Splash Tetra (Copella arnoldi), also called the Jumping Characin or Spraying Characin, is a slender, graceful fish from the lower Amazon and the coastal rivers of the Guianas, where it lives in quiet, shaded, plant-choked waters. Males are long and elegant, with a warm gold-tan body, red-orange in the fins, and long, flowing fin tips edged in white, red, and black; females are smaller and plainer.
⚠ Jumper: Splash Tetras are expert jumpers — it is how they breed. Keep a tight-fitting lid with no gaps.
The Splash Tetra is famous for one of the most unusual spawning behaviors in the hobby. A pair leaps out of the water together and clings briefly to the underside of an overhanging leaf or the tank lid, laying a cluster of eggs above the waterline. The male then guards the spot and splashes the eggs with his tail every half hour or so to keep them moist until the fry hatch and drop into the water a few days later. A tank with a slightly lowered water level and plants or leaves overhanging the surface gives you a chance to see it.
Peaceful and best kept in a group of 6 or more, Splash Tetras spend most of their time in the upper half of the tank. They do best in a well-planted aquascape with floating plants, gentle flow, and soft, slightly acidic water, and they mix well with pencilfish, hatchetfish, small tetras, Corydoras, Otocinclus, and dwarf cichlids.
Feeding & Care Tip: In the wild they feed mostly on small insects that land on the water surface. Offer Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes as a daily staple and add Hikari Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, Hikari Frozen Daphnia, or Hikari Frozen Bloodworms several times a week for the best color and condition. They feed mostly at the surface and in the upper water column.
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Adult Size | Males 2.5–3 in (6–8 cm), females smaller |
| Group Size | 6+ |
| Minimum Tank Size | 20 gallons long |
| Ideal Temperature | 77–82°F (25–28°C) |
| Ideal pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Ideal GH | 2–12 dGH |
| Staple Food | Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes |
| Treat / Supplement | Hikari Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, Daphnia, Bloodworms |
| Lifespan | 3–5 years |
| Origin | Lower Amazon & the Guianas |
| Notes | Tight lid required — expert jumper. Lays eggs above the waterline; male splashes them. Surface feeder. Floating plants recommended. |
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