Few fish depict the schooling attributes of these community tank residents. Complementing the planted aquarium, a school of these little gems is often all you need. With the majority of the species being carnivorous they pose no danger to plants, and feel most at home within a heavily vegetated aquarium. In fact, tetras and their kin such as hatchet fish and smaller characins feel more comfortable in a naturally planted aquascape, exhibiting more natural behavior and their best colouration.

Tetras come in such diverse shapes and sizes, such as the smaller more streamline Neon, Rummynose, and Bloodfin tetras, to the higher profiled Serpae, Columbian Blue, and Phantom tetras. Others like the Hatchet fish offer a more unconventional body shape unique to them.

Some tetras like the Neons, and Cardinals, represent some of the most peaceful species available for the aquarium while some like the Silver tips, and Columbians should be approached with more caution when choosing tank mates. In more extreme cases, species such as Exodon Paradox and the infamous Piranhas are absolutely not community material and though with conditioning, can be kept with other more aggressive species, do much better in a tank of their own kind, Although represented throughout the tropics, Tetras and their relatives are found at their greatest density in South America, namely the Amazon region.

Greatly represented in the aquarium trade with hundreds of species available. Among the most desirable specimens kept are Cardinal and Neon Tetras, Pristellas, Golds, Red eye, Bleeding heart, Blue, Rummynose, Bloodfin, Congo tetras, Pencil fish and Hatchets.