Neon Tetras

The Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) is a small freshwater fish. They have a bright blue stripe on their body and a distinctive red tail. The Neon Tetras are naturally found in the rivers of South America. They will usually grow up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) in length.

The life expectancy of a Neon Tetra is around 5 but they can live up to 10 years in the right conditions. Neon Tetras are best kept together in groups. 15+ in one schools works well as long as the tank is of sufficient size.

Neon Tetra are one of the most famous fish in the aquarium industry. Their bright colors provide an extremely interesting aquarium. This, coupled with their hardiness, variable diet and suitability to living in groups makes them a great option for many fish tanks.

The male Neon Tetra is more streamlined that the female which has a more rounded body. Neon Tetras should not be confused with the Cardinal Tetra (the latter having red along the majority of the body rather than just around the tail area.

Neon Tetras are hugely popular, with over 1 million being sold in the USA each month. The vast majority of these are, however, captivity bred rather than being sourced from their natural home in South American rivers. They are available year-round in the majority of pet stores.

Although often discussed along with the Green Neon Tetra and Black Neon Tetra, it should be noted that these are different species, rather than simply color varieties.

Caring for your Neon Tetra

Habitat

Neon Tetras are native to the streams of South America, including the Paraguay River basin and the Amazon river basin. These streams are often tributaries of larger rivers and allow for relatively slow water flow.

Within these streams Neon Tetras prefer to find protected areas out of direct sunlight. They are assisted by the surrounding forests which provide a dense canopy to keep out the light. They further seek protected areas around rocks, roots and driftwood.

Fish Tank Conditions

As always, it is sensible to provide Neon Tetras with a similar environment within your fish tank that they would experience in the wild (within reason).

Given their preference for dimly lit, protected areas within the streams it is important to provide them with similar protection within the tank. This could include an abundance of plants as well as rock or other formations. It is also reasonable to go one step further and block out light (particularly bright light) from entering one or more sides of the aquarium.

At a minimum a 10 gallon fish tank is required. If you keep the Neon Tetras in numbers of 15+ (as is suggested due to their schooling tenancies) a 20 gallon fish tank (or larger) would be suitable. One additional consideration is the swimming style of these fish – they love to swim in schools, and giving them more space to move in a larger tank will make the visual display all the more impressive!

Neon Tetras can be particularly sensitive to changes in the tank environment when it is first set up. It is therefore advisable wait at least one day (and ideally up to a week) after the initial startup cycle before introducing them into the tank.

Ideal Water Conditions

Neon Tetras thrive in water conditions similar to their natural habitat. The water should be soft, clean and acidic (i.e. pH below 7.0). There is some debate as to the optimal temperature range, but Neons will certainly be happy within the 70-77 degrees Fahrenheit range (21-25 degrees centigrade).

A pH range of 5.0-7.0 works well. Additionally, the use of soft water with a hardness of less than 10 dGH is ideal.

In addition to these requirements it is important that the tank has no ammonia and incredibly low nitrates. Remember to cycle the water before introducing them into the tank.

Changing the Water

It is important to change the water over time to prevent the buildup of nitrates, phosphates and organic matter.

The best way to do this is to change 25% of the water each week. This will keep the water clean whilst avoiding changing the environment too much (and shocking the Neon Tetras – something that must be avoided at all times).

Lighting

Neon Tetras live in low light areas in the wild. It is important to replicate this environment in the tank. One option is to choose a fluorescent light with low wattage. This will still help to provide light to the tank, but not enough to stress adult Neons.

If you’re going to keep live plants in your tetra tank, it’s best to go with species that can grow in low or medium light. These plants will help the Neon Tetras, providing them something to nibble on as well as helping to minimize the light exposure they receive in the tank.

Filter

Neon Tetras do not produce excessive waste, so there are a wide range of filters to choose from. Just remember to choose a filter that is appropriate for the size of the tank that you have (ensuring sufficient filtration without introducing excessive currents and suction into the tank).

Feeding / Nutrition

Neon Tetras are omnivores and can be fed a wide range of foods. It is best to vary their diet to ensure that they obtain all of the required nutrients. Options include:

Flakes
Freeze-dried bloodworms
Brine shrimp
Daphnia
Pellets

Be careful to ensure that you only feed them small pieces to ensure that they do not choke.

Neon Tetras are energetic fish and can be fed every day. As they are growing you may wish to feed them twice a day. Either way, feeding them as much as they can eat in 2-3 minutes should help you to regulate their food volumes. Stop adding food if they stop eating it immediately (don’t allow food to wallow in the tank).

Difficulty

Neon Tetra are hardy fish that are relatively easy to care for. Their large-scale commercial breeding has further allowed them to become more tolerant of fish tank conditions. As long as the tank is well maintained at the appropriate conditions, your Neon Tetra will likely thrive.

Keepers of Neon Tetras should, however, be aware of two main risks:

Tank shock. Neons will be more delicate as it is introduced to a new environment. It is best to introduce it slowly, perhaps by slowing merging the water of the fish bag and that within the tank
Neon Tetra disease. This is discussed below under Diseases.

Neon Tetra Behaviour

Neon Tetras are sociable fish that live in large groups in the wild. For this reason, it is best to ensure that you have a large enough fish tank to enable you to keep a group of at least 6 (and ideally 15+) of these fish in one tank. Neon Tetras begin to get nervous and anxious if they are kept in small groups.

Within tanks they will spend the majority of their time at the middle height level of the tank. They are a great candidate for adding to a community aquarium, particularly if their other inhabitants mainly occupy the very top and bottom of the tank.

Neon Tetras are peaceful fish, although some can become slightly aggressive during the mating season. It is best to keep them with other non-aggressive fish – consider Rasboras, Dwarf Gouramis and Corys. Avoid putting them with aggressive fish such as Angelfish and Cichlids – you may wake up to less Neon Tetras than you started with!

Neon Tetra Breeding

Although keeping Neon Tetras is considered easy, breeding them can be moderate to difficult. A large part of this difficulty is the need to create optimal breeding conditions in order to induce breeding. It is possible to breed Neon Tetras in a school, but it is much more efficient to breed them in a separate breeding tank. This tank should be:

Shallow with appropriate filtration
75 degrees Fahrenheit
Have soft, sterile water, with less than 4 dGH
Initially have no light at first, with the lighting being increased gradually until spawning occurs

Neon Tetras are egg scatterers, with the female scattering 100+ eggs, at which point the male fertilized the eggs. Neons can breed from about 9 months old, with the female’s body becoming (more) rounded when she is carrying eggs.It is important to remove both parents from the tank after fertilization as they are known to eat the eggs.

The eggs will then hatch after 24-30 hours and will turn from fry into free-swimming fish approximately 3 days later. At this point they can be fed either liquid food or very small pieces of other food.

Diseases

Neon Tetras are generally easy to keep, and are quite disease resistant when you keep the fish tank in appropriate condition. Unlike other aquarium fish, however, they may fall ill in a badly maintained tank.

Neon Tetra Disease

Neon Tetra disease is the major threat to Neon colonies and should be monitored closely. It was first identified in Neons, but actually affects many other fish too. It is a highly contagious disease, incurable and can result in the death of the whole school unless swift action is taken.

Symptoms of Neon Tetra disease include:

Restlessness
Loss of color on the body
Unusual curvature of the spine
Fin rot (a secondary effect)

Although Neon Tetra disease is incurable, there are three main steps you can take to help ensure if does not enter your tank, or spread through the school:

Keep the tank clean and in line with the recommended environment.
Place any new fish in quarantine before introducing them to the main tank to ensure that they are healthy – the introduction of diseased fish is the main way in which the disease spreads.
Ensure that any fish displaying symptoms of the disease are immediately removed and placed in quarantine. At this point it is vital that you maintain and close watch on the rest of the tank to ensure disease has not spread.

False Neon Tetra Disease

There is a bacterial disease that causes Neons to display similar symptoms to Neon Tetra disease. For this reason it has been named the “false neon disease”. It is impossible, without laboratory testing, to determine the which of the two diseases your Neon may have.

The best course of action remains the same – ensure that any fish displaying symptoms of the disease are immediately removed and placed in quarantine. Maintain close watch on the rest of the tank to ensure disease has not spread.

Neon Tetras – Conclusion

Neon Tetras make for great aquarium fish. Their bright blue and red colors and tendency to swim as a school can create some brilliant visual displays. Added to this their hardiness and non-aggressive nature it is easy to see why they have become such popular fish to keep.

Although breeding them can be difficult, it is certainly worth trying if you have the time and interest in doing so.

If you end up deciding that Neon Tetras are not for you, there are still a range of different options available to you. Fish such as Tiger Barbs or even a Pygmy Cory could make great alternatives for your tank!