20 Gallon Glowlight Tetra Tank

[Austin Burgess]

Hello all,

So one fish that has always stood out to me every time I go into the LFS is Glowlight tetras,
Hemigrammus erythrozonus. Love the way they look and the idea of a large school in a dark, natural biotope aquarium sounds amazing.

I am in possession of a 20 gallon tall, with filter, light, heater etc. I wanted to ask for help with the aquascape, what kind of plants, wood, rocks, substrate would help bring out the natural beauty of the tetras?
Likewise, what natural tankmates really bring them out too?

 

[Retired Viking]

I have a 55 gallon tetra tank with ember,neon and 10 glow light tetra plus 2 glow light fry. What type of water do you have tetra are soft water

 

[Austin Burgess]

Local water report from last years gives average pH of 7.2 and hardness of 45 ppm.

 

[Retired Viking]

Glow light tetras like most tetras are from the jungle streams of South America. Dark colored gravel or sand is good. They like shade so floating plants are good and also leafy plants and driftwood is good. Other small tetra fish like I have are good tank mates

 

[Retired Viking]

I have my glow light tetras in a 55 gallon tank, they like to swim, long tanks are better for them than tall tanks

 

[Byron]

This species is native to the Essequibo River basin, Guyana, South America, occurring in tributaries of the Essequibo River in forested areas where the water is highly acidic and brown from tannins. If you want to be authentic, lower plants (meaning planted in the substrate) could be avoided, but floating plants would be ideal both for shade (which will bring out the colours more) and water quality. Lots of wood branches, and/or chunks, and dried leaves. A substrate of non-rough sand (play sand is ideal) would be natural and allow for some Corydoras catfish like the "dwarf" species C. pygmaeus or C. habrosus in a group of 9-12. Or you could have some substrate plants, and here something like the pygmy chain sword (Helanthium tenellum) would be ideal, or even one or two larger swords depending upon the tank light. This fish likes to "hide" among plant thickets or among branches, coming out to swim in the open; it remains in the lower half of the aquarium, often close to the substrate. It will readily surface to feed.

A group of 9-11 would leave you options for other fish. Upper level fish would be advisable to maintain interest in the upper half of the aquarium. Hatchetfish, the smaller species in Carnegiella like the Marble (Carnegiella strigata) or the Marthae (Carnegiella marthae) would be good here, in a group of 8-9. Or some of the pencilfish (your water is perfect) like Nannostomus eques which swims at an oblique angle and remains at or close to the surface, among floating plants, also 8-9.

 

[Austin Burgess]

@Byron I appreciate the reply!
So in summary, non-rough play sand
Lots of floating plants (what kind are practical + trueish to the biotope?)
Maybe a few swords but not a lot
However yes to a lot of wood and tannins like dried leave
Would the glowlights, cories, and hachets/pencils all 3 be possible? Or only two of the three?

 

[utahfish]

@Byron I appreciate the reply!
So in summary, non-rough play sand
Lots of floating plants (what kind are practical + trueish to the biotope?)
Maybe a few swords but not a lot
However yes to a lot of wood and tannins like dried leave
Would the glowlights, cories, and hachets/pencils all 3 be possible? Or only two of the three?

If you stuck with a group of pygmy or dwarf cories and smaller hatchets like marbles which are also shoalers than you should be good. Then youd have fish at all 3 levels. Though pygmy corys are pretty active in big groups and will swim up and down the glass

 

[Byron]

@Byron I appreciate the reply!
So in summary, non-rough play sand
Lots of floating plants (what kind are practical + trueish to the biotope?)
Maybe a few swords but not a lot
However yes to a lot of wood and tannins like dried leave
Would the glowlights, cories, and hachets/pencils all 3 be possible? Or only two of the three?

I would want to be certain of the species but I would have no hesitation with 9-11 glowlights, 12 pygmy cories, 9 hatchetfish. In addition, maybe a group of 8-9 Ember Tetras which would also exhibit the lovely orange of the glowlights. Instead of the hatchets in this, 8-9 of the N. eques pencilfish.

Authentic biotope plants is a bit trickier to manage. There are few articles on actual plant species in this or that river. Most of the rivers that are exposed to sunlight have largee floating plants like lilies. But there are some generic aquarium floating plants that sever well, like Amazon Frogbit, Water Sprite, or Water Lettuce. If you have surface fish (the hatchetys or the pencils) these more substantial floaters are easier to manage, as you want some open water especially for the hatchets. Neither of these fish swims much, they are quite stationary or sedate when they do swim (except when interacting or spawning), but they do provide upper level interest like nothing else can. Smaller floaters like Salvinia are fine, but they really do not provide the depth that the others do. Brazilian Pennywort is a stem plant but it can be left completely floating for a nice effect.

 

[Byron]

This was my 29g blackwater aquascape when I set it up last June. The couple of substrate plants are chain swords, and the floating mass is pennywort. There are hatchets and pencils in here, though not easy to spot in the photo.

 

[Austin Burgess]

This was my 29g blackwater aquascape when I set it up last June. The couple of substrate plants are chain swords, and the floating mass is pennywort. There are hatchets and pencils in here, though not easy to spot in the photo.

That's phenomenal. I could easily see the glowlights taking the role of the green neons on yours too. I think the biggest key to your tank as well is the variety of wood you have in there.

I think I will definitely do a school of ~10 glowlights, ~8 embers (actually love the idea of them two together), 8 habrosus or 12 pygmy cories (still undecided) and 8 hachets/pencilfish (still undecided) which I'll add last because I know they are finicky.

 

[FishGuest5123]

This was my 29g blackwater aquascape when I set it up last June. The couple of substrate plants are chain swords, and the floating mass is pennywort. There are hatchets and pencils in here, though not easy to spot in the photo.

Beautifully tank!

 

[Barry Tetra]

This was my 29g blackwater aquascape when I set it up last June. The couple of substrate plants are chain swords, and the floating mass is pennywort. There are hatchets and pencils in here, though not easy to spot in the photo.

Really beautiful

 

[Austin Burgess]

For the black water look, is using real leaves preferred to fake? I know some professional aquascapers had almond tea to the water in water changes but that seems above my head. What about real vs fake wood?

 

[Retired Viking]

Real driftwood releases tannins for blackwater aquariums which is what you want if you want a natural look for glowlights tetra. Real oak leaves and branches also help.