NOTE: This care guide was copied from the care guide I wrote on aqcenter.net (username onidrase). This is why the format is different. It was still written by me.

COMMON NAME Bleeding Heart Tetra

SCIENTIFIC NAME Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma

FAMILY Characidae

ORIGIN South America

MAXIMUM SIZE 3 inches

TEMPERATURE RANGE 74-78F, 24-26C

CARE Very hardy, undemanding species. Best kept in soft, acidic water, but takes on the hard, alkaline water in my area with no issues. They do best in larger schools of at least 6, preferably more.

FEEDING - Not a picky eater, mine eat everything I throw in the tank. They are omnivorous, and will accept flake any flakes or pellets. They also do well with supplemented meaty frozen or live foods such as blood worms and brine shrimp for a treat.

SEXING Males are said to have a longer dorsal fin, but this is not a sure sign way to gender them. Females seem to be a bit wider bodied, like most tetra species.

OTHER These fish tend to stay in the mid and lower areas of the aquarium. They can be very mischievous and nippy, but I've kept them with longer finned fish with no problems, they tend to keep to themselves. I would recommend housing them in at least a 30" (75cm) long tank, to allow them to move about freely. The red spot in the middle of their body where they get their name from tends to be more bright if fed with protein rich foods, but don't forget they need their veggies as well. They can be very active at times, but spend a lot of the time just hovering about the tank idly.