Home / Fishes / Tetras, piranhas and pacus / False rummynose tetra
No federal permit to keepFalse rummynose tetra
Petitella georgiae
Fishes › Tetras, piranhas and pacus (Characiformes) › Characidae (Tetras)
Petitella georgiae, the false rummy-nose tetra or false rednose tetra, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acestrorhamphidae, the American characins.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 1.5 in / 3.86 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 5.5–7.
- Hardness: 0–12 dGH.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: Eats a varied diet: mix quality prepared foods with frozen and live foods. FishBase classes it as a omnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: soft, acidic water, 72–79 °F, pH 5.5–7, 1–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Prefers dim lighting and will show its colours better over a dark substrate.”
- Diet: “Any food offered must be small enough for its tiny mouth.”
- Tankmates: “It's a very peaceful species that won't compete well with boisterous or much larger tankmates.”
- Breeding: “Can be quite tricky to breed.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Tetras
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: The covered characids include South American river and tributary fishes, from vegetation-shaded bloodfin habitats to sandy flowing rivers occupied by Exodon. [fg156-bloodfin, fg156-exodon]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For glass bloodfins, use at least 60 × 38 × 30 cm (24 × 15 × 12 in), retaining open upper-water swimming space.
- Provide planted margins and floating vegetation for bloodfins; fit a tight lid for Aphyocharax anisitsi.
- For bucktooth tetras use at least 120 × 45 × 45 cm (48 × 18 × 18 in), efficient filtration and planted refuges from bullying.
- For glass bloodfins maintain pH 6.0–7.5; for Exodon, pH 5.5–7.5.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 73.4–80.6°F |
Diet
- Small dried foods for glass and ordinary bloodfins.
- Daphnia, Cyclops and bloodworms for glass bloodfins.
- For Exodon, chopped prawns, mussels, earthworms and fish rather than live feeder fish.
Social life
- Glass bloodfins need 6–8 or more; ordinary bloodfins at least six. Exodon requires a species aquarium and at least 12 introduced together; small groups can kill one another.
Health watch
- Freshwater ich (white spot disease), a general aquarium risk.
- Bacterial infections associated with stress and poor water quality.
- Fin and scale damage from aggression, especially Exodon.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This fish is found in South America, where it is caught for the aquarium trade.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Petitella georgiae” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Feeds on worms, small crustaceans and plant matter. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–79 °F (22–26 °C), pH 5.5–7, hardness 12 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–79 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 92°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 70°F (down to 65°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 82–85% on average (driest month about 79%) |
| Rainfall | about 2392 mm a year |
Measured at 24 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Petitella georgiae, the false rummy-nose tetra or false rednose tetra, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acestrorhamphidae, the American characins. This fish is found in South America, where it is caught for the aquarium trade. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Petitella georgiae has a maximum standard length of 3.9 cm. This species can be distinguished from the other two Petitella species by the possession of a long, broad maxilla with a single row of teeth on the premaxilla, and between 9 and 11 teeth, with 5 cuspids on the dentary and the absence of a black spot on the lower part of the caudal peduncle. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Feeds on worms, small crustaceans and plant matter. Aquarium keeping: in groups of 5 or more individuals; minimum aquarium size 80 cm. — FishBase |
| History and naming | Petitella georgiae was first formally described in 1964 by the French ichthyologists Jacques Géry and Henri Boutière, with its type locality given as Lagunas village in the lower Río Huallago in Loreto District, Peru. When Géry and Boutière described this species they proposed the new genus Petitella, of which it was the only species and the designated type species. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Prionobrama filigera Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Exodon paradoxus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Aphyocharax anisitsi Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Disorders and Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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