Glow Light Tetra

[fish48]

3 weeks ago I bought three pairs of glow light tetras from my local pet shop.
My tap water has a very high pH. perfect for all of my livebearers ,
glowlights are very adaptable to water conditions, however I decided to lower the PH In order to give the tiny eggs and fry a better chance of survival Well, they spawned today.
This is my first attempt to spawn glow light tetras So not sure how things will turn out.

( female. )

 

[BigJfish12]

That's very cool, good luck and be sure to keep us updated

 

[GaryE]

I had a friend who bred them years ago, and they've been on my to-do list since. Anything you can share about the process is something I'd really appreciate.

 

[fish48]

I had a friend who bred them years ago, and they've been on my to-do list since. Anything you can share about the process is something I'd really appreciate.

I would be happy to share. I'm keeping a record of everything

 

[Ichthys]

pH isn’t really all that important. It’s used as a sign of hardness (GH) which is the important thing. Livebearers need hard water, Glowlights do better in soft water.

 

[Colin_T]

Tetra eggs are photosensitive and won't hatch if they are in a light environment. You don't have a light on the breeding tank and you need to black the tank out after the adults have bred and been removed.

They need very soft water (GH & KH as close to 0ppm as possible) and a pH below 7.0. However, they will breed in water with a pH slightly above 7.0.

Tannins are always useful in breeding tetras but not essential for most species. They make the water darker and less light gets on the eggs and kills them.

The fry are small and need green water, infusoria, or a powdered fry food for egg-layers. Boiled egg yolk can also be used. The following link has info on that.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

www.fishforums.net

 

[fish48]

it's been 2 years since I attempted breeding GlowLight tetras without success . on the 1st of October 2025. I decided to give it another go. living in a hard water area and a pH of about 7 ,8 . I needed to find a way to lower the pH below 7, start up a infusoria culture and other live foods readily available ,
great successes this time i have a approximately 40 babies all feeding on a good live food diet and growing at a fast rate

 

[GaryE]

You inspired me, and I bred some after the original thread. You will be delighted at how fast they grow.

 

[fish48]

You inspired me, and I bred some after the original thread. You will be delighted at how fast they grow.

I'm quite happy the way things are going I spawned them in bottled water from a supermarket

 

[fish48]

glowlights at 6 weeks old

 

[fish48]

update total 55 glow light tetras moved to larger tank ,
i have recently had another attempt of breeding glow lights this time in pure rainwater so far all doing well this time approximately 200 fry

 

[anewbie]

pH isn’t really all that important. It’s used as a sign of hardness (GH) which is the important thing. Livebearers need hard water, Glowlights do better in soft water.

I know what you are trying to say - ph is an indication of KH .... though in truth for many south american species both kh and gh matter - though I don't know about glowlight tetra as some species are less picky.

 

[anewbie]

Did you have to blackout the tank for them to hatch or were the glowlight eggs not that sensitive to light ?

 

[fish48]

i didn't need to blacking out tank I spawned them in a large container under one of my tanks where it receives very little day light

 

[GaryE]

i didn't need to blacking out tank I spawned them in a large container under one of my tanks where it receives very little day light

This is good to know, as I had blacked mine out on the principle I could and the person who had taught me how blacked his out. It's easier in dim light. Thanks!