Glowlight tetra care guide

Plan a tank with glowlight tetrasSee all tank mates

Glowlight tetra quick facts

Tank setup

A group of 6 fits in a 15-gallon (57 L) tank about 24 in (60 cm) long, but 20 gallons (76 L) lets you keep a larger, more natural group. Plants, driftwood and a dark substrate help them feel safe and bring out their glow. Floating plants that dim the light help too.

How many glowlight tetras in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits glowlight tetras is a 15 gallon. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep the water warm at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5. They color up best in soft, slightly acidic water, but farm-bred fish cope with moderate hardness. They don't handle ammonia or nitrite well, so add them only to a fully cycled tank.

Best tank mates for glowlight tetras

These popular species share glowlight tetras' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 84 good matches.

• Betta fish

  6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Cherry shrimp

  3 cm (1.2 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Dwarf gourami

  7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

• Bronze corydoras

  7 cm (2.8 in) · 21–26°C (70–79°F)

• Assassin snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

Avoid keeping glowlight tetras with

• Angelfish: Angelfish can eat glowlight tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Glowlight tetra 24–28°C (75–82°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Fancy goldfish: They need different temperatures: Glowlight tetra 24–28°C (75–82°F), fancy goldfish 18–23°C (64–73°F).
• Oscar: Oscar can eat glowlight tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Bala shark: Bala shark can eat glowlight tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful glowlight tetras.

Feeding

Glowlights eat almost any small food. Use a quality micro pellet or crushed flake as the staple. Add frozen or live daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms a few times a week for color and condition.

Behavior

They are calm, peaceful fish that shoal in the middle of the tank. Good tank mates include other small tetras, rasboras, corydoras, small livebearers, peaceful gouramis and dwarf cichlids. Avoid angelfish and any other fish big enough to swallow them.

Breeding

Glowlights are one of the easier tetras to spawn. Use a dim breeding tank with soft, acidic water around 80–84°F (27–29°C), fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop, and a gentle sponge filter. Remove the adults once eggs appear. The eggs hatch in about a day, and the fry need infusoria first, then baby brine shrimp.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Add them to a mature, cycled tank. They are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite.
• A dark substrate and a few floating plants make their orange stripe stand out.
• Keep 8–10 if you have space. Bigger groups are bolder and spend more time in the open.
• Don't keep them with angelfish or other fish big enough to eat a 1.5 in (4 cm) tetra.
• Quarantine new fish for a few weeks before adding them to an established tank.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• aquariumsource.com
• seriouslyfish.com