The Colombian Tetra (Hyphessobrycon colombianus ) is a very attractive schooling fish for the planted community aquarium. It has an overall  is silver-grey in colour,  It has a turquoise blue tinge of increasing intensity from the lateral line upwards, which becomes a prominent stripe across the anterior dorsal ridge. The fins are predominantly scarlet red but the colour will fade as the fish rests. The anal fin is usually edged with black, and both dorsal and caudal fins have whitish tips. Males also develop very elegant fin extensions with maturity.

The Colombian Tetra grow to a larger size than many other well-known tetra species, but it is still very peaceful and is a wonderful fish for larger setups. A school of adults is quite a sight to see.

The Colombian Tetra typically occupies the top and middle level of the water column, although it can often be seen swimming and feeding in the middle and bottom levels as well. It is safe to keep with other peaceful, small fish. Though it has a relatively robust, larger body than many smaller tetras, it has a very small mouth. It is not a good tank mate for dwarf shrimp, but it could be kept with larger, peaceful invertebrates too large to be considered prey.