The Buenos Aires Tetra (Hyphessobrycon anisitsi) is a hardy and boisterous community tropical fish

Tropical fish

Tropical fish include fish found in tropical environments around the world, including both freshwater and salt water species.Tropical fish are popular as aquarium fish, due to their often bright coloration...

 which was discovered in South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. It is best kept in shoal

Shoal

Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...

s.

Description

An aquarium

Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...

 favourite for over 60 years, the Buenos Aires Tetra is a metallic coloured fish, with red tipped fins and a black marking on the dorsal fin

Dorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...

. It is also an extremely large tetra, growing to 7 cm. A hardy, inexpensive, and beautiful fish, the Buenos Aires Tetra makes the perfect addition to any freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 tank.

Care

An undemanding fish, the Buenos Aires tetra is extremely suitable for the beginner, as it has no special requirements. However it is best kept away from delicate and shy species such as the red-eyed characin

Arnoldichthys spilopterus

Arnoldichthys spilopterus, the Niger tetra, is a characin endemic to Nigeria. It is kept as an aquarium fish. It is the only member of its genus....

 due to its boisterous nature. It is a notorious fin nipper and has a tendency to eat aquarium plants.

Nutrition

This fish has a similar diet to most tetras. Regular feeding of flake and dried foods

Fish food

Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish...

 is enough to sustain these lively fish. However vegetable

Vegetable

The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....

matter is suggested, to vary the Buenos Aires tetra's diet. This fish requires more food than most small aquarium fish.

Water conditions

Best kept in a community tank with standard lighting, this hardy tetra can be kept in a coldwater aquarium as long as the temperature does not drop below room temperature. They thrive happily in temperatures of 62–83 °F (16.7–28.3 C). The Buenos Aires Tetra will tolerate pH 5.5-8.5. This is a wider range than most tetras.

External links

• Animal World: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/characins/b_aires.php
• http://www.tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Tetras/BuenosAiresTetra.asp
• Buenos Aires Tetra Fact Sheet: http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Buenos-Aires-Tetra-Fact-Sheet.php