Freshwater Fish
Pristella Tetra.
The hardy pristella tetra — peaceful, easy, and forgiving of a range of water conditions. A reliable beginner schooler, best in a planted 10-gallon-plus group. Available as the soft gold form or the brighter GloFish strain.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Care level
- Beginner
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Community
- Community safe
- Adult size
- 1.75"
- Min tank size
- 10 gallons
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Pristella maxillaris
Good tank mates
Peaceful and community-safe, so it slots easily into a calm community of small, similarly-sized fish. It pairs well with other small peaceful tetras, rasboras, corydoras, peaceful gouramis, and livebearers such as platies or guppies. Keep it in a group, and steer clear of fin-nippers, much larger or aggressive fish, and anything small enough to fit in its mouth or big enough to eat it.
Good to know
The gold pristella is a captive-bred color form of the pristella tetra, a species known for tolerating a wide range of water conditions.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Bronze Cory
Peaceful South American bottom-dwellers that occupy a completely different water column than the mid-swimming Pristella. Shared soft, warm water parameters and a long track record of coexistence in community setups make this one of the most reliable pairings for Pristellas.
Ember Tetra
Small, peaceful Brazilian tetra with good parameter overlap (pH 5.5–7.0, 25–30°C) that falls within the Pristella's own range. Neither species is a fin-nipper and they school compatibly without competition for the same territory.
Assorted Guppy
SeriouslyFish explicitly lists livebearers as community-compatible companions for Pristella. The Pristella's unusually broad tolerance (pH 5.8–8.5, hardness 2–20°H, up to 80°F) genuinely overlaps with guppy-friendly conditions at neutral pH 7.0 and 78°F. Pristellas are not fin-nippers, so male guppy tails are not at risk.
- H
Hatchetfish
Surface-dwelling South American schooler that leaves the mid-water zone entirely free for Pristellas. SeriouslyFish explicitly lists hatchetfish as compatible with Pristella maxillaris. Both species are peaceful and share soft, warm water preferences.
- P
Pencilfish
Peaceful, slender South American fish that routinely coexists with tetras in community tanks. Intraspecific male rivalry is manageable with cover and adequate group size, and there is no documented fin-nipping risk toward short-finned Pristellas.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.