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:
Hardiness:
Temperament:
Breeding:
Overall: