Buenos Aires tetra fish are an unusual kind of tetra. They are larger, more tolerant of cold conditions, and more aggressive than the others. But they reward you with a longer lifespan and several spawning opportunities. Is the Buenos Aires tetra a good fish for your aquarium?
What is the Buenos Aires Tetra?
The Buenos Aires tetra is named for the South American city. Buenos Aires is the capital of the country of Argentina and the largest city in the La Plata region. The tetras are found in the entire river basin, with the Uruguay and Parana River being their home region.
The average Buenos Aires tetra lifespan is 5 to 8 years. They are longer lived than most tetra fish their size. But their care is otherwise similar. As schooling fish, you should never keep fewer than six Buenos Aires tetras.
The less you have, the more stressed they become. Tetras live in schools of thousands of fish in the wild. So when they are kept by themselves, they believe a predator must be nearby.
Buenos Aires tetras look plain in the overcrowded, well lit pet store tank. But once you take them home and allow them to settle in, they undergo a transformation.
Subtle gold and green iridescent scales start to light up. The pink fins also turn a bright crimson, drawing your eyes to the constant dance a school of tetras displays.
- Common Names: Buenos Aires Tetra, Albino Buenos Aires Tetra
- Scientific Name: Hyphessobrycon anisitsi
- Origin: La Plata region, Argentina
- Length: 2 to 3 inches
- Aquarium Size: 30 gallons
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive
- Ease of Care: Very Easy
Buenos Aires Tetra Care
The Buenos Aires tetra fish is one of the most beginner-friendly fish in the hobby. They do well in a wide range of water conditions. Plus they are easy to breed, which is rare for tetra fish.
Buenos Aires Tetra Size
Buenos Aires tetras are one of the larger common aquarium tetras. 2 to 2½ inches is typical for an adult. But some will reach 3 inches long when full grown. Since they are as active and social as any other tetra, you will need a spacious tank to keep them.
30 gallons is the absolute minimum, with 40+ gallons being much better. Buenos Aires fish are semi-aggressive by nature as well. The more spacious the tank the less they will bother the other community tank residents.
Plants and Substrate Options
Buenos Aires fish are not the best choice for a planted aquarium. They are omnivorous and will bite small pieces from plant leaves. Even if you feed them well, the tetra fish will still want to nibble your vegetation. Try keeping some of these planted aquascape fish instead.
Plastic and silk plants are a good match for a school of Buenos Aires tetras. You might also try growing epiphytic plants. These plants grow attached to the rocks, driftwood, and other hardscape elements of your aquarium.
They are tough to avoid being dislodged by moving water. And tend to be bitter in taste, discouraging plant eating fish from eating them. Some solid epiphytes include anubias (Anubias sp.), Java fern (Microsorum pteropus), and African water fern (Bolbitis sp.).
Buenos Aires tetras are midwater swimmers and don’t spend much time along the bottom, except to look for uneaten food. Any substrate will do, including gravel and sand. Choose one that matches your aesthetic desires. And benefits your plants or bottom dwelling aquarium fish.
Temperature and Water Chemistry
Buenos Aires tetra temperature is flexible, far more so than with most tetra fish. They live in a temperate region of the continent, rather than the tropical Amazon River basin.
Buenos Aires tetras become stressed if kept too warm for too long. They do well at 62-82℉, with 64-74℉ being the most comfortable. You are able to keep them even in unheated cold water aquariums.
The fish are also undemanding when it comes to water chemistry. Most tetra fish need neutral to slightly acidic conditions (pH 5.0-7.0) to do well. But these tetras thrive in a pH range of 6.0-8.0 and will even breed in alkaline water. Hard water does not phase them either; measurements up to 35 dGH are healthy.
That said, they are sensitive to nitrogenous waste products. Like all tetra fish, you need to keep a close eye on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Nitrate, in particular, should not be allowed to build up past 10-15 parts per million. Buenos Aires tetras are not aquarium salt tolerant, either.
What Do Buenos Aires Tetras Eat?
The Bueno Aires tetra is omnivorous, feeding on small invertebrates in the wild. Small shrimp, insect larvae, fish eggs, daphnia, and fish fry are the sort of animals they prey on. With a little bit of plant matter, for variety.
Softer plants like cabomba and anacharis are their preference. But if you don’t offer them any greens Buenos Aires tetra fish will also eat Amazon sword plants.
Standard flake and pellet diets are a good foundation for their diet. Keep spirulina-enriched flakes on hand as well to feed 2 or 3 times per week.
Fresh and frozen food are also important additions. Buenos Aires tetras will eat brine shrimp, bloodworms, and anything else you find in the frozen fish food section. Also try offering boiled spinach, zucchini, and other vegetables once per week.
Buenos Aires Tetra Tank Mates
You need to choose Buenos Aires tetra tank mates with care because these aren’t as peaceful as other tetra fish.
If you want the colors and activity of smaller species, try neon tetras, black neon tetras, or lemon tetra fish. And if you prefer larger tetras, the Congo tetra is beautiful and better tempered.
Buenos Aires tetras squabble all of the time, even with each other. The males will form little territories to defend and nip at each others’ fins. While the females move from one territory to the next, watching the show.
They aren’t territorial like cichlids are. But they may nip at the fins of passing fish. They tend to choose slow-moving, long-finned fish as their targets.
Buenos Aires fish should not be kept with betta fish, fancy guppies, angelfish, fancy goldfish, and other tempting targets. Even occasional fin nipping is stressful and leaves wounds ripe for infections by fin rot.
Choose robust or fast-moving fish of similar size. Short finned platies and mollies will do well with Buenos Aires Tetras. As will barb fish, loaches, cory catfish, and plecostomus.
Other semi-aggressive aquarium fish are good matches. These include dwarf cichlids, gouramis, severums, red tailed sharks, and convict cichlids.
Breeding the Buenos Aires Tetra
Most tetra fish are difficult to breed. But the Buenos Aires tetra is an exception. They don’t demand soft, acidic water conditions or high temperatures to spawn. All you need to do is feed them well and provide the right place for their eggs.
Buenos Aires Tetra Male vs Female
The first step to breeding the Buenos Aires tetra is telling the sexes apart. As with all tetra fish, the differences are subtle. It is almost impossible to tell apart Buenos Aires tetra male vs female fish when they are young.
Full grown fish offer a few clues, however. The female tetra fish will be a little plumper even if they don’t have eggs. The ovaries take up extra space in the body cavity.
Males are slimmer, not as long, and have more intense red colors on their tail, anal, and pelvic fins. Male Buenos Aires tetras also spend more time fighting with each other.
Spawning Buenos Aires Tetras
Once you have a group of males and females, feed them well with an assortment of frozen and live foods. Items rich in fat are most important since this nutrient is required for egg production. Brine shrimp are a good source of fat but tubifex worms twice per week are even better.
Buenos Aries tetras are egg scatterers, so the parents don’t care for their eggs or fry. They will find a thicket of plants to drop their sticky eggs onto. And then go about their lives. The tetra fish will forget they even laid eggs in a few hours and see them as a source of food.
So you need to be proactive in removing any eggs after spawning. Tetra fish spawn at dawn or dusk when light levels are low. So look for eggs as soon as the aquarium lights come on. The female will be slimmer if she’s spawned.
Eggs will be scattered among the fronds of bushy plants. Guppy grass, hornwort, and Java moss are three aquarium plants used for fish breeding that require minimal care. Or you can provide spawning mops, which are removable and don’t need fertilizer or full spectrum lights.
Buenos Aires fish lay hundreds of eggs per spawning. The fry hatch in 2 to 3 days and are too small for brine shrimp nauplii. You will need a culture of live infusoria ready. After 7 to 10 days the fry will be able to handle baby brine shrimp.
Stick to live shrimp at first, weaning them onto frozen baby brine shrimp over time. And then they should be switched over to crushed flake food.
Conclusion
The Buenos Aires tetra is not as colorful as some of its cousins from the Amazon. But it is far easier to keep and breed. They are also larger, making them good additions to community tanks of medium-sized aquarium fish.
FAQs
Buenos Aires tetra fish are semi-aggressive. They will nip the fins of each other and any slow moving fish in their territory. Fish that are similar in size and temperament are the best tank mates for them.
Buenos Aires tetras are not a good match for guppies. But most other tetra fish are excellent guppy tank mates.
Buenos Aires tetras will nip the flowing fins of angelfish. And adult angelfish may be large enough to eat smaller tetras. Since they come from similar habitats, angelfish and South America tetras are a decent pairing. Just be careful of predation once the angelfish grows up.
