Raccoon Tetra Care Guide – Aquarium Setup, Diet & Breeding

The Raccoon Tetra is a small, slender characin with a silvery to warm golden body and a distinctive dark marking through the eye, giving it the masked appearance that inspired its common name. A darker patch near the caudal peduncle adds contrast, while the fins are generally translucent with subtle warm colouration.

This is an active but peaceful schooling fish. In a suitably sized group, Raccoon Tetras spend much of their time moving through the middle levels of the aquarium, displaying mild chasing and fin-flashing within the shoal without normally causing injury.

In the wild, Hyphessobrycon procyon inhabits small tropical waterways influenced by surrounding rainforest. Such habitats may contain submerged branches, leaf litter and subdued, tea-coloured water, creating a complex background in which a small fish can shelter and forage.

The species remains less commonly seen in the aquarium trade than many familiar Hyphessobrycon tetras. Its compact size, attractive facial markings and calm social behaviour make it an appealing choice for a peaceful South American community aquarium.

The Raccoon Tetra is native to Brazil in the southern Amazon basin, particularly tributaries associated with the Rio Tapajós drainage. It comes from tropical South American streams and forest waterways.

A group should have at least a 60-litre aquarium, with a footprint around 60 x 30 cm or larger; a longer tank is preferable because these active fish use horizontal swimming space. Use a fine, inert sand or small-grain substrate with driftwood, roots, leaf litter and dense planting around the edges, leaving open water in the centre. Gentle filtration, shaded areas and subdued lighting help recreate the calm, structured character of their rainforest streams.

Up to around 4 cm (1.6 in) in total length. Females are usually a little deeper-bodied and may reach the upper end of this range, while males tend to remain slimmer and slightly smaller.

Raccoon Tetras are omnivores that benefit from a varied diet. Offer a quality small tropical flake or micro-pellet as a staple, supplemented with finely chopped frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms and mosquito larvae. Small portions of these richer foods help maintain colour and condition, while food should be sized for their small mouths.

Raccoon Tetras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with other similarly sized, non-aggressive South American species. Suitable companions include small Corydoras, peaceful pencilfish, other gentle tetras, small rasboras and otocinclus catfish. Avoid large predatory fish, boisterous species and fin-nippers, which may intimidate or injure them; very small fry and dwarf shrimp may also be treated as food.

Raccoon Tetras are egg-scattering characins that can be bred in a separate, dimly lit breeding aquarium with soft, slightly acidic water and fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. Condition a group with plenty of live or frozen foods, then introduce a pair or small group. Adults may eat the eggs, so remove them after spawning or protect the eggs with a mesh divider. The eggs generally hatch within one to two days, and the tiny fry should initially receive infusoria or another suitably fine first food before progressing to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Sexual differences are subtle. Mature females are generally fuller through the abdomen, particularly when carrying eggs, whereas males are more slender and may show slightly more intense colour during courtship.