HomeFreshwater aquarium fishTetras & characinsGarnet tetra Garnet tetra (Hemigrammus pulcher) Scientific name: Hemigrammus pulcher Ladiges, 1938 The Garnet tetra (Hemigrammus pulcher) is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae that grows to about 5 cm (2 in). It is peaceful, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 55 L (15 US gal), water at 23–27°C (73–81°F) and a pH of 5.0–6.0. Native range: South America, Peruvian section of the Amazon River. Garnet tetra care at a glanceTemperamentPeacefulCommunity tankExcellentAdult size5 cm (2 in)Minimum tank55 L (15 US gal)Temperature23–27°C (73–81°F)pH5.0–6.0Hardness5–12 dGH (89–214 ppm)DietOmnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods. BiologyFeeds on worms, small crustaceans and plants. In captivity, spawning takes place among plants and eggs usually hatch in 20 to 24 hours. Maximum length reported to reach 4.5 cm TL. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 60 cm.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameHemigrammus pulcherFamilyCharacidae (Characins)OrderCharaciformes (Characins)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length3.3EnvironmentFreshwater;; pH range: 5.0 - 6.0; dH range: 5 - 12 benthopelagicClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: upper Amazon River basin.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesAquarium: highly commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) More tetras & characinsBleeding-heart tetraHyphessobrycon erythrostigmaFlame tetraHyphessobrycon flammeusHead-and-taillight tetraHemigrammus ocelliferBlack neon tetraHyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodiFlag tetraHyphessobrycon heterorhabdusLemon tetraHyphessobrycon pulchripinnisSee all tetras & characins Can it live with...?Garnet tetra and Black ghostGarnet tetra and Black neon tetraGarnet tetra and Black phantom tetraGarnet tetra and Black sharkminnowGarnet tetra and Blackbarred limiaGarnet tetra and Bleeding-heart tetraGarnet tetra and Bloodfin tetraGarnet tetra and Bluespotted corydorasGarnet tetra and Brilliant rasboraGarnet tetra and Butterfly splitfinGarnet tetra and Chinese suckerGarnet tetra and Clown barbGarnet tetra and Clown loachGarnet tetra and Clown rasboraGarnet tetra and Crescent bettaGarnet tetra and Dwarf botiaGarnet tetra and Dwarf rainbowfishGarnet tetra and Eel LoachGarnet tetra and Flag tetraGarnet tetra and Flame tetraGarnet tetra and Forktail rainbowfishGarnet tetra and Gangetic leaffishGarnet tetra and Glass catfishGarnet tetra and Glowlight tetraGarnet tetra and Goldeneye cichlidGarnet tetra and Head-and-taillight tetraGarnet tetra and Horseface loachGarnet tetra and Indian glassy fishGarnet tetra and Lake Kutubu rainbowfishGarnet tetra and Lemon tetra SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026