Red Eye Tetra Fishes

The red eye tetra or the Moenkhausia sanctefilomenae is known by many names such as the yellow-banded moenkhausia, the yellow back moenkhausia and the yellowhead tetra.



The red eye tetra is a fresh water fish and can grow up to2.75 inches or 7 cm and its life span is up to 5 years. It can be recognized by its bright silver body which is accented by a black tail and a thin red circle around its eye. The minimum tank size needed to house this fish is 10 gallons. They are found mainly in found in South America, in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru.



It is an excellent beginner fish.

This fish is known to be readily available as it’s a peaceful fish and is suitable for most community aquariums. The pet health care of a red eye tetra is that they are a schooling fish and should be kept in groups of six or more. Although peaceful at times they are known to be fin nippers especially if kept single or alone.



They tolerate a range of water conditions from soft acidic water to hard alkaline. The temperature they need to be kept at is 73-82 F and in a planted tank which has plenty of shoaling space. This fish is an omnivore and eats most foods. When in the wild its diet consists of feeding on worms, insects, plant matter and crustaceans. In an aquarium they can be fed all kinds of live, fresh and flake foods. Blood worms and brine shrimp are a good choice. The pet health information regarding red eye tetra is to avoid any type of diseases in tank water always add about two tablespoons of salt especially after cleaning out the tank and adding fresh water. Females are larger than males and have a more rounded abdomen than males. It is a free spawning fish but is also known to lay eggs among floating plants. The mating pair should be removed from the tank once spawning has occurred as they are known to consume eggs. The eggs hatch one day after they are laid. There are several known pet health issues associated with aquarium fish like red eye tetra. The most common are either bacterial or parasitic. Fortunately most are easily diagnosed and can be treated successfully. Bacterial diseases are usually seen by red streaks or spots are best treated by antibiotics. Parasitic disease which is most common is Ich which treatable with copper or malachite green.