Our Guide To Keeping Muzel Red Cherry Tetra Fish

1. About Fish Species:

   • Scientific name: Hyphessobrycon sp. "Muzel Red Cherry"
   • Common name: Muzel Red Cherry Tetra (also sold as Red Cherry Tetra / Cherry Red Tetra)
   • Family: Characidae
   • Origin: South America (commonly listed from the Mato Grosso region of Brazil in the trade)
   • Adult length: 2.5 to 4 cm (occasionally reported up to ~5 cm)
   • Lifespan: 3 to 5 years
   • Diet: Omnivore (micro-predator)
   • Care Level: Easy to Moderate
   • Temperament: Peaceful, shoaling

2. Tank Setup:

   • Minimum tank size: 40 litres for a proper group (8–10 fish), though 60 litres+ is even better for calmer schooling behaviour and colour.
   • Aquascape: A planted layout suits them best—think dense stems and broad-leaf plants, plus driftwood and a few shaded areas.
   • Lighting: Softer or diffused lighting (floating plants help) will usually bring out richer reds and reduce skittishness.
   • Substrate: Dark sand or fine gravel tends to make their colours pop and feels more “secure” for them.

3. Water Parameters:

   • pH: 6.0 to 7.5
   • Temperature: 22 to 28°C (72 to 82°F)
   • Hardness: Soft to moderately hard water is ideal (often listed around 3–10 dGH).
   • Stability: Keep ammonia and nitrite at 0, and aim for consistently low nitrate with regular water changes.

4. Filtration and Water Flow:

   • Flow: Gentle to moderate flow suits them best—avoid blasting currents that stop them schooling naturally.
   • Filtration: A cycled filter with steady biological filtration is more important than “huge” turnover; add a pre-filter sponge if you’re keeping them with other nano fish.

5. Diet:

   • Staple foods: High-quality micro pellets, small granules, or fine flake.
   • Boost foods: Frozen/live daphnia, cyclops, baby brine shrimp, and bloodworm (small portions) will improve condition and colour.
   • Feeding routine: Small meals 1–2 times daily works well—feed what they’ll finish in a minute or two.

6. Tank mates:

   • Best choices: Other peaceful nano/community fish—small tetras, rasboras, pencilfish, Corydoras (dwarf species work brilliantly), Otocinclus, and other calm bottom dwellers.
   • Avoid: Aggressive fish, persistent fin-nippers, and anything big enough to view them as snacks.

7. Behavior and Compatibility:

   • Schooling: They’re a loose shoaling tetra—keep at least 6, but you’ll usually see the best confidence and colour in groups of 8–12+.
   • Confidence cues: In sparse tanks they can look washed out or hide; with plants, cover, and a proper group, they settle and become far more active.
   • Sexing: Males are often reported to grow a bit larger and show more finnage than females.