Kyburz Tetra

About

Found in the coastal rivers draining the Pacific slope of Colombia, Pseudochalceus kyburzi is a small, schooling characin that doesn't show up in the hobby all that often despite being a genuinely interesting fish. It occupies soft, slightly acidic water in its natural range, and replicating those conditions in the aquarium will go a long way toward keeping it healthy and comfortable. At under three inches, it fits reasonably well into a mid-sized community setup, but there's a catch. This species has a reputation for fin-nipping, which can make tankmate selection a real exercise in planning. Long-finned or slow-moving fish are poor companions, so aim for similarly sized, active species that can hold their own. Like most characins, it does much better in groups, and a proper school of eight or more tends to keep individuals more focused on each other than on their neighbors' fins. Care is rated intermediate, mainly because of its water chemistry preferences and that social dynamic rather than any particular sensitivity. If you can meet its conditions and choose tankmates carefully, it's a rewarding little fish with a lively, active presence in the water column.