Von Rio Flame Tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)

The Von Rio Flame Tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) wears a silver front half and a deep orange-red rear that spreads into the fins, with two dark bars just behind the gill. Males color up hardest, and a mature group in a planted tank glows like coals drifting through the midwater. It is peaceful, genuinely hardy, and one of the few tetras that is comfortable at room temperature, which makes it a strong pick for a first community tank or an unheated setup.

Browse the rest of our freshwater livestock and live fish, or school them alongside our Ember Tetras and Rummy Nose Tetras.

Care Guide

Buy them in a group. Six is the minimum and ten or more is much better. In a real school the males display at each other constantly, flaring fins and intensifying color, which is most of the appeal. Kept in small numbers they stay washed out and hide.

Tank size. A 20 gallon long comfortably holds a school of eight to ten. They use the whole midwater column and appreciate swimming room more than height.

Water parameters. Temperature 72 to 82°F, pH 5.5 to 7.5, soft to moderately hard. They tolerate a wider range than most tetras and will hold at room temperature in the high 60s, so a heater is optional in a climate-controlled room. Clean, stable water matters far more than exact numbers.

Diet. Omnivore and completely unfussy. Quality flake or micro pellet daily, with frozen or freeze-dried daphnia, brine shrimp, and bloodworms a few times a week. The red pigment deepens noticeably on a varied diet with some carotenoid-rich foods.

Aquascaping. Dark substrate and planted edges make the orange pop. Driftwood and a few floating plants dim the light and bring out their best color. Keep the center open for swimming and put a lid on the tank, since any small tetra can jump when startled.

Conservation note. This species is scarce in its native coastal streams around Rio de Janeiro, but essentially every Flame Tetra in the hobby is captive bred. Buying them puts no pressure on wild populations.

Specifications

Compatibility

An easy community fish. Match it with anything peaceful that will not treat it as a snack.

• Great matches. Other small tetras such as Embers and Rummy Nose, rasboras, livebearers such as platies, and peaceful dwarf cichlids.
• Cleanup crew. Otocinclus, Amano Shrimp, and nerite snails are all safe with them.
• Avoid. Large cichlids and anything with a big enough mouth to eat a 2 inch fish. Also avoid keeping them with long-finned slow fish such as fancy bettas or guppies, since a small under-stocked group can develop into occasional nippers.
• Plants. Entirely plant safe. Pair them with live plants for the best color contrast.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Hikari Micro Pellets or Xtreme Nano Slow-Sinking Pellets as the daily staple
• Xtreme Community Crave Krill & Spirulina Flakes for color feeding
• Freeze-Dried Daphnia and frozen bloodworms as conditioning treats
• Java Moss or Hornwort for cover and spawning sites
• Seachem Safe for water changes and Seachem Stability when cycling
• More in Nutrition, Water Care, and Water Testing

Frequently Asked Questions

How many should I buy?
Six is the floor, ten or more is where the color and the male sparring really show. This is the single cheapest upgrade you can make to how the fish looks in your tank.

Do I need a heater?
Not necessarily. Flame Tetras are comfortable from the high 60s up into the low 80s, so a room that stays reasonably warm year round will do. Add a heater if your room drops below about 68°F or swings hard between day and night.

How do I tell males from females?
Males are slimmer with more intense red and a black edge on the anal fin. Females are rounder in the belly and noticeably paler. A mixed group is best since the males display for the females.

Will the color fade after I bring them home?
New arrivals are often pale from shipping and settling in. Give them a week of clean water, a dark substrate, and good food, and the orange fills back in. Persistent washed-out color usually means too small a group or too bright a tank.

Do you hold fish for pickup?
Yes. Your order is reserved as soon as it is placed, and we leave the fish in its tank until you arrive so it stays in the best possible shape.