Care
Blue Tetras can be quite delicate, so it is important to acclimatise the fish carefully, and maintain excellent, well-oxygenated water conditions within the aquarium. Ideally the tank should be 3ft+ long and the fish kept in good sized groups due to their shoaling nature. Darker background and substrate choices will help to show off the beautiful colouration of the fish, and plant cover will be much appreciated. Unfortunately, Blue Tetras do have a bit of a reputation for fin-nipping. This type of behaviour only really manifests when they are not maintained in sufficient numbers, when there are not enough visual barriers amongst the décor, or if the tank is a bit on the small side. This species should always be maintained in groups of 10 or more specimens. Not only will the fish feel more secure, but it will result in a much more effective and natural-looking display. Having said this, slow-moving long-finned tankmates are best avoided. For years, this fish has been imported under the erroneous nametag of Boehlkea fredcochui, a very-similar looking tetra which has different dentition.
Feeding
Offer a varied diet including a good quality flake food, micropellets, and small frozen foods such as mosquito larvae and daphnia.
Breeding
There are not very many detailed reports of Blue Tetra aquarium spawnings available. However, this can be achieved with very soft, acidic water. It is understood that the female deposits her eggs on the underside of the leaves of broad-leaved plants. The parents are non-guarders so will need to be removed from the breeding tank once spawning has ceased, otherwise the eggs will be eaten.
