Rummy nose tetra - Hemigrammus rhodostomus

Scientific name: Hemigrammus rhodostomus

Common name: Rummy nose tetra

Family: Characidae

Usual size in fish tanks: 2 - 4 cm (0.79 - 1.57 inch)

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Recommended pH range: 6 - 7.5

Recommended water hardness: 4 - 12°N (71.43 - 214.29ppm)

0°C 32°F30°C 86°F

Recommended temperature range: 23 - 29 °C (73.4 - 84.2°F)

The way how these fish reproduce: Spawning

Where the species comes from: South America

Temperament to its own species: peaceful

Temperament toward other fish species: peaceful

Usual place in the tank: Middle levels

Short description

The Rummy nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) is a classic South American schooling tetra famed for its ruby-red snout and the black–white tail band. It’s a calm, tightly schooling midwater fish that looks best in groups of 10 in a softly lit, well-planted tank with clean, soft, slightly acidic water. Note that the trade frequently mixes three very similar species: H. rhodostomus (this profile), H. bleheri (Brilliant rummy nose), and Petitella georgiae (False rummy nose).

Origin

Native to the Brazilian Amazon lowlands (lower Amazon drainage). It inhabits calm creeks and floodplain backwaters with soft, acidic water, leaf litter, and subdued light. Many “rummy noses” in shops may instead be H. bleheri (upper Rio Negro/Orinoco region) or P. georgiae (western Amazon), which explains conflicting locality notes in older sources.

Food

An omnivorous micro-predator. Offer a quality micro-pellet or fine flake as the staple and supplement with small frozen/live foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and finely chopped bloodworms. Live bloodworms can be relished but should remain an occasional treat rather than the main diet.

Sexing

Females are slightly deeper-bodied and rounder when gravid; males are slimmer. External differences are subtle.

Breeding

Typical egg scatterer. Use a separate dim tank with very soft, slightly acidic water and fine-leaved plants or spawning mops (or a mesh to protect eggs). Spawning often occurs at daybreak. At ~26 °C eggs usually hatch in 24–36 hours; fry become free-swimming after 3–5 days. Start with infusoria/rotifers, then newly hatched brine shrimp.

Lifespan

With good care expect 5–6 years; pristine water and a proper school are key to longevity.

Behavior & compatibility

A peaceful, tight-schooling midwater tetra. Keep in a sizeable group to reduce stress and to maintain the intense head coloration (which also fades with stress or poor water). Excellent with other small, calm characins, rasboras, dwarf corydoras, and gentle dwarf cichlids. Avoid nippy or boisterous tank mates.

Tank requirements

Group size: at least 10; more is better for cohesion and color.
Water: soft and clean; slightly acidic to neutral (your range 6.0–7.5 works). Warmth of 26–28 °C often suits them best.
Aquascape: plants, wood, and leaf litter with open lanes for schooling; subdued lighting or floating plants.
Maintenance: low nitrate, steady conditions; weekly moderate water changes.

Notes on identification

Three look-alikes are common in the trade:

Hemigrammus rhodostomus – red snout typically confined to the head; lower-Amazon origin.
Hemigrammus bleheri – red often extends beyond the gill cover onto the body; upper Rio Negro/Orinoco origin.
Petitella georgiae – similar tail banding but different body proportions; western Amazon origin.

All three show the signature tail pattern of alternating black and white bars on the caudal peduncle and fin.