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The Chalceus Tuscan Fish (Chalceus erythrurus) is the most famous of its five brothers in the genus. They are all great aquarium fish and are also very similar. The Tuscan always has a prominent spot on its shoulders, with either blueish or yellowish fins. They get the Chalceus name from the Greek word “chalkos” which references their generally bronze coloration.

In the wild, these fish come from a few different river systems in South America. They spend their time near the top of the water column where they eat mostly aquatic and terrestrial insects. Chalceus Tuscan Fish are most often found in groups. That being said, when groups of them are round, they're more likely to get harvested as a food fish than an ornamental in their local range and are said to be a delicacy. The rivers these fish come from are warm, in the 70s, slightly acidic with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 and soft to moderate hardness.  All of these parameters would make a good home in your aquarium too. They're not overly sensitive to nutrients but keep nitrates under 20ppm to help everything in your tank stay healthy.

These are fairly uncommon fish in the aquarium trade. Of the five species in the genus, only the Tuscan is ever aquacultured in any volume, and even it is available just as often wild caught as it is aquacultured. These gorgeous fish can get eight inches long or so, which they'll do fairly quickly, getting up to their adult size in less than two years in good conditions. They're also very active and incredibly fast. This all equates into a tank that's got to be at least 90 gallons, but 125 to 250 would likely be better in the long run. They love to bolt when surprised and there are also notorious jumpers so make sure any aquarium you keep them in is tightly covered. Tuscans need little in the way of cover, but would appreciate some smooth driftwood, and floating plants. They don't need any substrate, so make that choice based on your other tank inhabitants or your chosen aesthetic.

Temperament wise, Chalceus Tuscan Fish are a mixed bag. They're often a bit skittish (and always a bit FAST). They won't bother plants at all, and as long as the fish you keep them with aren't always near the surface, the Tuscans probably won't even notice that they're present. You can also successfully keep a group of them in the home aquarium if the tank size permits. Never keep less than six in a group, and a dozen or more would be a much better choice. Obviously, with eight inch long, very active fish, a group of that size would need a really big tank or even a tropical pond! If you keep less than six, they will almost certainly fight with each other, and these fights can be fatal. You're better off keeping just one than trying to keep a small group. Other good tankmates include Catfish, Plecos, Pacus, Silver Dollars, and perhaps some bottom dwelling South American Cichlids like Eartheaters.

They grow fast because they eat a lot! We feed them twice a day here, though once would probably suffice as long as everyone is getting enough food. In house, we initially rely heavily on frozen (thawed) foods from Gamma like Bloodworms, Brine, and Brine Plus. We also feed them the Nutramar Freshwater Complete Pellets, and these are an integral part of their diet too. These pellets offer unparalleled nutrition and are super protein dense meaning you can feed less which in turn makes less mess. At home, they'll love the opportunity for some live food as well; earthworms, meal worms, red worms, crickets and even cockroaches will all be taken with gusto.

These are super unique fish, but we'd hesitate to call them “oddballs.” They get big, but not quite big enough to make the “monster fish” club. What they are is gorgeous and fast and fun to watch as they shimmer through your aquarium at somewhere just this side of light speed. Give one a try, or better yet, if you have the tank for it, give a dozen a try! In a large group, they'll work as dither fish, meaning other shy fish will be more likely to come out of hiding if they see another group of fish swimming around. Are you ready? Ask your local fish store (LFS) to get you one (or some) from Aquatropic today!