Family: Characidae
Distribution: Hyphessobrycon amapaensis is endemic to Amapa State, Brazil. They choose to inhabit small savannah creeks, with gravel and sand substrate.
PH: 6.8 pH
Temperature: 24 – 27°C (75 – 81°F)
Hardness: 1 – 10 dH
Description: Red Line Tetras are peaceful in tanks and suitable for a community tank. It will attain a length of 3cm.
Hyphessobrycon amapaensis have two thick lines running down their bodies: one black and one metallic red. They have a similar appearance to the Black Neon Tetra; except the Black Neon has a silver, rather than red, line. The lines start behind the gills and finish at the base of the tail. The upper half of the Red Line Tetra’s eye is also a metallic red. They have a small, slightly-upturned mouth. Their fins are transparent, with an elongated anal fin.
Diet: The Hyphessobrycon amapaensis is an omnivore – it will thrive on a diet that is primarily flake foods with live or frozen foods occasionally included. They require their food to be cut up into tiny pieces to fit their small mouths.
Breeding: Despite the apparent ease of breeding the Red Line Tetra, there are limited reports available. The general method for the Hyphessobrycon species should produce positive results.
Two conditioning tanks should be set up for a year old male and a year old female. These two should be fed on a diet of Drosophila and insect larvae for two-to-three weeks, before introducing them into a 38L breeding tank. The tank should have a temperature of 24 – 26°C (75 – 79°F), a pH of 5.5 – 6.5, and dH of 2 – 4. Partial weekly water changes are a must. Do not use any form of substrate, just fine-leaved plants and a soft filtration system (sponge or foam).
If the pair has not spawned within three days of introduction, repeat the conditioning process. They will spawn into the leaves of the plants. As the parents are cannibalistic, they must be removed after spawning. The eggs (up to 300 at a time) will hatch between 24 and 36 hours, and the fry will be swimming around freely a few days later. For the first ten days, feed the fry a diet of baby Brine Shrimp and micro-organisms; then switch to crushed flake.
They have a high hatch rate (99%) and, unlike many of the Hyphessobrycon species, the eggs of the Red Line Tetra are not light-sensitive.
Comments: Hyphessobrycon amapaensis are suitable for beginners, as, like many of their Hyphessobrycon relatives, they have a high resilience to illness.
They require a well-planted 40L tank (at least) with space for swimming about. Use a dark gravel substrate and dark-leaved plants to really make colours and lines of the Red Line Tetra pop.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: They should live happily with other Tetra species (particularly the Neon Tetra and Black Tetra). They also should be good tank mates with Discus, Apistogramma‘s like Apistogramma Cacatouides and Apistogramma Borelli, Corydoras Catfish (particularly Corydoras Sterbai and Corydoras aeneus) Angelfish, Clown loach, the common Guppy and Platy and most Gourami (such as the Blue Gourami and Dwarf Gourami like the Honey Gourami) Also should live happily with most Danio (particularly the Zebra Danio and Pearl Danio) and also many Killifish could make great tank mates.
