Aims This study investigated the tetracycline resistance potential of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from twenty-four freshwater fin-fish culture ponds in Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods and results A total of 261 tetracycline resistant bacteria (tetR) were recovered from pond water, pond sediment, fish gills, fish intestine and fish feed. Bacteria with high tetracycline resistance (tetHR) (n = 30) that were resistant to tetracycline concentrations above 128 μg mL−1 were predominantly Lactococcus garvieae followed by Enterobacter spp., Lactococcus lactis, Enterobacter hormaechei, Staphylococcus arlettae, Streptococcus lutetiensis, Staphylococcus spp., Brevundimonas faecalis, Exiguobacterium profundum, Lysinibacillus spp., Stutzerimonas stutzeri, Enterobacter cloacae and Lactococcus taiwanensis. Resistance to 1024 μg mL−1 of tetracycline was observed in Lactococcus garvieae, Staphylococcus arlettae, Enterobacter spp., Brevundimonas faecalis. Tet(A) (67%) was the predominant resistance gene in tetHR followed by tet(L), tet(S), tet(K) and tet(M). At similar concentrations of exposure, tetracycline procured at the farm level (69.5% potency) exhibited lower inhibition against tetHR bacteria compared to pure tetracycline (99% potency). The tetHR bacteria showed higher cross-resistance to furazolidone (100%) followed by co-trimoxazole (47.5%) and enrofloxacin (11%). Conclusions The maximum threshold of tetracycline resistance at 1024 μg mL−1 was observed in Staphylococcus arlettae, Enterobacter spp., Brevundimonas faecalis, and Lactococcus garvieae and tet(A) was the major determinant found in this study.