How Much Does Ember Tetra Ownership Cost?

The ember tetra is a small South American characin from the Araguaia River basin of central Brazil, a fish about 0.8 inch (2 cm) long that is kept in groups. Nobody buys one. The purchase is a school, and even a school of ten costs less than the equipment it swims in.

The Fish: $25 to $35 for a School of 10

Online sellers list ember tetras at about $2.50 to $3.50 a fish before shipping, with the per-fish price dropping in larger packs. The recommended purchase is a minimum of 8 to 10, and 10 is the number to price: a school of 10 comes to $25 to $35 before shipping, which is charged on top.

That lands the ember in the same bracket as a school of cardinal tetras, which are also priced at a group of 10.

Upfront Setup: $95 to $245

A 10 gallon tank with an 18 x 12 inch (45 x 30 cm) footprint is the size priced here for a school of 10. A 5 gallon nano sometimes gets suggested for a fish this tiny, and the ember tetra tank setup guide sets out why 10 gallons is the recommendation instead.

Every other line follows from where the fish comes from. Embers are tropical and kept at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), so the heater is not optional. Filtration only needs to be gentle, which a small sponge filter covers. Dense planting and a dark floor suit them best, and a few floating plants help on top.

The liquid test kit earns its place twice. It confirms the tank has finished cycling before the school goes in, which is a reading on a kit and not a number of days, as the aquarium cycling guide explains. It also reads pH, and embers come from soft, weakly acidic water: a pH of 5.0 to 7.0 and a hardness of 1 to 10 dGH. Hardness takes a separate GH test, and what does and does not move GH and KH decides whether soft water is worth chasing for a given tap.

The Extras: A Spare Tank for Quarantine

New fish get 30 days in a separate tank before they join the display, and the fish quarantine guide covers how to run the bare hospital tank priced above. The same tank is where an ich outbreak gets treated, and because the ember's 82°F ceiling rules out the heat cure, a bottle of salt or medication is the likely cost of one.

Ongoing Costs: Low

Embers are micropredators of tiny invertebrates and zooplankton, with small mouths suited to tiny, slow-sinking food. The staple is a micro pellet or a flake crushed fine, and the first supply in the table runs $5 to $10. Small live or frozen foods such as baby brine shrimp and moina round out the diet, which adds a small recurring cost on top of the pellets.

Water conditioner at $5 to $15 a bottle, a little electricity for the heater and filter, and test kit refills make up the rest. Conditioner goes into every change, so the water change schedule a tank runs on is what sets how often a new bottle is needed.

Vet Costs

Rarely a line item. A school of embers is kept healthy through water quality and, when needed, over-the-counter treatment. When fish start dying, the signs that separate a water problem from a disease decide whether the next spend is a water change, a medication, or a visit to a vet who treats fish.

Lifespan

Ember tetras live about 2 to 4 years in captivity. That is short for the money spent on the tank: the heater, filter, test kit and planted 10 gallon all outlast the first school and can house the next one.

Sources & Further Reading