Glowlight Tetra: A Quiet Line of Orange Fire

In this guide

Overview

The glowlight tetra, Hemigrammus erythrozonus, carries a single bright orange-red stripe running the length of an otherwise translucent, silvery body, giving the impression of a thin glowing wire when the fish catches the light. It comes from Guyana and reaches around four centimetres at maturity.

It is one of the calmer, less flashy tetras, which makes it a good choice for a tank that already has a bold centrepiece fish and needs a subtler shoaling species to fill it out.

Tank and water requirements

A group of eight or more suits a tank of forty litres or larger. Glowlights are undemanding about water hardness compared to cardinal or rummy nose tetras, and settle well into typical Indian tap water conditions.

They show their best colour against a darker substrate and under moderate rather than very bright lighting, which is worth keeping in mind when planning tank decor.

Diet and behaviour

A standard diet of small flakes and micro pellets, with the occasional live or frozen treat, keeps them in good condition. They are entirely peaceful and rarely bother other fish, including their own smaller tankmates.

Glowlights shoal loosely rather than in the tight, disciplined formation seen in rummy nose tetras, but still look best in a proper group rather than just a couple of fish.

Buying tips

• Priced around twenty to fifty rupees per fish in most Indian aquarium shops
• A good filler shoal for a tank with a bolder centrepiece fish such as a gourami or angelfish
• Choose fish with a clean, unbroken orange stripe, since a patchy or faded stripe often indicates stress or poor water at the shop

Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.