Splash Tetra

About

The splash tetra (Copella arnoldi) is one of those species that genuinely earns its common name. Native to small, clear-water creeks and ponds in the lower Amazon basin and coastal drainages of Pará and Amapá in Brazil, it lives naturally in surface-oriented groups, picking off insect larvae, ants, worms, and small crustaceans. In the aquarium it stays modest in size and is peaceful toward similarly sized tankmates, though it tends to do better in a species-focused setup alongside other small characids, lebiasinids, or diminutive catfishes rather than a broad community mix. A group of eight to ten individuals, with a reasonable mix of males and females, brings out the best behavior and color in the males as they compete for attention. The real showpiece, though, is the breeding. A courting pair will leap clear of the water together and cling to a leaf or other surface above the waterline, depositing a small clutch of eggs. The female's role ends there, but the male sticks around for days, repeatedly splashing water upward with his tail to keep the eggs moist and oxygenated until they hatch and the fry drop in. No other Copella species pulls off quite this trick. A tight-fitting lid and some gap between the water surface and the cover glass are practical necessities. Intermediate care experience is a reasonable expectation.