Freshwater Fish
Lemon Tetra.
A soft lemon-yellow tetra with black-and-yellow fin accents — understated until a well-fed school colors up. Peaceful and beginner-easy; group them in a planted 10-gallon-plus tank for the best color.
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
- 1.5"
- Min tank size
- 10 gallons
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Scientific name
- Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
Good tank mates
Peaceful and community-safe, so it belongs in a calm community of small, similarly-sized fish. Good tankmates include other peaceful tetras, rasboras, corydoras, peaceful gouramis, and livebearers like platies or mollies. Keep it in a school for the best color, and avoid fin-nippers, much larger or aggressive fish, and anything that fits in its mouth or that it could fit inside.
Good to know
Male lemon tetras have a more sharply defined black-and-yellow edge on the anal fin, which is one of the simpler ways to tell the sexes apart.
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 bottom-dwellers that occupy the substrate zone below lemon tetras' mid-water range. Share compatible soft, slightly acidic water requirements and display no aggression toward tetras in a community setup.
Neon Tetra
Share nearly identical water requirements (soft, slightly acidic, 22–27°C) and an equally peaceful schooling temperament, coexisting harmoniously at the same mid-water level.
Harlequin Rasbora
Peaceful mid-water schooling fish of comparable size that thrive in the same soft, warm, slightly acidic water conditions as lemon tetras. Non-aggressive toward tankmates and widely confirmed as compatible with small tetras.
- O
Otocinclus Catfish
Tiny, docile algae-eaters of similar small size that are fully non-aggressive and share the same soft, slightly acidic water requirements as lemon tetras.
- A
Apistogramma
Small dwarf cichlids from South America that share compatible soft, acidic water parameters and occupy the lower tank zone. Tetras are among the most recommended companions for Apistogramma because they swim mid-water and do not encroach on the cichlids' territory. Note: Apistogramma are semi-aggressive and females can become territorial during breeding — provide ample space (30+ gallons), caves, and dense planting to minimize conflict.
- D
Dwarf Gourami
Peaceful labyrinth fish whose water parameters (pH 6.0–7.5, 22–28°C, soft water) overlap well with lemon tetra requirements. Males can be territorial toward other gouramis but are not aggressive toward small tetras, making them a compatible visual centerpiece in the same community tank.
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.