Ember Tetras are freshwater fish that originated from the Amazon, Brazil, and Peru. The Ember Tetra is sometimes called the Red Eye Tetra. They are trendy among aquarists because they can be kept in small aquariums with other peaceful fish species. These tetras make great companions for beginners because they don’t require much attention or care to thrive. But How to Take Care of Ember Tetras?
You can take care of ember tetras by giving them appropriate tank sizes and tank mates. Make sure also to balance the water parameters, change the water regularly and feed your fish well.
This blog post will discuss how to take care of Ember Tetras and answer all your questions about them!
About Ember Tetras
Ember Tetras are freshwater fish that originated from the Amazon, Brazil, and Peru. They have vibrant red eyes and can grow up to two inches in length (about five centimeters).
As their name implies, they look like embers of fire floating through your aquarium! Ember tetras are unique looking, and they are trendy among aquarists.
How Do You Take Care Of Ember Tetras?
To take care of Ember Tetras, you only need to follow a few steps:
The Tank Size
Ember tetras should be kept in a tank that is at least 15 gallons long. If your aquarium isn’t big enough, the fish will have difficulty swimming and show themselves to their full potential. The minimum size of an ember tetra’s tank is smaller, as long it is a lot longer than the length of your fish.
Ember tetras can live in small aquariums as they don’t require much room. They are commonly kept in tanks that hold up to ten gallons (about thirty liters) of water. However, this is not the ideal tank size for your Ember Tetras.
A ten-gallon tank is a bit small for them and can stress your fish out, which will lead to disease.
If you have the means, we recommend a thirty-gallon (about one hundred and twenty liters) aquarium or larger if possible.
Tank Mates
As their name implies, Ember Tetras are generally peaceful fish. Therefore, you can house them with other small, non-aggressive tetras such as the Glowlight Tetra and Neon Tetra.
But Ember Tetras will not get along well with larger tank mates that are aggressive or nippy (such as Silver Dollars).
Ember tetras can be kept with other peaceful fish species, such as neon tetra or cardinal tetra, in small groups (about three to five).
However, please don’t keep them with larger aggressive species because they will not get along.
Male To Female Ratio
You can keep most tetras in a one-to-one ratio of males and females (about one male to every female).
But Ember Tetras are an exception because you should have at least three or four males for every two females.
This is because the ember tetra will get stressed if there aren’t enough males to females. Therefore, it is best to have more females than males in your tank because they are more peaceful and less likely to harass each other.
Balance The Water Parameters
It would help if you balanced the water parameters such as pH level, water temperature, etc. so that Ember Tetras.
Ember tetras need a pH level between six to seven (neutral) with soft water conditions. But you can raise or lower it if necessary for the health of your fish.
However, don’t change the pH of your aquarium too drastically, as this will stress out your fish.
It would help to keep the temperature between 74 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (between 23 to 27 Celsius).
You should only keep one species of tetra in a tank. Otherwise, the water parameters will be off, and your fish will get sick or die.
But Ember Tetras are an exception because they can live in slightly acidic pH levels and hard alkaline ones. So, for example, a pH level of six is okay for Ember Tetras.
Changing Water For Your Ember Tetras
To get your aquarium ready to house ember tetras, you will need to change the water once every two weeks (or more often if necessary).
To do this, siphon out at least 50% of the water and replace it with new, clean water.
Many people recommend changing the entire water tank every week, but Ember Tetras doesn’t require this maintenance level.
You need to clean or replace about ten percent of your tank’s water every week with a gravel siphon.
You also need to check that the water is at an appropriate pH for Ember Tetras and temperature levels are okay before adding it back into your tank.
Install Heater, Filter, And Other Equipment
It would help if you kept Ember tetra in a filtered or well-aerated aquarium with some form of filtration.
For example, you can use an under-gravel filter, power filters, or other types of filtration that are appropriate for your tank size and species.
Ember tetras are not picky about their equipment as long as they get a heater (if necessary), filter, and other necessary equipment.
You will need a heater to keep the water temperature between 74-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23-27 Celsius).
You can use an undergravel filter in your aquarium with Ember Tetras as well. But make sure you clean it often.
Ember Tetras are sensitive fish that get sick easily if you don’t maintain their environment properly.
Penn Plax Cascade 400 Submersible Aquarium Filter, Eheim Jager aquarium heater, and NICREW Single Channel LED Light Timer are good choices for the filter, heater, and light for ember tetras respectively.
Feeding Your Ember Tetras
Ember tetras are omnivores and will eat a variety of flake, pellet, or frozen food. They do best when they get two feedings per day (one in the morning and once at night). It would help if you also supplemented their diet with live worms or insects.
Don’t feed them live food if you don’t want to because Ember Tetras can become aggressive.
It would help if you only gave your fish one feeding per day when pregnant or have young babies in the tank. However, you also need to be careful not to overfeed your tetra as this will pollute their water and make it hard for them to survive.
Maintaining The Ember Tetras Tank
Ember tetra can live up to five years, but that is rare. Usually, they live for about three years.
You need to make sure you take care of your Ember tetra tank, including the filter and water temperature, or else your fish will get sick and die.
If any problems come up with your aquarium that can’t be fixed easily, like a broken heater, it is best to move all the fish to a different container temporarily.
It would help if you also took care of your aquarium and care for the tetra themselves (such as cleaning).
You need to clean regularly and keep up with maintenance like siphoning out waste or replacing equipment.
This will ensure that there is always enough oxygen coming into your tank for the fish to survive.
You should only keep one species of tetra in a tank. Otherwise, the water parameters will be off, and your fish will get sick or die.
But Ember Tetras are an exception because they can live in slightly acidic pH levels and hard alkaline ones. So, for example, a pH level of six is okay for Ember tetras.
Prevent And Treat Diseases
Ember tetra disease symptoms include breathing problems, red or white spots on their body, and fungus growths.
You can prevent diseases by taking care of your water quality with regular cleanings and adding salt to the aquarium (only in certain cases).
If your tetra has a disease, you need to quarantine them from the other fish and slowly introduce medications into their water.
Taking Care Of Pregnant Ember Tetras
Ember Tetras are egg-layers and will get pregnant when they mate with another fish of the same species.
This usually happens in late spring or early summer if it is warm enough in your area. When a female Ember tetra has been impregnated, she will lay her eggs on plants or rocks inside your tank.
The eggs will hatch in about a week, and you should remove the parents from your tank. However, you need to watch them because they might eat their own young if they are still hanging around.
FAQ
I have answered some common questions about Ember tetras here.
How Do You Take Care Of A Pregnant Ember Tetra?
Once a female is impregnated, she will lay her eggs in the tank and remove the parents once they hatch (after about one week).
How Long Will An Ember Tetra Live?
An Ember tetra can live up to five years if you take care of them properly. Old age will eventually kill them if they don’t die from a disease or other complications (although this is pretty rare and usually happens only after four or five years).
Can Ember Tetras Change Their Gender?
No, they are born female and stay that way for their entire lives. Males only develop later in life when a dominant female is removed from the tank (so there’s room to lay eggs once she leaves or dies). Females remain females until death unless another fish kill them.
Are Ember Tetras Hardy?
Yes, Ember tetras are hardy if they are taken care of properly in an aquarium with appropriate equipment and conditions. If you don’t clean or change out enough tank
Ember tetras are hardy and rarely get sick because they have a strong immune system, but that doesn’t mean they can’t become ill from stress or bad water parameters.
They are very hardy and can survive in a large range of water conditions. However, unless you have the right equipment to maintain their habitat (including an appropriate heater), then it’s best not to keep them. They will get sick or die if something goes wrong with your aquarium.
But they are sensitive to changes in their environment, and if you don’t maintain it properly, your ember tetras will get sick or die.
For example, if there isn’t enough oxygen in the water, they will get stressed, and their immune system might not fight off disease.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ember tetras are a hardy species of fish that have strong immune systems.
They can live in a wide range of water conditions, but you need to take good care of them by keeping the right equipment and maintaining the environment properly for your Ember Tetra fish tank.
Ember tetra disease symptoms include breathing problems, red or white spots on their body, and fungus growths.
If you have any questions about the care of Ember tetras that I didn’t answer here, please leave them in the comments below, and I will help you out!