Neon Tetra

Neon Tetra
Alternative Name(s):
Scientific Name(s): Paracheirodon innesi
Category: Tropical
Difficulty:
Maximum Size: 4cms
Minimum Tank Volume: 65 litres
Minimum Tank Size: 24"
Water Temperature Range: 21-29°C
Water pH Range: 5.0-7.0
Water Hardness Range: 1-7 dGH

General Information:	The Neon Tetra has a dark olive-green back over a silver-white abdomen. The fish is characterized by an iridescent blue horizontal stripe along each side of the fish from its nose to the base of the adipose fin, and an iridescent red stripe that begins at the middle of the body and extends posteriorly to the base of the caudal fin. During the night, the colour disappears as the fish rests, it reactivates once it becomes active in the morning.
Tank Requirements:	See Minimum Tank Volume and Minimum Tank Size above
Diet Requirements:	Neon tetras are omnivores and will accept most flake foods, but should also have some small foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and micro pellet food to supplement their diet. A tropical sinking pellet is ideal as most brands of these include natural color enhancers that really bring out the colour in neon tetras.
Compatibility:	Fish that mix well in an aquarium are other types of tetras, such as the rummy-nose tetra, cardinal tetra, and glowlight tetra, and other community fish that live well in an ideal Tetra water condition. Mid-level feeders, they are best kept in schools of six to eight min or more if possible, for the "shoaling" effect when they move around the tank. They shoal naturally in the wild and are thus happier, more brightly colored, and more active when kept as a shoal as opposed to singly.
Recommendations:	Neons are best kept in a densely planted tank with subdued light and an ideal temperature of 24-26°C to resemble their native Amazon environment.
Common Problems:	Unfortunately, neon tetras are occasionally afflicted by the so-called "Neon Tetra Disease" (NTD) or Pleistophora which is usually fatal to the fish, and currently without a cure. This sporozoan disease is caused by Pleistophora hyphessobryconis.Note that there is a so-called "false neon disease", which is bacterial, and shows very similar symptoms. It is impossible for the home aquarist to determine for certain the difference between NTD and false NTD on the basis of visible symptoms alone, without laboratory backup. This disease has also been confused with Columnaris (mouth rot, mouth fungus, 'flex').
Similar Species:	Green neon tetra, Black neon tetra, Cardinal tetra
Sexing:	The male is slender, and the blue line is straighter. The female is rounder, producing a bent blue line. Some say that the females look plumper when viewed from above but this is disputed. However, the 'straightness' of the line and the plumpness of the female might occasionally be due to the eggs she is carrying.
Breeding:	To breed Neon Tetras, place a pair of the species in a breeding tank without any light, and gradually increase the lighting until spawning occurs. Other inducers include mosquito larvae and a hardness of less than 4 degrees.

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