Description

Glass Bloodfin Tetra (Prionobrama filigera):

Care Guide:

• • Scientific Name: Prionobrama filigera
  • Common Name: Glass Bloodfin Tetra, Glass Bloodfin, Translucent Bloodfin
  • Family: Characidae
  • Origin: South America (Amazon River basin)
  • Adult Size: 5 to 6 cm (approx. 2 to 2.4 inches)
  • Lifespan: 5 to 8 years (Notably long-lived for a small tetra)
  • Diet: Omnivore

• • Temperature: 22°C to 27°C
  • pH Range: 6.0 to 8.0 (Thrives in slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline water)
  • Water Hardness: 5 to 25 dGH (Highly tolerant of both soft and hard water) 

• • Minimum Tank Size: 75 litres (approximately 20 gallons) to accommodate their active swimming nature.
  • Tank Length: A minimum length of 60 to 90 cm is preferred to allow the school to sprint safely.
  • Substrate & Decor: Dark sand or gravel substrate, complemented by driftwood branches, which makes their crystalline bodies and red tails contrast beautifully.
  • Aquascaping: Arrange tall, robust plants (such as Vallisneria, Hygrophila, or Amazon Swords) along the back and sides of the aquarium, leaving a wide, unobstructed central area for open swimming.
  • Cover: A secure, tight-fitting lid is absolutely essential. These fish are powerful surface sprinters and are notorious for jumping out of the water when startled or playing.

• • Base Diet: High-quality tropical floating flakes, micro-granules, or slow-sinking pellets.
  • Live and Frozen Foods: Daily or alternating treats of bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, and wingless fruit flies (Drosophila).
  • Feeding Tip: Because they burn energy quickly by constantly swimming laps, it is best to feed them two small meals a day rather than one heavy feeding. Ensure food remains suspended, as they rarely forage on the substrate. 

• • Shoaling Numbers: They must be kept in groups of at least 6 individuals, though a school of 10 or more will encourage much tighter, highly synchronised swimming patterns and increase their confidence. 
  • Ideal Tankmates: They make fantastic “dither fish” for a wide array of peaceful community inhabitants. Excellent choices include other peaceful tetras, rasboras, danios, peaceful livebearers (such as Guppies and Platies), Corydoras catfish, and dwarf cichlids (such as Apistogramma or Rams).
  • Incompatible Tankmates: Avoid housing them with exceptionally large, predatory, or highly aggressive species (such as large Cichlids or Oscars) that will easily view them as prey. 

• • Males: Streamlined and visibly slender. Mature males possess a distinct, elongated white ray on the leading edge of their anal fin, often accompanied by a subtle black outline.
  • Females: Noticeably rounder and deeper-bodied, especially when viewed from above or when ripe with eggs. 

• Setup: Establish a separate, small breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6.5) and a temperature of 26°C. Line the bottom with a spawning grid, glass marbles, or massive clumps of fine-leaved plants like Java Moss to protect the eggs.
• Method: They are prolific egg-scatterers. Condition a group or a selected pair on high-protein live foods before placing them in the breeding tank overnight. Spawning typically occurs at dawn, where they will scatter up to several hundred adhesive eggs.
• Rearing: Parents possess zero parental instincts and will immediately consume their own clutch. Remove the adults from the tank as soon as spawning is complete. The eggs will hatch in 24 to 36 hours. Once the fry are free-swimming (usually after 3 to 4 days), feed them infusoria or liquid fry food before graduating them onto freshly hatched baby brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii).

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