Tetra - Diamond Rummy Nose (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)

There are plenty of shoaling species available for your aquarium and choosing one can be hard. Even if you've been narrowing it down to tetra species, every member has a unique look to lure you. 

Rummy nose tetras show different colours and patterns throughout their body. This rare combination of styles makes them stand out as one of the most enticing fish in your tank. 

Having a shoal can exacerbate these patterns and colours as they move around in unison. The more that you get, the better the impact. They are easy to feed and generally easy to care for, you just need to closely track the conditions in your tank. It takes a little bit of experience to make sure they stay healthy. 

A community tank system works well. They get on well with plenty of other species as friendly fish but they're not going to do well with boisterous fish that cause them stress. If kept in a safe environment they will live for 6-8 yeas. 

Behaviour

Rummys are shoaling fish and they spend much of their time clustered together. That creates some stunning displays. The colours are more dramatic, and their activities when swimming together are more impressive. The bigger the shoal, the more impact. Nevertheless don't be tempted to overfill your tank; rummy nose tetras enjoy plenty of swimming space. They usually swim around the middle water levels, however they may stray up or down to feed. 

This species is found naturally in the South American Amazon River. 

The riverbed comprises a thick, sandy substratum. Semi submerged plants are scattered around which function as food and shelter; rocks and caves are also popular. Water is warm here and a slightly acidic. Light access is abundant and the flow of the river keeps the water flowing. 

Aquarium Setup 

The setup is simple, and not too hard to maintain. 

You'll want a fine grained substrate starting from the bottom of the tank. This will most closely resemble the natural habitat of those species. If you prefer, you can use gravel, because rummy nose tetras don't spend much time in the lower tank levels. 

Select some plants that grow to the middle water levels. These are the tetras' preferred shelter; when stressed, they might want to get away from other fish or bright lights. 

Decorations aren't really important, but if you want, you can add some. Just ensure you leave plenty of swimming space. 

You need a heater to keep your water dry. The temperature should be within the 75-84 ° F range to suit the Amazon's tropical waters. You do need to monitor the pH, keeping it between 6.2-7.0. Durability should be around 2-10 KH. 

You don't need an air / water pump as the filter outlet keeps the water moving. Standard aquarium lighting is appropriate; when they need protection from the sun, they'll take cover in the plants.