Ember Tetras are small tropical freshwater fish species that are quite active and beautiful. As Ember Tetras are easy to keep, most hobbyists prefer to keep them in a community aquarium. As most fish keepers start with a 10-Gallon aquarium, almost all of the aquarists have the same question, i.e., How many Ember Tetra in a 10 Gallon Tank.
The answer to the question is 13.
As Ember Tetras are 0.8 inches long, they need about one gallon of space to live happily. Therefore, you can keep 13 Ember Tetra in a 10-Gallon tank.
Taking the golden rule as reference: 1-inch fish requires 1-Gallon water.
So, using the simple mathematical formula:
number of fish in 10 gallon tank = 10-gallon/fish size ~ 10/0.8=12.5 which is equivalent to 13.
What Tank Size Does Ember Tetra Fish Need?
Ember Tetras are tiny, delicate-looking tetras that thrive in fairly large schools. They need a lot of room to swim around and explore their environment. If you have an aquarium tank with less than at least ten gallons (40 liters) capacity, it will be difficult for your Ember Tetra to live a comfortable and happy life.
Therefore, Ember Tetras require a tank size of 10-Gallon or above.
How Many Ember Tetras Per Gallon?
One important question for every fishkeeper is how many Ember Tetra they can house in their tank. Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer to this question because it all depends on the size of the individual fish (a small tetra counts as one fish while a large Tetra counts as ten).
When it comes to calculating how many Ember Tetra can fit in a tank, you should use a higher estimate for individual fish size.
Ember Tetra grows up to 0.8 inches long.
There is a general rule to calculate the water volume that fish smaller than 3 inches require to survive. One inch of fish requires one gallon of water.
Again, an adult Ember Tetra is 0.8 inches long, so a one-gallon fish tank can hold only one Ember Tetra.
Likewise, a 10-Gallon tank allows you to keep 10/0.8=12.5~ 13 Ember Tetras.
Is it Possible To Add More Ember Tetra To A 10-Gallon Tank?
Yes, it is possible to add more than 13 Ember Tetra in a 10-gallon tank if you maintain your aquarium.
However, I don’t recommend you to add more than the recommended number. This is because Ember Tetras are very active swimmers. So, they need enough open space to swim around.
If you still want to add more Ember Tetras to your tank, then 10 gallons will not be enough. You will at least need a 20-gallon community aquarium. A 20 Gallon Tank can easily hold around 30 Ember Tetras.
How To Maintain Aquarium Condition For 10-Gallon Tank
Aquarium condition is essential for the tank to thrive. Maintaining a healthy aquarium can be difficult and complicated, but it’s not impossible with these simple steps. It may seem like a 10-Gallon tank would be much simpler to maintain than a larger tank because of its size, but it still requires just as much care.
The most important factor that you should consider when keeping any kind of fish is their environmental condition. You cannot be careless regarding this as the health of your fish depends on it. Hence, you should be thorough regarding tank maintenance.
How To Maintain Water Temperature On 10-Gallon Tank
Ideally, the water temperature with Ember Tetra should be between 73°F and 84°F. You can achieve this by making sure that your heater is set at 79-83 degrees Fahrenheit when you place it under an aquarium. Basically, if a fish feels too hot or cold, then it will go into survival mode, which means its metabolism slows down, causing them to not eat, grow or reproduce.
pH and Hardness
Tetras are freshwater fish that can withstand a slightly more range of pH levels. Ember Tetras also like to live in water that has neutral or slightly acidic properties.
For this, you will need to maintain your tank water at a pH level from 6 to 7. Generally, most Ember Tetra owners like to keep the pH level to 6.5.
When it comes to water hardness, tetras prefer soft water. Therefore, the water hardness for the Ember Tetra aquarium should be less than ten dGH.
You can also use peat bags to lower the pH level if needed. This can also help to make the water softer.
Regular Water Maintenance For 10-Gallon Tank
Maintaining a fish tank can seem intimidating at first, but many necessary steps are not complicated. Checking up on your fish regularly can help you figure out any small changes or problems and fix them before they become big problems.
Beyond adjusting the tank environment for different fish, there are tasks to maintain and clean the equipment in your tanks. This includes the lighting system, filters, and heaters.
Another thing that you should follow is changing the water. You will need to change or replace at least 20% of the water every other week. You can scrub out the unwanted wastes such as algae food waste, fish waste from the substrate, tank glass, and decorations.
Decoration in 10-Gallon Tank
While decorating the tank, you should know the characteristics of the fish you are going to keep. When it comes to Ember Tetras, your mind needs to keep in mind the hiding spaces. These tetras tend to hide if they feel threatened.
A single piece of driftwood is a good decoration for the tank. It will provide hiding spots and nooks as well as ample space to attach live plants with their roots exposed. You can use rocks (clean ones!) on which to attach plants or other decorations. Be sure to use a background color that contrasts with the item you are trying to highlight!
In addition, while housing the Ember Tetra in a 10-gallon tank, do not add other unnecessary ornamental decorative items.
Substrate For 10-Gallon Tank
For bright tetras like Ember Tetra, I always recommend darker substrate. A darker substrate will make the fish more attractive.
You can Go for Aqua Soul if you prefer planted aquarium or buy regular dark gravel.
Best Aquarium Filter For 10-Gallon Tank
There are different types of filters available in the market, but for a smaller tank like Ember Tetra, the best filter would be an internal power filter or hang-on back (HOB) filter. But you need to make sure that your HOB has enough room to hold biological media and keep circulating water without any problem.
I have been using AquaClear, Fish Tank Filter For 5 to 20 Gallons on all my 10-Gallon Tanks.
Conclusion
I hope that you got good knowledge with regards to-dos and don’ts when it comes to keeping Ember Tetras in a 10-gallon tank. Just like other pets, they need proper care, timely feeding, and secure home to thrive. I hope that you are able to provide all of this properly for your fish.
If you want to know more about other Tetra fish, you can check out our other articles as well.