Silvertip tetra care guide
Also called: Silver tip tetra, Silver-tipped tetra, Copper tetra
The silvertip tetra is a hardy, active little tetra from Brazil with a copper-gold body and bright white fin tips. Keep eight or more in a 20-gallon (76 L) tank, because small groups tend to nip the fins of other fish.
Silvertip tetras need a tank of at least 20 gallons (76 L), a group of 8 or more, and water at 23–27°C (73–81°F) with a pH of 6–8. They grow to about 4.5 cm (1.8 in) and are peaceful.
Plan a tank with silvertip tetrasSee all tank mates
Silvertip tetra quick facts
| Scientific name | Hasemania nana |
|---|---|
| Family | Acestrorhamphidae |
| Origin | Rio São Francisco basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil (most in shops are captive-bred) |
| Adult size | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) |
| Minimum tank | 20 gallons (76 L), at least 60 cm (24 in) long |
| Temperature | 23–27°C (73–81°F) |
| pH | 6–8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 5–18 dGH |
| Group size | 8 or more (shoaling fish) |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims at | Middle |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Care level | Easy |
| Lifespan | 3–5 years |
| Safe with shrimp? | Mostly (eats baby shrimp) |
| Safe with plants? | Yes |
Tank setup
A group of eight needs at least a 20-gallon (76 L) tank about 60 cm (24 in) long. They are busy swimmers, so leave open space in front of plants and wood. Plants are not essential, but cover and a dark background help them settle and color up.
How many silvertip tetras in a tank?
The smallest common tank that suits silvertip tetras is a 20 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.
| Tank | Silvertip tetras (alone) |
|---|---|
| 3 gallon | Too small |
| 5 gallon | Too small |
| 10 gallon | Too small |
| 15 gallon | Too small |
| 20 gallon | 8–22 |
| 20 gallon long | 8–22 |
| 29 gallon | 8–33 |
| 40 gallon | 8–45 |
| 55 gallon | 8–62 |
| 75 gallon | 8–85 |
| 125 gallon | 8–142 |
What you need for silvertip tetras
Sized for a 20 gallon tank, the smallest common size that suits a group of 8 silvertip tetras. For a different tank or a mix of fish, use the stocking calculator for a list sized to your plan.
Tank and equipment
- 20 gallon aquarium (tank or kit) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Bigger tanks are more stable and easier for beginners. How to choose
- Aquarium stand for 20 gallons (opens Amazon in a new tab)The water alone weighs about 167 lb (76 kg), before glass, gravel and rock. How to choose
- Adjustable heater, 75 W (opens Amazon in a new tab)Holds about 77 °F (25 °C) in a room at 65 °F (18 °C). How to choose
- Aquarium thermometer (opens Amazon in a new tab)Check it daily: heaters can fail stuck on or off. How to choose
- Hang-on-back filter rated 80–120 GPH (opens Amazon in a new tab)Community tank: 4–6 times the tank volume per hour. How to choose
- About 35 lb of aquarium gravel (opens Amazon in a new tab)Enough for a layer about 2 in (5 cm) deep. Smooth gravel suits most community fish. How to choose
- Water conditioner (dechlorinator) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water. Seachem Prime is a popular, concentrated choice. How to choose
- Liquid test kit (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Liquid kits are more accurate than strips. The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is the common choice. How to choose
- Gravel vacuum (siphon) (opens Amazon in a new tab)Cleans the gravel and does the water change in one go. How to choose
- LED aquarium light, about 24 in long (opens Amazon in a new tab)Match the light to the tank length. Basic LEDs grow easy plants. How to choose
Food and extras for silvertip tetras
- Micro pellets or flakes for small fish (opens Amazon in a new tab)Small enough for tetras, rasboras and other nano fish.
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Water parameters
Comfortable at 23–27 °C (73–81 °F), pH 6.0–8.0 and 5–18 dGH. Farm-bred stock is very adaptable and copes with harder water better than many tetras. Keep up weekly water changes to hold nitrate down.
Best tank mates for silvertip tetras
These popular species share silvertip tetras' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 88 good matches.
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)
Neon tetra
3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)
Panda corydoras
4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°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)
Zebra danio
5 cm (2 in) · 18–25°C (64–77°F)
Assassin snail
2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)
Avoid keeping silvertip tetras with
- Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Silvertip tetra 23–27°C (73–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
- Oscar: Oscar can eat silvertip tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
- Bala shark: Bala shark can eat silvertip 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 silvertip tetras.
- Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful silvertip tetras.
- Discus: They need different temperatures: Silvertip tetra 23–27°C (73–81°F), discus 28–30°C (82–86°F).
Feeding
They eat almost anything. Use a quality flake or micro pellet as the base and add frozen or live bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia several times a week. They are fast eaters, so check that slower fish get food.
Behavior
Lively and mostly peaceful, but they can nip fins, especially in small groups. A larger group spends its energy chasing each other instead. Keep them with fast, short-finned fish such as danios, rasboras, other active tetras and corydoras, and avoid bettas, fancy guppies and angelfish.
Breeding
Egg scatterers that eat their own eggs. Set up a dim tank with fine-leaved plants or a mesh base and soft, slightly acidic water at the warm end of their range. Add a well-fed pair or small group and remove the adults once eggs appear. Fry hatch in 1–2 days and start on infusoria, then baby brine shrimp.
Tips from experienced keepers
- Keep 8 or more to cut down on fin nipping.
- Males are slimmer and more golden-copper. Females are plumper and paler.
- Not for tanks with bettas, long-finned guppies or angelfish.
- One of the hardiest tetras, so a good choice for harder tap water.
- Their colors look best over a dark substrate with some floating plants.
Frequently asked questions
Do silvertip tetras nip fins?
They can, mostly when kept in small groups or with slow, long-finned fish. Keep at least eight and pick fast, short-finned tankmates.
How big do silvertip tetras get?
Most reach about 4–5 cm (1.6–2 in) as adults. Males stay slimmer than females.
Are silvertip tetras good for beginners?
Yes. They are hardy and adaptable, as long as you keep a proper group and avoid long-finned tankmates.
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.