Photo: Citron (CC BY-SA 3.0) — via Wikimedia Commons
Bleeding Heart Tetra (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma)
A deep-bodied, blush-red schooling tetra famous for the vivid scarlet spot on each flank — one of the most striking tetras in the hobby.
Will it live with a Bleeding Heart Tetra?
We compare each fish against your bleeding heart tetra on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.
- Adolf's Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Adolf's Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Agassiz's Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Agassiz's Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Black Kuhli Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Blood Red Tiger Pleco✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bolivian Ram✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Butterfly Hillstream Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Corydoras Catfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Corydoras Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Duplicareus Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Duplicareus Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Dwarf Chain Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Dwarf Chain Loach in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Elegant Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Elegant Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- False Julii Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep False Julii Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- German Blue Ram✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 27–30 °C (81–86 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 27–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Glass Catfish✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Glass Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Gold Barb✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7.5 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Both favour the middle of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Gold Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Hillstream Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 20–24 °C (68–75 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Narcissus II Cory✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 5.5 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Narcissus II Cory in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Panda Loach✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Hard care · 18–23 °C (64–73 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–23 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Peppered Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Peppered Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rio Negro Checkerboard Cichlid✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Slate Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Slate Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Splashing Tetra✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Splashing Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotfin Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Spotfin Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Spotted Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Sterbai Corydoras✅ CompatiblePeaceful · 6.5 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Sterbai Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Ash Lipped Apisto⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Banded Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Betta⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 6.5 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Bright Diamond Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Bright Diamond Tetra — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Bright Diamond Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Buenos Aires Tetra⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Buenos Aires Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Celebes Rainbowfish⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Celebes Rainbowfish are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add celebes rainbowfish in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Celebes Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Costa's Tetra⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Costa's Tetra — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Costa's Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Croaking Gourami⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Croaking Gourami — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Hongsloi Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Hongsloi Dwarf Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Melon Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Expect Bleeding Heart Tetra to harass Melon Barb at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Melon Barb in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Peacock Gudgeon⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Peacock Gudgeon are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add peacock gudgeon in a group to spread the pressure.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Rounded Filament Barb⚠️ With cautionPeaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Rounded Filament Barb — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Rounded Filament Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Roundtail Paradise Fish⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 10–26 °C (50–79 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Roundtail Paradise Fish can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Sumo Loach⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Tiger Barb⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Tiger Barb can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~95 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Keep Tiger Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With cautionSemi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
- Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Alligator Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 7 cm Bleeding Heart Tetra whole.
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is a notorious fin-nipper — even though Alligator Gar is larger, an active shoal will harass its trailing fins. Only safe in a full group of 6+ with plenty of cover.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Bleeding Heart Tetra and Clown Knifefish will hold territory and clash.
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Fire Eel⛔ Not recommendedSemi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Fire Eel can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Koi⛔ Not recommendedPeaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 7 cm): Koi will treat Bleeding Heart Tetra as food.
- Koi is slow and long-finned; a busy bleeding heart tetra shoal tends to nip at it. Keep bleeding heart tetra in a proper group of 6+ and watch them closely.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Redtail Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 7 cm Bleeding Heart Tetra whole.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Spotted Gar are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Size gap is too large (90 vs 7 cm): Spotted Gar will treat Bleeding Heart Tetra as food.
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is a notorious fin-nipper — even though Spotted Gar is larger, an active shoal will harass its trailing fins. Only safe in a full group of 6+ with plenty of cover.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
- Bleeding Heart Tetra and Wels Catfish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
- Bleeding Heart Tetra is bite-sized to a 300 cm predatory wels catfish — it will be eaten.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
- Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommendedAggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
- Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Bleeding Heart Tetra and Wolf Cichlid will hold territory and clash.
- Size gap is too large (72 vs 7 cm): Wolf Cichlid will treat Bleeding Heart Tetra as food.
- Wolf Cichlid is slow and long-finned; a busy bleeding heart tetra shoal tends to nip at it. Keep bleeding heart tetra in a proper group of 6+ and watch them closely.
- Your 80 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
- Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.
Bleeding Heart Tetra care specs
- Care level
- Medium
- Breeding
- Hard
- Max size
- 7 cm (2.8 in)
- Min tank size
- 80 L (21.1 gal)
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 2–12 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Swim level
- Middle
- Group size
- 6+ (shoaling)
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Upper Amazon basin — Colombia and Peru (Rio Putumayo and surrounding tributaries)
What is a Bleeding Heart Tetra?
The Bleeding Heart Tetra (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) is a larger, deep-bodied tetra from the upper Amazon basin, instantly recognised by the vivid scarlet blotch on each flank that gives the species its evocative name. At up to 7 cm (2.75 in) it is noticeably bigger than most popular tetras, with a commanding presence in mid-water. The base colouration is a soft silver-pink that warms to rose toward the belly; the defining heart-shaped spot intensifies dramatically when the fish is comfortable and in correct water chemistry.
Males carry a dramatically extended, sickle-shaped dorsal fin that sets them apart from virtually any other tetra in the hobby. Because of their size, semi-aggressive temperament, and soft-water preference, Bleeding Hearts need more planning than beginner tetras — but they reward the effort with active schooling, genuine colour, and a lifespan of 3–5 years.
Where do Bleeding Heart Tetras come from?
Bleeding Heart Tetras originate from the upper Amazon basin, primarily the Rio Putumayo and its tributaries on the Colombia–Peru border. These are warm, often tea-stained forest streams: soft, gently flowing, and lit dimly by the canopy above. The tannin-rich water, low mineral content, and slightly acidic pH of that habitat explain their care requirements directly — replicate those conditions and the fish thrive. Aquarium specimens are several generations removed from wild-caught stock and tolerate a moderate range, but still colour up best when kept close to their natural chemistry.
What size tank do Bleeding Heart Tetras need?
The minimum tank size is 80 litres (21 gallons) for a group of six — the minimum school size needed to spread their semi-aggressive social dynamics. Eight to ten fish look more natural and keep the pecking order stable.
Footprint matters more than height. A tank 90 cm (36 in) or longer lets the school make proper mid-water runs. Plant the sides and back densely with Amazon swords, cryptocorynes, or broad-leaved stem plants, and leave a clear swimming lane through the centre. Dark substrate and floating plants to filter surface light are important: a school that feels exposed will stay pale and refuse to display. Driftwood or Indian almond leaves add tannins that lower pH gently and deepen body colour within weeks.
What water parameters do Bleeding Heart Tetras need?
- Temperature: 23–28 °C (73–82 °F). Mid-range around 25–26 °C suits them well day-to-day.
- pH: 6.0–7.5. They thrive and colour up best between 6.0 and 7.0; above 7.2 the red pigment dulls noticeably.
- Hardness: 2–12 dGH. Soft to moderately soft water is ideal; very hard tap water should be cut with RO or rainwater.
Stability matters more than precision. A steady pH of 6.8 is far less stressful than one that bounces between 6.2 and 7.4 week to week. Cycle the tank before adding fish, maintain 25–30% weekly water changes, and test regularly to catch drift. A reliable heater is essential — drops below 22 °C suppress the immune system and invite disease.
What do Bleeding Heart Tetras eat?
Bleeding Hearts are omnivores that consume small invertebrates, insect larvae, and plant matter in the wild. In the aquarium:
- Staple: Quality micro-pellet or small flake food.
- Protein rotation: Frozen or live bloodworms, daphnia, or brine shrimp two to three times per week intensifies the red pigment.
- Vegetable supplement: Occasional spirulina flake or blanched greens rounds out the omnivore diet.
Feed small amounts once or twice daily — anything they can clear in two minutes. Uneaten food degrades water quality fast in soft, low-buffered water, so err light rather than heavy. A fast day each week aids digestion.
How do Bleeding Heart Tetras behave — and what fish can live with them?
Bleeding Hearts are semi-aggressive mid-water schoolers. The aggression shows mainly as fin-nipping at long-finned or slow-moving tank-mates, plus low-level dominance chasing within the school. A group of at least six distributes that social tension so no individual bears the brunt of it.
Avoid bettas, angelfish, guppies, or any species with flowing finnage — all are at high risk of being nipped. Smaller, timid tetras will be bullied from food.
Good companions share soft-water chemistry and can hold their own: medium-sized tetras (black skirts, Colombian tetras, larger emperor tetras), corydoras, rams or apistogrammas, and small loaches.
For a full filterable list of species that work well alongside this fish, see Bleeding Heart Tetra tank mates.
How do you tell male from female Bleeding Heart Tetras?
Sexing adult fish is straightforward:
- Males develop the dramatically elongated, sickle-shaped dorsal fin unique to this species, plus more intense body colour and a brighter, more saturated spot. They tend to be slightly slimmer through the body.
- Females are rounder and deeper-bodied — especially when carrying eggs — with a shorter, more triangular dorsal fin and softer overall colouration.
Young fish under 3–4 cm are difficult to sex reliably; the dorsal fin extension on males becomes clear as they approach maturity at around 12–18 months.
Can Bleeding Heart Tetras be bred in captivity?
Breeding is rated hard — not a casual project. Like most Amazon tetras, they are egg scatterers with no parental care and will consume their own eggs immediately if left in the tank. A successful spawn requires deliberate preparation:
Conditioning: Feed both sexes heavily with live or frozen foods for two to three weeks. A plump female and a displaying male with a fully extended dorsal fin are ready signs.
Breeding tank: A separate 40–60 L (10–15 gal) bare-bottom tank with fine-leaved plants or a spawning mesh, very soft acidic water (pH 6.0–6.5, under 4 dGH), low lighting, and minimal flow. Raise temperature toward 27–28 °C (81–82 °F).
Spawning: Introduce a conditioned pair in the evening; spawning typically happens in the morning. The female scatters adhesive eggs among plants; remove adults immediately after or they will eat the eggs.
Fry: Eggs hatch in 24–36 hours; fry are free-swimming by day four or five. Begin feeding with infusoria or commercial fry food, graduating to baby brine shrimp. Keep lighting very dim the first week — fry are light-sensitive. Inconsistent hatch rates are normal, which is why the difficulty rating is hard.
What diseases affect Bleeding Heart Tetras?
The most common health issues are:
- Ich (white spot): Fine white spots on the body and fins; the classic stress-triggered parasitic infection. Prevention: stable temperatures and a two-to-four-week quarantine for all new fish.
- Fin rot: Ragged or receding fin edges, almost always caused by poor water quality or nipping injuries. Fix the water and address the source of nipping.
- Velvet (Oodinium): A fine gold or rust-coloured dust on the skin requiring prompt attention. Quarantine and clean water prevent most outbreaks.
- Internal parasites: Emaciation despite normal feeding in recently imported fish is the key sign. Quarantine new arrivals and observe before introducing them to the main tank.
- Colour fade: Poor water chemistry, bright lighting, an undersized group, or incompatible tank-mates all cause chronic pallor. Correct the husbandry and colour recovers without medication.
Health note: disease diagnosis and medication dosing are outside the scope of a care profile. If your fish show persistent symptoms, cross-reference against a veterinary or specialist fish-health source before treating, and always dose for the actual tank volume of water, not the tank’s stated capacity.
How long do Bleeding Heart Tetras live?
With consistent care, Bleeding Heart Tetras live 3–5 years in captivity. The keys to reaching the upper end of that range are familiar: stable, well-maintained water at the right chemistry, a varied diet, and a group of at least six to allow natural schooling. Fish kept in hard, alkaline water or chronically stressed by poor companions or undersized groups tend toward the shorter end. Get the fundamentals right from the start and this species will remain a centrepiece of a soft-water community tank for years.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bleeding Heart Tetras fin nippers?
They can be. Bleeding Hearts are semi-aggressive and may nip at long-finned tank-mates such as bettas, angelfish or guppies. Keep them in groups of six or more to spread social tension within the school, and pair them with shorter-finned, similarly-sized species.
Why does my Bleeding Heart Tetra look pale or washed out?
Colour fades with stress, poor water quality or incorrect chemistry. They show their best reds and pinks in soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6.0–7.0) with dim lighting or floating plants. A tank with tannins (driftwood, blackwater extract) brings out the deepest pigmentation.
What you need to keep a bleeding heart tetra
The baseline is a heated, filtered 80 L+ tank: a reliable heater to hold 23–28 °C (73–82 °F), a gentle filter that won't batter a bleeding heart tetra in the current, and a tight-fitting lid. Cycle the tank fully before adding any fish.
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