Should YOU get Ember Tetras? (Care Guide)

[@invaderzim133]

As a novice in this hobby i started with 8 in a planted 9 gallon tank and they have done excellent! So good that they actually started breeding and now i have some babies swimming around. I really like you tetra/cpd/Gourami tank.

[@amylancaster7239]

I agree with the suggestion to keep as many as you can together, i started with 5, then went to 8, now im at 13, and the difference in behaviour was noticeable each time, they became braver, schooled more strongly, and generally look nicer in the tank

[@MattKeepsFish]

I just bought some more after the video 😁

[@amylancaster7239]

I love ember tetras, but no one ever does videos on them, so thank you!

[@MattKeepsFish]

It was about time! I’ll try to do one on everything I have eventually!

[@jmdq1]

I like that you mention the lifespan changes when we don’t try to accommodate better care for fish we buy. Learn as much as you can about their care and try to come as close as you can to those requirements. Once your tank gets balanced out you don’t need to keep buying fish and watching them die far too soon. I have a group of black neons that are 4 1/2 years old, they are still very healthy. Every time you change things in a tank the balance has to settle in all over again. And I have learned to skip one day of feeding a week once all the fish in the tank are full grown. It keeps the tank stable, it makes the fish scavenge around and eat All traces of food, which is not then polluting your tank. Fish in the wild have to hunt food , plus they expend much more energy in the wild , swimming more to find food and fast to avoid being eaten by predators.

[@MattKeepsFish]

I would agree. Even if there isn’t food, it allows the fish to clear their gut of anything that’s difficult to digest

[@tauncfester3022]

I keep 13 of them in a 17 gallon with some NeoCaridinia shrimp, This tank is pretty heavily planted. From what I've read they live in temporary flood pools (Aigarapes) off the main stem of some Mato Grosso regional rivers, in pretty heavy plant thickets. Mine are breeding, I see a couple new babies every 3 months or so. I'm sure they snack on their young but the babies are pretty cryptically colored and lurk in plant root thickets so a few do make it to about 3/16" size which the adults finally decide they're not food.

[@MattKeepsFish]

Maybe this explains how they can justify such a small adult size 🤔

[@SteeIW0LF]

In my experience through a substrate mishap, ember tetras are crazy tolerant to water parameters. I started a tank, I was going to plant it so I used some substrate mixed with dirt from an old tank, then capped it with a few inches of sand. Wasn’t planning on using a bubbler so just cycled the tank and once the water got close to normal parameters I added some embers, a beta, and some black tetras. Water was staying fine. Few weeks later I decided to add a bubbler. Well because I like things hidden I poked it way down into the substrate. Big mistake. Unknown to me (figured it out later) the bubbler was churning up all the chemicals from the decaying matter in the lower substrate. (The sand had been keeping it in) and ammonia and nitrite spiked through the roof. Literally. I woke up the next morning to dead fish littering the top of the water. Except the embers. Tested the water and the ammonia pegged the test kit. The sample turned so green it was almost black, which is beyond the 8ppm the test kit maxes out at. Changed the water 50% almost every day for a week and unburied the bubblers. In that time I lost 1 out of 12 embers. That was about 2 months ago. So 11/12 ember tetras survived over night in water with over 8ppm ammonia and still seem to be doing ok 2 months later.

[@MattKeepsFish]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@peadrianlastname]

I was planning on keeping 20 embers together, but bought em 5 per week and 1 glowlight tetra snuck in with my third batch so now I have 14 embers and 7 glowlights in with my colony of rcs that started at 25 and is now around 80 in a 20 gallon, it's my most interesting tank to watch by far

[@MattKeepsFish]

I would imagine! Very cool

[@HealingWarrior-ic6os]

I’ve got 4 in my 9 gallon right now (tank is only 2 weeks old so building up the numbers slowly). It’s so fun to watch them interact with each other. I’m looking forward to getting more!!

[@ПлатоваМария]

Ember tetras are supercute and brave, and active! They are such tiny things, no video can really do them justice, one has to see them to believe how attractive they look in a tank. And its fun how they mimic other species if they have to. I used to have a small school of 6, then over time ended up with two left and was thinking of giving them away to somebody who keeps them, I just wanted kind of a mono species tank, just cherry barbs, no tetras. But the moment those two saw freshly arrived young barbs... It was special ) They blended in immediately! I decided to let them be and see what'd happened. They lived another two years before they grew really old and die. And all that time they considered themselves cherry barbs... Or vice versa. So, the concept of monospecies tank was terminated at the inception, but it turned out a curious experience afterall.

[@MattKeepsFish]

Interesting experiences! Pinned.

[@michellep4792]

I love ember tetras. They are so cute and little. They are my favourite of the tetras.

[@Reign724]

I just bought 6 more for my school, should have around 20 now in my 55g. They are in my “tetra tank” so about 5 different species of tetras that max out at 2/2.5 in. Feeding wise, I found that frozen cyclops, daphnia and baby brine shrimp work great for them. Definitely my top 5 fish to keep

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@Reign724 Sounds like an awesome tank! I will put those on the menu 😄

[@jmdq1]

I like the aqua clear hang on back filter because you can adjust the flow , from low to high. This gives me the slower flow I need for my Honey Gourami , my Plakat Betta and my other tetras , Ammano shrimp and Corys I keep in my 20 gallon long. I unplug the filter at night, because I have a dirt and dark sand capped substrate with loads of plants. Started unplugging the filter after my tank was well established . Surface breathers like a calm surface. So do floating plants, which die off if they are constantly moving all around the surface.

[@MattKeepsFish]

Good info! People forget that not all fish need surface agitation. Fun fact: some clever use of pvc tubing can allow you to keep float g plants even with medium currents ;)

[@S.Trades]

Beautiful little fish! ❤

[@LorenaLubin]

W video idk why this video doesn’t have 1mil likes and how many should I add in a 55 gal

[@MattKeepsFish]

This comment is a million likes to me. Watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4mtk3iMZcuZgLssi=PUsjgkEsTA2hqKc8

[@corydorassterbai8659]

Hello, i saw your anchor catfish video, and i wanna Point some things out. Mine dont swim at all and stay in The samr spot almost always, so they dont search for food.. From my experience, they didnt touch prepared foods. What im doing, i separate Them in a pretty small container and put a little leaf or plant they can hide under. After about 10 minutes i put some bloodworms ONTO Them. They Will feel it and swallow it, live and frozen works well. I separate Them so The other fish wont eat The worms. Cyclops daphina, they wont touch it(my experience) i recommend you do this once a week.. Thats enough for Them. You can also spot feed Them in The tank because they dont really run away.. Just a heads up, so they dont stare. Mine were almost there.. (this is an advice for feeding Them). Frozen tubifez also work, but seem to love bloodworms or mosquito larvae

[@GuyPadfield]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video, I am planning to get some this week and what you said has been informative. By the way, I am curious to know what the floating plant is that looks like duckweed in some of the shots? Thanks.

[@MattKeepsFish]

I have a mix of duckweed, salvinia, and water lettuce in this aquarium 😊

[@GuyPadfield]

Thanks for the reply Matt, I'll see if I can source some.@@MattKeepsFish

[@GuyPadfield]

I got some Embers and they are doing really well and are just wonderful to watch. I also got some free Salvinia from the shop that is also doing well. Big thanks to you Matt.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@GuyPadfield Of course. Free plants are always a win!

[@WeipoMingpo]

You can try baby brine shrimp. It'll make their color pop even more.

[@Ashers_Art]

Great video! May I ask what the plant is on the far right of their tank at 4:22 ? Thanks

[@MattKeepsFish]

Cryptocoryne Wendtii, I believe

[@Ashers_Art]

@@MattKeepsFish thanks! I just subbed, keep it up

[@MattKeepsFish]

@Ashers_Art New update this Sunday 😉

[@JorgeLeon-Garcia]

Hi! Awesome video, thanks for the good info. I have a small school of 5 embers with two amono shrimps in a 5 gallon tank - one of the tetras is hanging out all by his lonesome - should I be worried?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@JorgeLeon-Garcia Is it male or female?

[@JorgeLeon-Garcia]

@@MattKeepsFish I believe a male?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@JorgeLeon-Garcia Females are dominant, so if it’s a subordinate male, it kinda makes sense. Happened to me when I only had 3.

[@JorgeLeon-Garcia]

@@MattKeepsFish ahh gotcha. he ended up not making it :( I was pretty saddened

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@JorgeLeon-Garcia I’m sorry to hear that :( Remember that these things do happen in small fish, and it’s not your fault.

[@armydave1709]

The ember tetra is one that I am considering for my tank. Deciding on 2 water column species, one being the green neon tetra. I'm wanting a red/orange fish too, something that doesn't blend in with the green plants. Tank is 150 gallon planted tank. Pelvicachromis kribensis moliwe on the bottom, pseudomugil luminatus and then thinking the green neons. Trying to decide on ember tetra or espei rasbora. Do you have anything else that you'd recommend besides the ember or espei? I'm planning to do large groups of each, 50+

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@armydave1709 Chilis would be great for directions swimming, while CPDs would provide more intrigue. Both do well in a group and both are very small

[@armydave1709]

@@MattKeepsFish do you think the chilis would be too small? I wouldn't want them to become kribensis food. I do like the deep red of the chilis though. I've never kept the CPDs either but have heard they hide alot?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@armydave1709 Check mine out! No hiding at all and I have 6 in a 20 gallon. Chilis may be eaten. I’ve had them paired w rams but never kribs

[@armydave1709]

@@MattKeepsFish just watched your video with the CPD and embers. Really glad they were in the tank together because I really like the pop of color of the embers over the CPD with the plants. You're right about your CPDs being out though and they look very happy.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@armydave1709 Glad I could help!

[@urbansk8r231]

Hi, great fish care guide. I've got a 16g highlight co2 planted tank in my bedroom that I'll put them in ● have you kept them with harlequin rasbora? ●Have you feed them Hikari micro pellets or just flakes?

[@MattKeepsFish]

I have tried omega one micro pellets with minimal success. I have not personally kept them with harlequin rasboras, but I have friends who currently do and it works quite well, so long as each species has its own school.

[@urbansk8r231]

@@MattKeepsFish Just orded 14 so hopefully they live to a ripe old age.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@urbansk8r231 I ordered 14 too! Hopefully you receive them in good health

[@urbansk8r231]

@@MattKeepsFish Not sure what country you're from but here in Australia tbey sale for $4.95 Aud ea ● Have you kept cpds with cherry shrimp? (yes I ve great hidding spots. ) Wiukd of got them befire but I heard they can be unpredictable. You may get the odd feisty one. And I don't want to see a feeding frenzy because that's my biggest fear. btw the cheaoest cpds I've seen us $19.95 Aud

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@urbansk8r231 Ember tetras are the same price here in Canada 🇨🇦 CPD’s are much cheaper however, $8 I think. I have always kept them with cherry shrimp and have never had issues, although I hear that many other people do. Mine don’t seem to notice the shrimp, but I would advise that you start your shrimp colony long before you add CPDs just in case.

[@lauriechevy]

Hey could you please do a video of how to treat a ember tetras clamped fins care guide pls because my ember tetra is sick with that and I need help plssssss for the sake of my fish

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@lauriechevy Hm, I haven’t dealt with that in ember tetras before. I would assume that it follows the same treatment for a molly with clamped fins however, which I have treated. From what I know, the clamped fin is the result of muscle decay. Something is eating it, or at least preventing its function. If you see white growth, assume fungus; if you don’t, we may assume bacterial. If you have a QT tank, isolate that fish in the tank now, otherwise treat using the bath method no more often than twice daily. The bath method entails that you add 1 tablespoon of dissolved aquarium salt into a bucket, then add the ember tetra. Wait for between 10-30 mins and then remove the fish from the bucket to either go into the main tank or your QT tank if possible. Acclimate slowly by floating the tetra in a cup/bag. Slowly add tank water while you wait 15 mins for the temp to adjust. Results are usually not instant. You may have to do this a few times before you find success, sometimes over a week. I will do more research on this, but start there.

[@crystalrose140]

Hi I just got a school of ember tetras. I think there are 8 or 9 of them right now. Do you have any advice of food or fish supplements that help bring out their color so they are more golden?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@crystalrose140 A high-quality flake does the job for me, but mixing in baby brine and daphnia would do wonders I’m sure.

[@av7099]

How many ember tetra do you think I can keep in a 10 gallon community tank with a honey gourami, some cherry shrimp, one small snail, and a hillstream loach? I’d really like a small school to add to my tank

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@av7099 Is it planted? If so, start with 5. If not planted, test your nitrates and see how low you’re able to keep them. If they’re low now, 5 ember tetras won’t add very much to it (so long as you continue to do regular maintenance). As far as the physical space, 10 gallons is enough for them to roam and I have successfully had them in that volume before.

[@av7099]

@@MattKeepsFish Thank you so much for replying! It is moderately planted, hopefully eventually heavily planted. 5 sounds like a great amount compromise giving the limited space. I will definitely be doing regular maintenance.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@av7099 I have 14 in this 20 gallon, so you could definitely increase that number over time if you’re up to it!

[@MoistCrack]

I have 6 in my 10gallon tank. I also have 6 killi clownfish, 4 cardinal tetras, 5 pygmy corys and some blue dream shrimp. I've had them for about 2 months now however they are still a bit pale. Will they colour up over time? Or should i get some more to make the school a bit bigger? Im worried about over stocking my tank.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@MoistCrack Excellent question. I’ve found that some never colour up, even years later. These seem to die off quicker, and may be suffering from a chronic infection. That said, many of my healthy ember tetras just took a long time to colour up. Refer to my video of this aquarium when it was newer. I had only 3 ember tetras at that time, and their orange seemed to be quite bright.

[@levivankreuningen8952]

They are beautiful. How many could i fit in a 15 gallon?

[@MattKeepsFish]

Depends on if it’s planted. I have 14 now, so you could easily have 10!

[@jeethuz]

i am planning to add this species to my planted tank, i had neon tetras previously were i was having issue with that they keep on jumping out of my tank over a period time. i have Siamese algae eaters and red and amano shrimps in my tank. had no issue with any of them jumping out except neon tetras, are ember tetras middle dwellers, because i dont want to loose any just by jumping out, need opinion

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@jeethuz I had this aquarium as a lidless tank for a while and never had them jump out

[@jeethuz]

@@MattKeepsFish thank you for the reply....hope i can get in touch for more advice...u take care...happy fish keeping...

[@thatsyournamedude]

I like getting fish keeping advice from Frodo

[@MattKeepsFish]

Who?

[@_nezmo_]

i just bought a 28L tank that's heated with enough things in the tank to provide my tetras with hiding spots (should they need). I purchased 6 ember tetras so at least they're in a group. I was considering adding one more tank mate like a male Betta or a fish species that is mainly on the bottom of the tank. What are your thoughts on a betta tank mate with 6 tetras?

[@MattKeepsFish]

Betta sounds great, but I wouldn’t do betta splendens (the ones you see in every shelf). I would look for a smaller species - but they will be more expensive! Do some research into sparkling gourami and let me know what you think. I have kept them with ember tetras in a similar size tank without anything more than a quick chase here and there. Main reason I would not do a betta splendens is because they have been known to be a little bit more aggressive and to eat nano fish. In a larger tank maybe, but in a 7.5 gallon there are not as many escape opportunities.

[@thorium9190]

I have a 20 Gallon Waterbox cube tank that is heavily planted but with a front open space for them and plenty of plants to hide in. How many of these would i be able to keep in the tank? The tank will have some cherry shrimp/mystery snails just as a cleanup crew

[@MattKeepsFish]

I’ve had 10 for a while, but I’m working it up to 20. These tetras have a low bioload, so there’s no harm in having more than that I’m sure, just do it gradually so that there’s no unpleasant surprises. Also, careful with mystery snails! They’ll be sure to keep you replacing those plants.

[@thorium9190]

@@MattKeepsFish actually have kept mystery snails with a wide array of plant types not a single one was eaten! They only eat the old dead leaves and keep the plants looking great. New crytocorynes often melt in a new tank, these guys only touch the leaves that have become transparent and are falling apart.

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@thorium9190 At the store where I work, our mystery snails will happily eat live, emerse-grown plants. Probably because we will receive many dozens of snails without an adequate feeding regime, leading them to eat more difficult alternatives than they would otherwise. I have also experienced this with Ramshorn eating salvinia when their regular food was diminished.

[@Sophia-ur8tb]

are they able to be tankmates with bettas? Also what is the best plants for them? What flakes do you recommend for if they are with a betta?

[@MattKeepsFish]

I’ve never had them with a betta before, so proceed w caution. Best plants? Any! Flakes? A good balance of fiber and protein with the main ingredients not being ash or protein meals. Look for products like “Omega One” or “Bug Bites” to get you started.

[@WadeTheLion]

I need help. I want to create a planted neon tetra tank with corydora hastatus. But I have a few questions. 1. What is the smallest type tetra fish? 2. How many should I get? 3. How many corydora hastatus should I get? 4. Tank size recommendations?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@WadeTheLion 1. The smallest type is typically thought to be the ember tetra or green neon. Does it need to be a tetra though? Lots of other nano schooling fish out there! 2. As many as you can! 3. Also as many as you can, the reason being is that in both cases: it will reduce ingroup aggression (more for the embers), reduce stress, and increase natural behaviours, such as schooling and breeding - and it will create a more cohesive look! 4. As big as you can lol. I do understand that everyone has a budget; I do too, but if you want to get the most out of a fish, you need to put a lot into it. I have seen ember tetras in massive tanks however, and honestly, it doesn’t look that good. Especially since the ember tetras cease to school once they’ve become calm. It’s harder to film them and harder to enjoy because of how far-off they appear in the scape. If you wanted them with other tetras in a large tank, they can serve as a good secondary school: something to look for past your school of emperor tetras. So the biggest I would put them in and still enjoy as the primary school, would be a 40 gallon, but I love them in the 20; I could even go to - and have before - a 5 gallon. Just remember that you will need more ember tetras in a larger tank if you want to have a good visual impact with them. Here’s some numbers: if I was using a 30 gallon, I would probably have 30 ember tetras in it if they were the primary school, and if I didn’t have CPD’s in my 20, I’d probably go for a total of 20 to match the size too. You could probably have more than one per gallon however, but start slow and see how high you can go. A “Plan of Action” could be: 1. figure out the space that you want to be dedicated to an aquarium. Is it 2ft? You could have a 20, 10, or custom non-standard tank in that range. 2. Based on the tank size that fits that space, determine how many tetras/Cory’s will fit and create a good visual impact. 3. Get the tank, plant, and cycle. Start with a school of 6 tetras and then test a week later to see if the nitrates are being maintained. 4. If they are, add 6 hastatus. Test again. 5. Repeat, repeat, repeat. 6. You will eventually reach a point when you are happy with the number, don’t want to go over budget, or your nitrates are not being maintained by your plants/desired water change schedule. 7. If you ended up with too many to maintain, return/sell the excess TL;DR 1. Smallest is green neon/ember tetra 2. At least 6 of each (generally acceptable number) 3. ^ 4. For either, minimum 5; for both together, minimum 10 (or fluval 9)

[@WadeTheLion]

@MattKeepsFish thank you so much. This is my first time keeping fish on my own. I saw some corydora hastatus and I quickly wanted them. I have a Top Fin 10 gallon tank starter kit. The green neon tetras and ember are beautiful so it's really hard to choose. That's why I'm going off which is the smallest. So for a 10 gallon, would 5 green neon tetra or ember tetras (depending on which one I choose) and 5 corydora hastatus be good with that size tank?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@WadeTheLion Yes, but you probably could - and I would suggest - increasing the size of both schools! Start small though. You don’t want to spike the ammonia with too much waste before the bacteria is strong.

[@WadeTheLion]

@MattKeepsFish oh okay thank you so much

[@WadeTheLion]

@@MattKeepsFish Hello, sorry to bother you again, but I wanted to know if chili rasboras and pgmy corydoras are together? I just came across chili rasboras and saw that they are very small and stay smaller than ember and green neon tetras

[@EthanMilley-o6s]

Who is that stunning young gecko at the start 😢

[@MattKeepsFish]

That is Mr. Tomato, he is literally the best

[@jonathanlopez5569]

Would embers be good to have in a tank with black phantom tetras?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@jonathanlopez5569 I think that’d be alright. I’ll recommend a decent school of both just to be safe.

[@amberalbertinia1286]

Would 20 Ember tera's be too much for a 20 gallon/80 liter? They will be sharing the tank with 8 amano shrimp. Could i add some corydoras aswell ? A group of 6

[@MattKeepsFish]

I think this would work, but add new fish gradually, not all at once Also, choose a dwarf species of corydoras, like habrosus or pygmaeus. If you want something similar but not the same, look into rosy loaches too!

[@juliadaly6507]

Hi, i plan on getting around 14 ember tetra, i was hoping to get some guppies as well and was wondering how they are as tankmates together?

[@MattKeepsFish]

I have seen them work wonderfully as tankmates together. Something I have done personally with success.

[@SiameseBetta1]

Have you try to have them with betta?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@SiameseBetta1 No, I have not. Just a honey gourami and sparkling gourami.

[@katl2043]

Can they go with bettas? I have a super peaceful long tailed male betta

[@MattKeepsFish]

As long as it’s peaceful, I think it would be okay. Start with 5 if you can, but more is better :)

[@jacksonwsiss-ts3oq]

I have 6 ember tetras in a five gallon foul I put some shrimp?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@jacksonwsiss-ts3oq Definitely Amano. Maybe Neocaridina if there’s enough cover

[@RexWu]

How often do you feed them?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@RexWu No more than twice a day, sometimes I skip days, but most often I feed once per day

[@bwoybwoy2622]

Will they do well with African dwarf frogs?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@bwoybwoy2622 I think they would, but I’ve never had the experience. Could potentially be bitten while the frog is searching for food, although I doubt eaten.

[@bwoybwoy2622]

@@MattKeepsFish will a 5 gallon tank be a good size or will I have to go up higher?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@bwoybwoy2622 For the embers, I think it’s fine, but I can’t be the authority on the frog, although I don’t see why not. My advice is to check forum and see what has worked in the past.

[@gailtenaglia4398]

Can they live with apistograms ,

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@gailtenaglia4398 I don’t see why not. Apistogramma don’t seem interested in eating other fish.

[@hopeballinger5113]

Do you know if they come in any colour variations other than orange?

[@MattKeepsFish]

Kinda! The green kubotai rasbora looks like a green ember tetra and behaves similarly

[@SteveBe22]

Nice video. Great quality on the b roll shots too!

[@MattKeepsFish]

Thanks!

[@burakdeniz5760]

Can i keep ember tetra in a shrimp breeding tank

[@MattKeepsFish]

I would. I’ve seen no negative impact on my shrimp population because of ember tetras.

[@GGWP-tb4mf]

I have 8 embers and they are schooling actively when im away from the tank. And when i come near they keep on hiding in my large amazon sword lol

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@GGWP-tb4mf Maybe it just takes time? Mine used to be the same I think. Try conditioning them before feeding (blowing on the water’s surface or wiggling your fingers at the front before feeding them).

[@S.Trades]

If the tank is a good size, try adding more? They're probably braver in numbers.

[@FreshWaterFins1212]

Do they need an air stone?

[@MattKeepsFish]

@@FreshWaterFins1212 A filter would do just fine for airflow.

[@FreshWaterFins1212]

@@MattKeepsFish thank you

[@Leslie46765]

Could I put them in the tank with a beta?

[@MattKeepsFish]

I have not tried it before, but start with the ember tetras if they are more important to you and then test with a betta. The temperament of bettas vary, so you’ll need to experiment!

[@renaultracing9608]

What other Fish Can Live with BETTAS?

[@MattKeepsFish]

I’ve had success w rainbows, ghost cats, many loaches, corydoras, gobies, dwarf frogs, live bearers, twig catfish, flower shrimp, etc! Good video idea

[@torikbaba]

👍🟠

[@rarebreed1984]

I much prefer ruby tetras. These things always look bloated and they swim awkwardlly.