Black Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri var. "Amphiloxus Black") - Tank-Bred!
- In stock, ready to ship
- Backordered, shipping soon
This velvety black color morph is considered by some to be the most striking of the Emperor Tetra varieties!
The Black Emperor Tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri var. "Amphiloxus Black") is an incredible color morph of the classic Emperor Tetra. Most of its body is an alluring satin black, and it has a cream-colored snout and bright blue or green eyes. Adult males have dramatically elongated dorsal and caudal fins, including an extended middle ray that creates a “trident” tail. Females are generally smaller and thicker in size. The Black Emperor Tetra typically breeds in pairs and must be kept in shoals of at least 6 to 10 fish. Males will posture and compete for females, but this aggression is not a problem in aquariums with ample space and plenty of décor. This fish has been considered by some to be a separate species named Nematobrycon amphiloxus, but experts consider it to simply be a color variant of the standard Emperor Tetra.
The Black Emperor Tetra typically occupies the top and middle level of the water column, although it can often be seen swimming and feeding in the middle and bottom levels as well. It is safe to keep with other peaceful, small fish. Though it has a relatively robust, larger body than many smaller tetras, it has a very small mouth. Adult dwarf shrimp are possibly safe tankmates as well, but adult Black Emperor Tetras may eat small dwarf shrimp and their fry. Larger, peaceful invertebrates can also make good tankmates. Since they are tank-raised, Black Emperor Tetras are fairly adaptable, but their natural habitat contains soft, acidic water rich in tannins and leaf litter.
While not a picky eater, the Black Emperor Tetra will thrive and remain very colorful on a varied diet of meaty foods. High-quality flake food, pellets, and frozen, freeze-dried, or live meaty foods will all be readily accepted.
- Elegant black coloration and finnage, especially in males
- Peaceful disposition with fish and peaceful invertebrates
- Very active and noticeable fish in any aquarium
- Hardy and adaptable
- Temperature: 73° - 81° F (23° - 27° C)
- pH: 5.5 - 7.5 (more acidic water is preferred)
- KH: 4 - 8 dKH
- Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
- Diet: Omnivorous. Will easily accept high quality dry, frozen, and live foods
- Social behavior: Peaceful, schooling/shoaling.
- Origin: Tank-bred, but indigenous to South America
- Average adult size: 1.4 - 1.7 inches (3.5 - 4.2 cm)
- Average purchase size: 3/4 - 1.5 inches (1.9 - 3.8 cm)
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
