Hemigrammus rhodostomus, or Rummy Nose Tetra is a very colorful addition to a planted aquarium.  This fish prefers  neutral to slightly acid water at a temperature between 73 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The native habitat for H. rhodostomus is the lower reaches of the Amazon and the area around Para.  The adult size of a Rummy Nose Tetra is just under an inch. When on sale at a fish store, typically their color will be underwhelming.  Their nose may hardly even be pink.  However, it does not take more than a few weeks in a well maintained tank before their coloration is quite striking.  Even after they attain their full color, after lights off and they are resting, they blanch, almost completely losing their nose color.  The color returns shortly after lights on or when the fish becomes active again.  It is worth mentioning that these fish are quite sensitive to changing water conditions.  They get white-spot disease (Ick) quite easily when under any sort of stress, such as transport from the local fish store to your tank.  Therefore, be careful when first introducing this fish to your tank. 

In my experience, these fish seem to prefer the shaded regions of the tank when the room light is bright during the day.  However, in the evening while the tank lights are still on but room lighting is low, my school of 11 swim back and forth from one side of my tank to the other. They are fun to watch.    Also, in my opinion, these fish should be kept in a school of at least six specimens for best display.  Rummy Nose Tetras eat just about anything you offer them, but do not bother tank plants. I have found they seem especially fond of the Tetra Min flakes that I occasionally feed.