Some people just love the color red so much, they end up having everything in red color. And I actually kind of see why. Red is such a vibrant and beautiful color so there is no doubt it symbolizes love many times. Now, coming to the main topic, it is okay to wonder whether there are red color fish or not especially tetra. Red color tetra fish are no doubt the best and ideal for your aquarium but are there options to choose from?
Well yes, there are many tetra fish in the red color you can keep in your aquarium. Ruby tetra, Serpae tetra, ember tetra, flame tetra, etc. are some of the red color tetra fish you can choose from.
Let me give you detailed knowledge about some of the red color tetra fish, it will be easier for you to choose from.
Let’s get started.
Big List Of 12 Red Color Tetra Fish For Your Aquarium Or Ideal For Your Aquarium
There is actually a quite big list when it comes to tetras and the same is when it comes to one definite color.
Not that color makes them any different from other tetras except in color, red will definitely add new life to your tank.
I can’t argue the fact that red will look so beautiful and heart-warming in the home aquarium. So, now from this chit-chat to the main thing, we are talking about today.
Here is the list of 12 red color tetra fish for your aquarium; trust me they will bless you with their presence.
Ruby Tetra
Ruby tetra is the first one on the list with its beautiful features and body making you fall in love with it every time.
This perfect red-pigmented tetra has a small yet ruby red-tinted body along with transparent fins. However, there is a little hint of black in the back of the tail adding additional beauty to this fish.
The red color might pop a little more in the wild than in captivity. When you hold them in the home aquarium, Ruby Tetras tend to get stressed so, you might see a little faded red color as well as orange too.
But don’t worry the color will be back as soon as they adjust to the new parameters but make sure it is ideal for them.
Ruby Tetra as their name suggests, has this beautiful and vibrant Ruby red color in their body. Hence, a different shade of red to choose from.
I have also written a detailed article on Ruby Tetra Care Sheet. Have a look!!!
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oZkPXb0VVw
Serpae Tetra
Now, coming to the second red color tetra, I decide to go with Serpae tetra. But footnote the numerical arranging has nothing to do best, all of the tetras listed here are the best of the best.
So, none of them hold a candle to being the very best of the rest. Since, I have made this clear, hope you won’t judge the tetra according to the number.
Coming back to the Serpae tetra, as you know now already are reddish in color. However, the color present in the tetra doesn’t end here, you’ll see a hint of brown to black when it comes to Serpae tetra.
They have so many names that indicate the color red abundantly, a few of them are blood tetra, red minor tetra, jewel tetra, blood Characin, Red Serpae, etc.
They have the most noticeable color deep reddish shade that looks so beautiful and vibrant under aquarium lighting.
However, behind the gills of Serpae Tetra, you will find a comma-shaped black dot adding extra vibrancy.
The fins, although, tell a different story; the dorsal fins have a whitish color with a black tip.
However, the other fins present in the Serpae Tetra are exceptionally red while the edge of the anal fin is black with a splash of white.
Ember Tetra
Well, we are in the third tetra and hence Ember Tetra sweeps the position smoothly with its vibrant and beautiful color.
You will know them from afar in the aquarium thanks to their easily identifiable appearance. The color plays a vital role in making ember tetra attractive for your aquarium.
The fiery red color along with a few cases of the saturated orange gradient, ember tetra definitely steals the show.
Also, you will see a hint of orange color around the rim, making the eyes pop, hence a desirable fish for an aquarium.
I have also written a detailed article on Ember Tetra – The Right Fire Tetra For your Aquarium. Give it a read once!
Flame Tetra
We are now on our fourth tetra that has a red color in their body and there is a high chance they got their name from the same thing too.
I am talking about flame tetra, the tetra that resembles the color of fire and its flame. You can easily contemplate the color of the flame of flame tetra by just thinking of the flame.
Starting with the shade of gray and the sides of bronze, it leads to the red followed by brighter red to the end.
Gray, bronze, yellow, black, and red are the colors that make flame tetra beautiful and attractive. The first half of their body, the head region, is gray leading to the bronze color.
Likewise, the other half of the body is lighter red while the shade grows darker red, and hence the fin is the brighter red.
However, the anal fin of male flame tetra is quite brighter than female flame tetra. The anal fin of female flame tetra is somewhat a lighter shade of red and sometimes yellow too.
Furthermore, the tip of the anal, as well as the pectoral fin, is black in females however the black tip in the pectoral fin is absent in males.
There is, however, a chance of you meeting the flame tetra with faded color when you visit the pet store. It is due to the stressful environment.
These tetras will gain their color back once they are in an aquarium with appropriate water parameters and an ideal environment.
You may also like to read about Flame Tetra: Care, Origin, Tank Setup, Lifespan, Disease, Tankmates
Bleeding Heart Tetra
While we are talking about red color how can we leave behind the tetra that carries the bleeding-heart shape on its body? The fifth tetra on the list of red color tetra is the Bleeding heart tetra of course.
The most exclusive and important feature of bleeding heart tetra is the heart-shaped red patch present on the side of their body near their gills.
Thanks to this very patch for giving bleeding heart tetra their most famous name as well as making them unique.
The color range of bleeding Heart tetra has a combination of beige orange to silvery lavender.
All of these shades of red make these tetras astonishingly beautiful and an ideal choice for your aquarium.
The color of bleeding heart tetra is the rosy silver hue to be precise but that remains only on its body. The tailfin, pectoral fins, and anal fins of these tetras are, however, transparent.
But the dorsal fin is quite different than other fins with the splash of red and black adding another color to the list.
Here is an article for you to help you know more about Bleeding Heart Tetra (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma).
Bloodfin Tetra
Coming to the 6th one in the list, we will be talking about a tetra with unique fins i.e., Bloodfin tetra.
The body of these tetras might not have a hint of red in it and is completely silver. Hence, the primary color of bloodfin is silver however the color varies when it comes to their fin.
The dorsal, anal, adipose and tail fins have vivid red color and their stark contrast to the other part of the bloodfin tetra’s body.
However, the tips of the fins don’t have the same red color and are transparent usually. Hence, the name of this very tetra is named after their blood-red fins i.e., Bloodfin tetra.
Red Phantom Tetra
The position of lucky seven in the list of red color tetra fish is hence taken by Red phantom tetra.
The coloration and shape of Red Phantom Tetra resemble several species of the same genus like Rosy Tetra, black phantom tetra, and Serpae tetra.
However, the black shoulder patch and white edges in the fins are present in Red Phantom Tetra, unlike others.
They have a red transparent body with black dorsal fins with white tips in females making it an ideal red color fish for your aquarium.
The color tends to vary according to the diet and environment your Red phantom tetra is in, so make sure you don’t let the color fade due to carelessness.
Scarlet Red Line Tetra
The 8th position is taken by one of the rarest tetras in the market although has a very prominent red color. We will be talking about Scarlet Red line tetra in this section specifically.
Although they don’t have well-known names these tetras are often referred to as watermelon tetra, red laser tetra, and Coreulean Pink Tetra.
You can clearly see each of their names has a hint of red color. And the vivid red coloration with a neon pink line on the downside of their body makes them way more attractive.
Scarlet Red Line tetras look spectacular when they enter the spawning period. You see the male scarlet red line develops a deep ruby red color making them get confused for some other species.
They have this undeniable resemblance to glowlight tetra apart from the color and other few features. This is maybe due to the same genus name of both these tetras.
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyRylIsVJj4
Red Line Tetra
Here we are in the 9th one from the list and I placed our Red line Tetra in this position just after the Scarlet Redline.
People often get confused with Scarlet Red line tetra and Red line tetra due to the similarity in their names.
Also, another name of red line tetra is scarlet tetra, but as I said these two tetras are completely different.
Redline tetra got its name from the red line that runs below the head to the end of its silver color body.
These tetras body is a combination of various colors such as yellow, grey, black, silver, and red.
Right behind the head of the Redline, you will see a black mark that is small yet prominent.
You will also see another line yellow in color running just below the red color in their body.
Additionally, the upper part of the eye has a hint of red color making its eye pop with vibrancy.
I have also written a complete article on Red Line Tetra Complete Care Guide. Have a look!
Picture credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMSNoFthZ0
Cardinal Tetra
The 10th position of the list of red color tetra fish is hence acquired by Cardinal Tetra, one of the well-known and most preferred tetras after neon tetra.
Also, these tetras have a very similar resemblance to neon tetra, these make to the list due to their more prominent red color.
The color of these cardinal tetras is a combination of red and blue. While the blue color strip sits on the top side of the cardinal tetra’s body, the red color runs on the lower side of the body from head to tail.
These two colors are so bright that the school of these fish swimming around the tank is way more attractive.
This is the very reason they are one of the most desired tetra fish to keep in the aquarium. However, there is a chance of color fading in neon tetras and cardinal tetras both due to various factors.
You might like to read more about Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) – A Complete Care Guide
Candy Cane Tetra
Now coming to the 11th tetra from the list, we have candy cane tetra. This one is the newest edition to the tetra family with yet to have a scientific name.
But that doesn’t make it any less beautiful or unattractive. These tetras are well-known as False Rosy Tetra as Candy Cane resembles rosy tetra so very much.
There are very few things you need to look at to differentiate candy cane from Rosy although the red color is still pretty common here.
The candy cane has the same pink salmon-colored body as Rosy Tetra with darker red markings on the fins.
Unlike rosy tetra, candy cane tetra has a grayish shoulder patch that might be faint but it is there. Also, the candy cane tetra body is quite more transparent than the real rosy tetra.
Here is a detailed Article on Candy Cane Tetra. This Care guide will help you know more about these tetras.
Image Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNDNpm1hfUc
Glofish Tetra
Glofish tetra might be the last one on today’s list but trust me these are worth the wait. You may know these glofish are genetically engineered and hence comes in various colors and types.
However, we will not be talking about all the colors just the red one. The red-colored glofish is called Glofish Starfire Red Tetra and it was the very first color that was released before any other color.
These glofish Starfire Tetra Fish have a hot pink color body with slightly lighter stripes. Likewise, the head of these specific glofish tetra tells a slightly different story with a lighter version of the orangish color.
You probably have the idea of the selling and buying of Glofish tetra is illegal unless it is from its very Glofish company.
These tetras will be quite attractive red color addition to the tank. You won’t regret having them in the tank as they are hardy as any other tetra.
I have written an article on Glofish Care and Tank Set Up. You might like to have a look at that too before purchasing it.
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABkxw1m6DkA
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are few FAQs about tetras you might like answers to.
What Is The Hardiest Tetra?
The size and the boldness of tetra determine which tetra is the hardiest. Thanks to the large body ad bold nature, tetras like Buenos Aires, Head and Tail Lights, Skirt Tetras, etc. are the hardiest tetra you can have in your tank. Here is an article to help you know if Tetras are hardy or not.
Can I Mix Tetras?
Yes, actually you can. You can mix and keep different types of tetras in the same aquarium. However, you have to make sure there are enough species of each tetra so that they will have their own school.
Tetra when kept alone will stress and die of loneliness. So, it is wise to never be any of the species alone in the tank.
Also, you need to make sure the tank size is big enough to hold all the fish you are planning to keep. Remember the 1-inch-long fish equals 1 gallon of water.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, red might be your color and I am giving you options to add one more shade of red in your life with an aquarium. Since tetras are a fantastic addition to your home aquarium and red-colored tetra fish will be the cherry on the top. But there will still be certain things you need to do for them despite what color they are. Tetra will be an awesome pet to you no matter what color they have. Go for the one as you see fit and you fall in love with.
Choose wisely!
Good Luck!
Happy Fish Keeping!!!
Recommended Articles:
- 47 Types of Tetra Fish [From A to Z] | A Complete Tetra Species Guide
- Neon Tetra Color Fading Reason and Treatment
- Tetra Fish Diseases and Treatments
