Neon Tetra

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Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) are a species of Tetra native to Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

They are often mistaken for their cousins, the Cardinal Tetra, but Neon Tetras are slightly smaller and their red stripe ends around half way down the length of their body.

Habitat

In the wild, Neon Tetras make their homes in the inland waters of areas of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. They inhabit acidic blackwater stretches of river systems where the water is stained dark with constantly falling leaf litter and wood.

They are a gregarious shoaling fish.

Male specimens of this species tend to be more slender than Females when reaching maturity, with the Females being rounder and more full bodied.

A comfortable temperature for these fish is between 20°C - 26°C.

Size

Our specimens currently measure approx. 2cm - 3cm

This species' maximum size typically reaches approx. 3.5cm

Aquarium

We recommend an aquarium with a minimum capacity of 30 Litres. The more fish you have, the more space they will require in which to thrive.

These are very peaceful fish that do well in a community aquarium with other fish of similar size and temperament. 

Neon Tetras thrive when in a group of at least 6 fish as they are a shoaling fish, and more members of the shoal make them feeler safer and behave with more confidence.

The aquarium should have plants, including floating plants for them to hide in. They also enjoy leaf litter and bog wood. This will better replicate their natural environment.

Almost all Neon Tetras in the aquarium trade today are captive bred, with wild caught specimens being rare. Because of this captive breeding they have developed into a much hardier fish than their wild cousins. Therefore the water conditions do not have to exactly match wild conditions and they can tolerate a much wider variation in water chemistry. However, try not to stray too far into the extreme ends of their preferred environment.

Neon Tetras tend to look best in a properly aquascaped tank, where their shoaling behaviour and vibrant colours make a beautiful centre piece. Different lighting accentuates their colours differently, with dimmer lighting making their neon blue streak stand out more prominently.

The tank should be well established to avoid any surprise changes in water parameters that may upset or be otherwise detrimental to the fish.

Feed with small flake, granule, or small frozen meaty foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae.

pH levels should fall between the 5 - 7.5 range.
Hardness should fall between 1 - 12 dGH

Behaviour

This peaceful fish gets along with most species of similar size. As with most tetras, they look more impressive the bigger their shoal is. They tend to break into smaller groups when foraging, coming back together into the larger shoal for travelling and to feel safe.

This is a freshwater species - Do not put them in a marine / saltwater aquarium.