Margita Tetra

Hyphessobrycon margitae is a seldom-imported Peruvian tetra that occupies slow, blackwater forest streams and pools. Its delicate salmon-pink to rosy-orange body colouration, combined with translucent fins tipped in white, makes it a subtle yet genuinely attractive species. Colour intensity is strongly influenced by water quality and diet.

In the aquarium it is an undemanding, placid schooling fish that thrives in soft, slightly acidic conditions. Groups of eight or more display cohesive schooling and a calm, unhurried grace. It pairs excellently with other blackwater species such as dwarf cichlids, corydoras, and small pencilfish.

This is a species for the aquarist who appreciates understated natural beauty over flashy colouration. A good diet of micro-pellets, frozen cyclops, and baby brine shrimp keeps it in peak health and sustains the rosy hues that define the species.

Water: 24–28°C, pH 5.5–7.0, soft (GH 1–10, KH 0–5); tannin-stained water beneficial. Tank: 60 L minimum; dense planting, dark substrate, gentle flow. Feeding: Micro-pellets, crushed flake, frozen cyclops, baby brine shrimp, and daphnia. Breeding: Egg-scatterer in fine plants; condition pair with live foods; remove adults post-spawn. Compatibility: Perfectly peaceful with other small tetras, pencilfish, corydoras, and apistogrammas.