Bring dramatic contrast and elegant movement to your aquascape with the stunning Black Emperor Tetra. A striking color morph of the classic Emperor Tetra, this premium freshwater fish features a deep, velvety obsidian body beautifully contrasted by piercing, neon-blue eyes. They are highly sought after by aquarists looking to add a sophisticated, dark aesthetic to planted community tanks.

Quick Care Overview

Detailed Product Information

Origin & Background

While the wild ancestral species originates from the slow-moving river basins of Colombia, South America (specifically the San Juan and Atrato river systems), the Black Emperor Tetra is a selectively bred color variant. Captive-bred for generations, this variety preserves the hardiness of its wild cousins while showcasing a uniform, deep-black coloration across its entire body and fins.

Ideal Aquarium Environment & Tank Size

To truly see these fish thrive, a minimum tank size of 20 gallons is highly recommended. Because they are a shoaling species, they should be kept in groups of at least 6 to 8 individuals—larger groups naturally reduce stress and bring out vibrant schooling behavior.

They display best in a planted aquarium with a dark substrate, driftwood roots, and plenty of floating cover. Dense vegetation mimics their natural blackwater habitats and provides safety, which encourages males to display their majestic, elongated "trident" tails. Moderate, gentle water flow is ideal.

Diet & Feeding Schedule

The Black Emperor Tetra is an omnivore and a highly enthusiastic eater. For optimal health and maximum color intensity, provide a varied diet including:

• High-quality micro-pellets and tropical flake food.

• Frozen or live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms.

• Freeze-dried tubifex or cyclops.

Peaceful Community Tank Mates

These tetras are exceptionally peaceful, making them phenomenal candidates for a community tank. Avoid housing them with large, aggressive predators. Excellent tank mates include:

• Other small tetras (Neon, Cardinal, Rummynose)

• Rasboras and peaceful barbs

• Corydoras catfish and Otocinclus

• Dwarf cichlids like Apistogramma or Ram Cichlids

• Adult dwarf shrimp and snails (though tiny shrimp fry may be snacked on)

Breeding Insights

Breeding Black Emperor Tetras is achievable for hobbyists. They are egg-scatterers and do not look after their young. To breed them, set up a separate, dimly lit breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water and dense clumps of java moss or spawning mops. Condition a pair with live foods, and remove the parents immediately after spawning to protect the eggs. The fry hatch in about 24 to 36 hours and can be fed infusoria or micro-worms once free-swimming.

PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING

• The photos shown on fish product pages are representations of adult fish and are NOT the actual fish that you will be receiving. 
• Please visit our “Ordering/Shipping fish” page prior to checking out to familiarize yourself with our process.
• We ship fish exclusively using overnight shipping with either FedEx or UPS. We will not ship fish with lesser expensive shipping services like “Ground” or “Priority Mail”. This is to ensure the safety of the fish.
• Unless specified, all fish are sold as unsexed.