimp, or daphnia.
This will help ensure they receive all the nutrients to stay healthy and thrive.
As with most fish, it is better to feed your Buenos Aires Tetras 3 or 4 small meals a day than one large meal.
Ideally, they should be fed a flake or pellet food a couple of times a day, then the third feeding something different like frozen bloodworms. Variety is the key to happy, healthy fish.
Remember, only feed your Buenos Aires Tetras as much as they can consume within a few minutes.
Uneaten food will sink to the substrate or behind decorations, where it will rot and pollute your water.
Also, the Buenos Aires Tetra is a mid-water feeding fish that does not eat from the surface or on the bottom.
Choose food that sinks slowly and add it to their tank a pinch at a time, guaranteeing that there is food in the water column for as long as possible. This will ensure that your tetras have plenty of opportunities to feed.
Buenos Aires Tetra Compatibility
One of the great things about Buenos Aires tetras is that they are not aggressive fish.
This makes them compatible with a wide variety of other fish, both in temperament and water conditions.
When choosing tankmates for your Buenos Aires tetra, it’s essential to consider both size and personality.
Avoid keeping Buenos Aires tetras with smaller fish such as the neon tetra. Also avoid keeping them with long-finned fish such as angels, bettas, and guppies.
Buenos Aires Tetra can be kept with the following fish:
- Pearl Gourami
- Odessa Barb
- Peppered Corydoras
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Zebra Danio
- Black Skirt Tetra
Buenos Aires Tetra Predators:
- Angelfish
- Guppy
- Goldfish
Buenos Aires Tetra Gender Difference
One of the most notable differences between male and female Buenos Aires tetras is the color of their fins.
Males have brighter, redder fins, while females have duller, grayish-colored fins.
In addition, males are generally more colorful overall, particularly during spawning season.
Females, on the other hand, are generally larger and broader with a thicker belly, whereas males are typically more petite and slender.
Buenos Aires Tetra Breeding
To breed Buenos Aires tetras, you can spawn them in pairs or groups. If spawning in a group, use approximately the same number of males as females. This will increase the chances of fertilization and reduce aggression.
It is essential to condition all spawning fish with live foods before spawning attempts.
Also, keep the water slightly acidic to neutral with a pH of 6.5 to 7.2; keep the water temperature at 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When tank condition is ideal, the pair will chase each other around until the female is ready to release her eggs.
During this time, the male will become more aggressive, nipping at the female’s fins.
When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she will release them into the plants or green floss. The male then will then fertilize them.
The eggs should hatch within 24 to 36 hours. After hatching, the fry will need to be fed live foods like baby brine shrimp or micro worms. They can also be fed commercial fry foods.
The fry will have eaten their egg sacs in three to four days and be free swimming.
Infusoria or commercially produced fry food like Liquify should be used to feed the larvae at first.
Feed them freshly hatched brine shrimp, micro worms, or finely ground high-quality flake food or fry food as they grow larger.
After 5-7 days, remove the parents to prevent them from eating their fry.
Possible Diseases and Prevention
Buenos Aires Tetras are relatively disease-resistant, but there are a few common ailments you should be aware of.
Ich
Ich is a common disease among freshwater fish, and Buenos Aires Tetras are no exception.
This disease is caused by a parasite that can be introduced to your tank by new fish, plants, or decorations.
The parasite attaches to the fish’s skin and release toxins that damage the fish’s tissue, leading to inflammation, skin lesions, and eventually death.
You can prevent ich by quarantining new fish for at least two weeks before adding them to your tank.
You can also raise the temperature of your tank to 86 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks, which will kill the parasites.
Skin flukes
Skin flukes are another common disease that can affect Buenos Aires Tetras.
These parasites live in the fish’s skin and gills, causing irritation and inflammation.
If left untreated, skin flukes can lead to secondary bacterial infections and eventually death.
You can prevent skin flukes by quarantining new fish and using a UV sterilizer in your tank.
You can also treat skin flukes with medications like metronidazole and praziquantel.
Last Words
The Buenos Aires tetra is a relatively easy fish to care for and makes a good choice for beginner aquarists.
These fish are peaceful and can be kept with other peaceful community fish.
We hope you enjoyed this article as much as we did. If you have any questions, please share them with us in the comment section below
