The Weald Aquatics Blog

Sometimes in the shop when I receive the fish list for me to do my order I come across something I have never seen before.... so I order them!

One such fish I came across was the Bentosi Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Bentosi) and it is now one of the most popular fish we stock in the shop.

Being a Tetra it is incredibly peaceful, stays small at about 1.5" and is a fantastic addition to a community tank. They are often confused with another fish called a Rosy Tetra which looks similar when young but I think these are a much better fish.

They are native to the Amazon basin in Peru and Brazil and found amongst tree roots and sunken vegetation in slow moving rivers. They are a gorgeous fish with a pink fading to silver body with bright red fins and tail. However the most stunning feature of this fish is the dorsal fin. Mature males get an amazingly long top fin with a bright white tip which they flash at females to get their attention.

As with all Tetras, a group is important and I would recommend at least 8 with a mixture of males and females to get the best out of them. It's amazing watching the males "dancing" in front of the females raising their "top hat" dorsal fin. I love them so much that I changed our planted show tank around and changed the fish to accommodate a group of them.

All you need is a relatively peaceful aquarium with plenty of plants for them to swim in and out of that would also create some shaded areas. They accept a variety of dried and frozen food but seem to really enjoy live Daphnia which will bring out better colouration.

I really recommend these fish and I know that when you see them in our show tank you will want a small group yourself.