Description
Hemigrammus rodwayi, the golden tetra, is a small tetra, of about 5 cm, from rivers of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and the Amazon basin. Its normal colour is a rather dull silvery grey. In some areas wild fish react to a trematode parasite with metallic gold deposits of guanine in the skin, and these were once described as another species, H. armstrongi. Captive-bred fish are not exposed to the parasite, so almost no «golden tetra» in the trade has the sheen. It is named for the English botanist and historian James Rodway.
It is an easy, shoaling fish, abundant in coastal creeks and floodplains.
Behavior
Very peaceful, it does not compete well with very lively or much larger fish. It is a shoaling fish: it asks for a group of at least six, preferably ten or more, and looks its best that way.
It lives well with other Hemigrammus and Hyphessobrycon, pencilfish, apistogrammas, corydoras and small loricariids; in a more general community, with small rasboras, barbs, anabantoids and African dwarf cichlids such as Pelvicachromis.
Avoid housing it with larger fish that would eat it and with very boisterous ones.
Habitat
Hemigrammus rodwayi lives in rivers of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and in the Amazon basin, and also in Peru and Brazil. It inhabits slow rivers, tributaries and floodplain lakes, and abounds in coastal floodplains, where it is sometimes found in mildly brackish water. It is vulnerable to a trematode parasite that causes a characteristic reaction in the skin.
Hemigrammus rodwayi is a schooling species, which means that in the wild it lives and moves in large, coordinated groups.
Keep at least 6 individuals so they feel comfortable and their stress level stays low.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
It has been bred successfully in captivity, like other species of the genus. A separate tank of about 45 × 25 × 25 cm is best, very dimly lit, with clumps of fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, or a mesh on the bottom through which the eggs fall. It can be spawned in a group, with half a dozen of each sex, or in pairs, conditioning males and females separately on small live food.
Diet
An easy-to-feed omnivore that accepts almost anything.
- Staple: quality dry flakes and granules.
- Supplement: bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp, live or frozen, regularly.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 26–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–25 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 5.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–25 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.8–6.8 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.8–6.8 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 5.5–6.5 and 24 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
- Seriously FishSeriously Fish. Hemigrammus rodwayi. Ficha de especie; consultada 2026-10.
Water: FishBase gives pH from 6.3 (no maximum), hardness up to 12 dH (no minimum) and 24-28 °C; Seriously Fish, pH 5.5-7.0, 1-12 dGH and 24-28 °C. The widest range is used: pH 5.5-7.0, 1-12 dGH and 24-28 °C. Size: 5.3 cm TL in FishBase, which warns that the maximum is questionable, and 55 mm SL in Seriously Fish. Age: 4 years at most in FishBase. Tank: Seriously Fish asks for a base of 60 × 38 cm. Salinity: FishBase says it is abundant in coastal creeks and floodplains where a certain salinity supports it, and Seriously Fish that it is sometimes found in mildly brackish water; the profile treats it as freshwater. Name «golden tetra»: the one recorded by Seriously Fish. Family: GBIF keeps it in Characidae and FishBase in Acestrorhamphidae; the profile follows GBIF.
Litres per fish and minimum tank height and depth: the profile's own judgement. Seriously Fish gives only the tank base and FishBase gives no tank sizes.
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