Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)
Sun, Oct 14, 2007
Neon Tetra Photo © C.B. Agulto
Profile
Origin: Colombia, Brazil, and Peru
Behavior: Peaceful, and an excellent community tropical fish. Should be kept in groups of 6+ to exhibit shoaling behavior.
Temperature: 68–79 °F (20–26 °C)
pH: 5.0 – 7.0
Size: 1.5″ (4 cm)
Diet: Accepts flakes and live or freeze-dried food
Breeding: Egg scatterer. Hard to breed in aquarium. Gradually increase light from day to day. Feed mosquito larvae and other live foods. Allow the nitrate level to rise, and do a 50% water change to mimic a natural breeding scenario.
Sex: Females are rounder with a “bent” blue line, while males are slender with a “straight” blue line.
Notes
Neon Tetra Photo © C.B. Agulto
The Neon Tetra is one of the most popular community fish in the aquarium trade because of its red, white, and blue coloration and its ability to shoal in a tight formation. Neon Tetras should be placed in community tanks with similar sized fish, or they will display their timidness in their aquarium. For example, Angelfish are known to be avid Neon Tetra eaters. Neon Tetras are commonly affected by a disease named after them, the Neon Tetra Disease. The symptons are discoloration, difficulty swimming, fin rot, and bloating. There is no cure for the Neon Tetra Disease, so the best solution is the remove the Neon Tetras from the aquarium to prevent further spread to other inhabitants.
Conclusion
Care: [rate 5]
Hardiness: [rate 5]
Temperament: [rate 5]
Breeding: [rate 2]
Overall: [rate 5]
October 15th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Neon Tetra tropical fish are the perfect starting fish for people new to the tropical fish hobby because of their hardiness and beautiful colors. A group of 10+ Neon Tetras will dazzle an audience through their terrific color and tight schooling patterns. A highly recommended fish for everybody wanting to experience a true community of tropical fish.
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
To whom it may concern,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise on neon tetras. I have learned much valuable information from your website. I have some neon tetras coexisting happily with orange tetras, flame tetras, guppies, blue danios, glass shrimp and one double tail male betta. They all seem to be doing fine together. My male betta, Doewy seems to keep out of the way of the rest of these fast moving fish. The neon tetras are truly a remarkable sight especially with their flashes of color as they swim with the other colorful fish. For later reference, I have organized your website and other related websites that I may need later.
Sincerely,
Irene Steffen