Bleeding Heart Tetra
Bleeding heart tetras (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) are so named for the red marking in the center of their body. They are from the Amazon River and belong to the family Characidae.
They reach a size of about 2-3 inches or 5.1-7.6 centimeters in length with somewhat wide bodies. They prefer soft, slightly acidic water (pH of about 6.8) and a water temperature of between 74-80 degrees Fahrenheit or 23-27 degrees Celsius. They typically live for 3-4 years.
They are mostly peaceful fish that do well in community tanks with other peaceful fish. You should keep at least 4-6 bleeding heart tetras together because they are shoaling fish. They do best in aquariums that are well planted, but with plenty of swimming room. They generally swim at midlevel.
They are omnivorous (both meaty foods and plant based foods). They readily eat flakes, frozen, freeze-dried, and live foods.
They are egglaying fish but are NOT easy to breed in the aquarium. You can tell males from females by the size of their dorsal fin. In females the dorsal fin is much smaller. They scatter their eggs during breeding, which rarely happens in captivity.