Description
Moenkhausia costae is a tetra of up to 7 cm and about 9 grams from the São Francisco and Itapicuru rivers, in eastern Brazil, in a subtropical climate. It bears the surname of the Italian zoologist Oronzio Gabriele Costa. Little more is known of the species than its size and origin; the rest is what can be expected from the other Moenkhausia in the catalogue.
It is a shoaling fish for a planted tank, for a group of eight or more.
Behavior
Like other Moenkhausia, it can be expected to be a shoaling fish, peaceful and active, stressed in a small group. It likes plants, free swimming space and soft light.
It lives well with other tetras and rasboras of similar size, and with corydoras.
Avoid housing it with tiny fish and with large fish that would eat it.
Habitat
Moenkhausia costae lives in the São Francisco and Itapicuru rivers, in Brazil, and its climate is subtropical. Its specific environment has not been described.
Moenkhausia costae is a schooling species, which means that in the wild it lives and moves in large, coordinated groups.
Keep at least 8 individuals so they feel comfortable and their stress level stays low.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
Its breeding is not documented. The tetras of the genus scatter their eggs among fine plants and do not tend them.
Diet
An omnivore, like the rest of the genus.
- Staple: quality dry food, in flakes or granules.
- Supplement: brine shrimp, daphnia and mosquito larvae, live or frozen, and some spirulina.
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 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5 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 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
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 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
There is no source for this species' water: none of the accepted sources records its pH, temperature or hardness, and the profile's ranges are estimated from its congeners or species of the same genus.
Water: the ranges (pH 6-7.5, 3-15 dGH and 22-26 °C) are estimated from those of Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae and M. pittieri, congeners in the catalogue. FishBase gives only the climate class, subtropical. Size: 7 cm SL and 9.2 g. Distribution: the São Francisco and Itapicuru rivers. Family: GBIF keeps it in Characidae and FishBase in Acestrorhamphidae; the profile follows GBIF. Shoaling, behaviour, diet and breeding: FishBase does not record them; the text is general knowledge of the genus, not of the species.
Litres per fish, tank sizes and lifespan: the profile's own judgement. The sources consulted do not give them.
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