Blue Diamond Tetra

Blue Diamond Tetra

The Blue Diamond Tetra Moenkhausia pittieri is considered the beauty of its genus. It is also one of the flashiest of all the tetra species. With green and gold or orange iridescents on its attractive, silvery-violet scales, this fish has a marvelous, sparkling appearance. You must be patient to fully appreciate this fish’s beauty, however, as the colors do not fully develop until it reaches adulthood. The Diamond Tetra is also known as Pittier’s Tetra and Diamond Characin.

This tetra is a very hardy and long-lived fish if kept in an aquarium to its liking. Large, well-planted tanks are best. It does not do well with hard water and prefers soft, peat-filtered water with subdued lighting. Use a dark gravel substrate with some floating plants above, and you’ll have a most satisfactory enviroment for this fish.

The Diamond Tetra is a good community fish that is very peaceful but also very active. Being on the go all day, this fish gets hungry. The Diamond Tetra must be kept well fed, or it may resort to munching on aquarium plants. It is a good eater, though, and as long as it is doesn’t get hungry, it will leave the plant decor alone. Like most tetras, it will appreciate a school of 5 or more of its own kind.