Information For The Aquarium Beginner   

 

 

 

 

 
 
Neon Tetra
   

 Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon Innesi

 

Max. size:                           2.2 cm / 0.8 inches
pH range:                           5- 7
dH range:                           1-2
Temperature range:          20-26°C / 68-80°F
Care                                   Moderate

Common names-                 Neon Tetras

The Neon Tetra is probably one of the most common aquarium fish but don't let that put you off.  A small shoal of these beautiful fish swimming around your plants is a mesmerising sight.  With their size they also put a very small load on your biological filter.

 Neon Tetra

In the wild the Neon Tetra comes from the soft waters of the River Amazon and are best suited to a soft water environment.  Healthy Tetras can adapt to harder water and if you are buying them from a local aquarium shop they may well already be adapted to a harder water tank.

They do not fair well when subjected to sudden changes in water quality so care should be taken to acclimatise them to their new tank gradually.

A great fish to add to an established tank and well worth the extra effort to get them settled in.  One of my favourites.

The Neon Tetras is an omnivore and will accept most flake foods. They should also smaller foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifex to supplement their diet.

The Neon Tetra fair best in a well planted tank with medium lighting an ddefinitely need to be kept in shoals of five or more.  With the right conditions they are brighter in colouring and more active.  They will keep to the middle level of the tank and mix well with most other community fish that enjoy the same water conditions.

The sexes can be distinguished by the straightness of the blue line.  In the male this tends to be straight whilst in the female it tends to be curved.