Red-eye tetra

The red-eye tetra is a hardy, silvery characin from the Paraguay, Parana and upper Amazon basins, where it lives in schools in clear and slightly turbid streams and floodplains. It is instantly recognised by the bright red upper half of the eye and the bold black band across the base of the tail, set against a reflective silver body. Reaching about seven centimetres, it is a robust, undemanding and adaptable community fish suited to beginners. Keep it in a shoal of at least six, which also curbs its occasional tendency to nip the fins of slow, long-finned tankmates, so avoid pairing it with bettas or fancy guppies. It tolerates a wide range of water chemistry but does best in warm, soft to moderately hard, neutral water with plants and open swimming space. An omnivore, it readily accepts flakes, pellets and small live or frozen foods.