Photo: Pascal Wolterman · CC BY-SA 3.0
Freshwater · Beginner · 10+ gal
Hyphessobrycon amandae
By Fishy Dave
Ember tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae) are ~0.7-1 inch orange nano schoolers for a planted 10-20 gallon. Keep 10 or more with gentle flow, plants, and micro foods. A 10-gallon works for a species school; use 20 gallons if you mix in other fish.
| Water type | Freshwater |
|---|---|
| Care level | Beginner |
| Minimum tank | 10 gallons |
| Temperament | Peaceful nano schooler. Keep 10 or more so they show color and use midwater instead of hugging cover. Plant-safe. Skip anything large enough to swallow a one-inch orange fish. |
| Diet | Omnivore with a tiny mouth. Micro pellets, crushed flake, and frozen baby brine or microworms. Small portions once or twice daily so the back of the school gets a turn. |
| Temperature | 72–82 °F |
| pH | 5.5–7.5 |
| Hardness / salinity | Soft to moderately soft water suits them. Most shop fish handle near-neutral community water if it is stable and clean. They often prefer the warmer side of tropical compared with neon tetras. |
Hyphessobrycon amandae is a South American characin sold as the ember tetra or amber tetra. Adults stay under about one inch. The body is warm orange to red-orange with a short dark mark near the shoulder on many fish. This page is about embers, not neon or cardinal tetras, and not serpae or flame tetras that share a vague orange look in a shop photo.
They use midwater in a planted tank. Dense stems, moss, and a darker substrate bring the orange out. A bright bare tank leaves them pale and glued to cover. Put a lid on; small tetras jump when startled.
A school of 10 or more in a planted 10-gallon is an honest species-only home if filtration and weekly water changes stay on schedule. Move to a 20-gallon when you add shrimp, a honey gourami, or other midwater fish so the group still has room. Length beats height; they cruise horizontally through the plants. See stocking a 10-gallon tank and stocking a 20-gallon tank for layouts that leave midwater room.
Gentle flow matters. A hang-on-back with the outflow baffled, or a seeded sponge filter, is enough. Soften anything that blasts the midwater. Set the heater in the 72-82 F band, which works for most shop fish; many keepers run them a bit warmer than neon tanks. Finish the cycle before you buy the school. Quarantine when you can.
Feed micro pellets or crushed flake they finish in a minute, then add frozen baby brine a few times a week. Leftover food in a planted nano is how nitrate climbs. Embers have smaller mouths than neons, so flake that looks fine for a guppy can sit uneaten.
Tank mates that work: celestial pearl danios, adult cherry shrimp, otos in a mature tank, honey gourami, and other calm small schoolers. Skip zebra danios and other fast, greedy midwater fish that clean the surface before the embers get a shot. A low-tech planted layout fits them well. See the low-tech planted aquarium guide.
A few listings we would open for this species. Skip anything you already own that still works.
Hikari Tropical Micro Pellets, 0.77 oz
Embers have tinier mouths than neons and a whole school to feed. These semi-floating micro pellets were made for small-mouthed tropicals; they sink slowly enough that the back of the group gets a shot.
A pinch once or twice a day, not a pile. Crush a few if the smallest fish still struggle. Frozen baby brine a few times a week still helps.
See this listingAqueon Adjustable Pro heater, 50W
A tropical 10-gallon species school wants stable mid-70s to low-80s F. Fifty watts is the size we open for most 10s in a normal room.
Step up to 100W if the tank is a true 20-gallon or the room runs cold. Put a separate thermometer on the glass away from the heater. Embers often prefer the warmer side of 72-82 F.
See this listinghygger sponge filter, small
A planted nano school wants gentle biofiltration without a current that pins orange fish to the glass. An air-driven sponge sized for a 5-10 gallon is a calm default.
Air pump and tubing are sold separately. Squeeze the sponge in old tank water only. A baffled hang-on-back is fine if you already own one and can dial the flow down.
See this listingA school of 10 or more is a solid start. Fewer fish in a tiny group stay shy and show less color.
A planted 10-gallon works for a species school of 10+. Use a 20-gallon if you want a mixed community around them.
No. Neons (Paracheirodon innesi) are larger, blue and red, and often prefer slightly cooler water. Embers are smaller, orange, and usually happy toward the warmer side of tropical.
Yes, if the tank is cycled, you keep a real school of 10 or more in a planted 10-20 gallon, and you feed food small enough for sub-inch mouths. They are peaceful and plant-safe when stocked honestly.
Next step
Plan on 10 gallons or more. Put your actual tank size into the stocking calculator and it shows what else can live alongside them.
Open the stocking calculatorBefore you buy
Keep your fishies swimming.
Freshwater · Beginner
Paracheirodon innesi
Keep neon tetras in a school of at least 6, and plan on 8 to 12 in a 20-gallon tank. Adults stay under 1.5 inches. A 10-gallon is the minimum for a small school. Hold the water at 72 to 78°F, soft and slightly acidic (pH 5.5 to 7.0), with plants and dim light.
Min. tank: 10 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Danio margaritatus
Celestial pearl danios (Danio margaritatus), also sold as galaxy rasboras, are ~1-inch nano schoolers for a planted 20-gallon. Keep 10-15 with gentle flow, dense plants, and dark substrate. A 10-12 gallon long is a tight species-only floor, not a comfortable community home.
Min. tank: 20 gal
Care notes →
Freshwater · Beginner
Neocaridina davidi
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are beginner invertebrates if the tank is cycled and copper-free. A starter colony of 10+ needs about 5 gallons; 10 gallons is easier. They need minerals for molting, not a second fish-page clone.
Min. tank: 5 gal
Care notes →
.jpg){kind=link}