Red Phantom Tetra - Megalamphodus Sweglesi (Captive Bred)

Red Phantom Tetra (Captive Bred) | A Classic South American Schooling Fish

The Red Phantom Tetra (Megalamphodus sweglesi) is a beautifully understated and elegant schooling fish from the Orinoco River basin of Colombia and Venezuela — and one that is far more rewarding in person than photographs suggest. With a warm pinkish-red body, a distinctive dark circular shoulder patch, and delicate red-tinged fins, the Red Phantom Tetra brings a soft, natural warmth to planted aquascapes that bolder, more intensely coloured fish simply can't replicate. In a large school under good lighting, the effect is subtle, rich, and genuinely beautiful.

Our Red Phantom Tetras are captive bred — making them hardier, better adapted to aquarium conditions, and more readily accepting of prepared foods than wild-caught specimens.

Red Phantom Tetra Care Guide

Care at a Glance

• Scientific name: Megalamphodus sweglesi (syn. Hyphessobrycon sweglesi)
• Also known as: Red Phantom Tetra, Swegles' Tetra
• Origin: Orinoco River basin, Colombia and Venezuela — captive bred
• Adult size: up to 1.5 inches (4 cm)
• Minimum tank size: 15 gallons — longer tanks preferred for schooling behaviour
• Temperature: 72–82°F (22–28°C)
• pH: 5.5–7.5 — soft, slightly acidic water preferred for best colouration
• Hardness: 2–12 dGH — soft water recommended
• Best kept in groups of 8 or more
• Lifespan: 3–5 years with good care

Red Phantom Tetra Tank Setup

A well-planted aquarium with dark substrate, subdued lighting, floating plants to diffuse intensity, and tannins from driftwood or Indian almond leaves will bring out the very best in the Red Phantom Tetra's warm colouration. These are naturally calm, somewhat timid fish that feel most confident and display most actively in a densely planted tank with plenty of cover. Gentle filtration and slow to moderate water flow reflects their natural slow-moving river habitat perfectly.

Feeding Your Red Phantom Tetras

Omnivores and easy to feed. A high quality micro flake or small pellet makes an excellent staple diet, supplemented regularly with frozen or live foods such as baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, and bloodworm. A varied diet will help maintain and enhance their warm red colouration over time.

How Many Red Phantom Tetras Should You Keep?

These are a true schooling species and should be kept in groups of 8 or more. In a proper school they are confident, active, and display their best colouration — particularly males, who deepen in colour and extend their fins when competing for female attention. Smaller groups tend to be shy and spend more time hiding.

Red Phantom Tetra Tank Mates

• Other small, peaceful South American tetras and rasboras
• Corydoras and small peaceful bottom dwellers
• Dwarf cichlids such as Apistogramma and German Blue Rams
• Peaceful gouramis and small danios
• Shrimp — generally safe with adults, use caution with very small juvenile shrimp
• Avoid large or aggressive fish and fin-nipping species