Super Blue Tetra (Inpaichthys kerri) — also known as the Blue or Purple Emperor Tetra — is a line-bred strain selected for an especially intense, electric blue body color, going beyond the already-striking coloration of the standard wild-type form. Males show a deep blue-purple body with a thick iridescent dark stripe running from snout to tail and a blue adipose fin; females are stockier and show a reddish-orange adipose fin instead, making the sexes easy to tell apart at a glance once mature.
Native to slow-moving, tannin-stained tributaries of the Rio Aripuanã, part of the upper Rio Madeira basin in Mato Grosso, northwestern Brazil. The water here is naturally soft, acidic, and tea-colored from decaying leaf litter — replicate this with driftwood, dried leaf litter or botanicals, and subdued lighting to bring out the deepest, most saturated blue coloration this strain is bred for.
Feeding & Care Tip: This species does well on a quality flake or micro-pellet as a staple, but for genuinely ideal color intensity, regularly supplement with live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia, and brine shrimp — protein-rich foods noticeably deepen and sustain the blue coloration this strain is selected for, more so than dry food alone.
Keep in groups of 10 or more — this is a firm requirement, not a suggestion. In smaller numbers, this species has an undeserved but real reputation for fin-nipping; in a proper school with adequate visual barriers (driftwood, plant clusters), that behavior essentially disappears and males instead direct their energy into competitive displays at each other, which is normal and not a welfare concern.
Soft, acidic water (pH below 7.0) is the genuine ideal for this species — it does not fare well long-term in harder, more alkaline water, even though it may survive there short-term. Good tankmates include Corydoras, small dwarf cichlids like Mikrogeophagus or Apistogramma, pencilfish, smaller gouramis, rasboras, and peaceful barbs — all species comfortable in the same soft, acidic, tannin-rich conditions this tetra needs to thrive.
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate — sensitive to high nitrates |
| Temperament | Peaceful in proper numbers; undeserved fin-nipping reputation in small groups |
| Typical Adult Size | 1.5–2 inches (4–5 cm) |
| Min. Group Size | 10 or more — firm requirement to prevent fin-nipping |
| Ideal Temp | 75–82°F (24–28°C) |
| Ideal pH | Below 7.0, ideally 6.0–6.8 — soft acidic water is the true ideal |
| Ideal GH | 2–8 dGH |
| Staple Food | High-quality flake or micro-pellet |
| Treat / Supplement | Live/frozen bloodworm, daphnia, brine shrimp — regularly, for ideal color intensity |
| Origin | Rio Aripuanã, upper Rio Madeira basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil |
| Notes | Line-bred for intensified blue color over the standard wild-type Emperor Tetra. Sensitive to high nitrates — maintain excellent water quality. Avoid harder, alkaline water long-term. |
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