Blue King Tetra

Boehlkea fredcochui, commonly called the Blue King Tetra or Cochu's Blue Tetra, is native to the upper Amazon in Peru and Colombia. Its entire body is suffused with a distinctive steel-blue to turquoise iridescence that, in a group of ten or more, creates a shimmering, electric-blue schooling display of remarkable beauty.

This species is somewhat underrated relative to its visual impact. It is peaceful, hardy, and straightforward to keep. It performs best in soft, slightly acidic to neutral water with a dark substrate and good planting to bring out the full depth of its metallic colouration. In brighter or harder water the blue becomes less vivid.

Feeding is easy with any quality dry food, frozen invertebrates, and occasional live foods. Regular water changes and stable soft water parameters deliver the best colour consistently.

Water: 23–27°C, pH 6.0–7.0, soft (GH 2–12, KH 1–6); dark substrate enhances colour. Tank: 80 L minimum; planted with dark substrate and open mid-water swimming lanes. Feeding: Quality flake, micro-pellets, frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworm. Breeding: Egg-scatterer; condition with live foods; soft acidic water; fine-plant spawning substrate. Compatibility: Peaceful with all similarly sized community fish; excellent schooling display fish.