Neon Tetra

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Neon Tetra information:

Scientific name:                 Paracheirodon innesi    
Common name:                Neon Tetra
Max. size:                           2.2 cm / 0.85 inches
pH range:                          5.0 – 7.0
dH range:                           1 - 2
Temperature range:         20 – 26°C / 68 - 80°F

The Neon Tetra is an extremely popular aquarium fish. It is sturdy and inexpensive and is often one of the first fish species purchased by beginner aquarists. A shoal of brightly decorated Neon Tetras will add color as well as activity to the aquarium. Since the Neon Tetras stay quite small and have a peaceful temperament, they are often found in small community aquariums. 

Neon Tetra classification:

The Neon tetras belongs to the genus Paracheirodon in the family Characidae. This makes it closely related to other popular aquarium fishes like the Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) and the Green Neon tetra (Paracheirodon simulans). The less commonly kept Black Neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)is however a more distant relative since it belongs to another genus within the family Characidae; the genus Hyphessobrycon.
All members of the genus Paracheirodon are native to the Neotropic ecozone in northern South America and their bodies are decorated with a characteristic sparkling blue lateral line. They are often kept together in planted community aquariums with soft, acidic waters and tropical water temperatures. 

Neon Tetras in the aquarium trade

The Neon tetra is an extremely popular aquarium fish, especially among beginner aquarists. Over 1.5 million Neon tetras are imported to the United States alone – each month! It can be tricky to breed in captivity for hobby aquarists, but professional breeders that produce immense quantities of Neon tetra exist in several countries world wide. If you purchase Neon tetras in the United States, the chance is high that they hail from Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong. Wild caught Neon tetras from Brazil, Colombia and Peru are however also still available in the trade.

Neon Tetra habitat and range:

The Neon Tetra is a pelagic freshwater fish native to tropical parts of northern South America. The Neon tetra originates from westerns Brazil, south-eastern Colombia and eastern Peru and wild Neon Tetras can be found in the headwaters of the River Amazon, Tiger, Napo and Yarapa. It is present in both blackwater and clearwater stream tributaries. You can however not find Neon tetras in the whitewater rivers that run from the Andes. The Neon Tetras have bright colours and an iridescent stripe in order to be visible in dark blackwaters.

A lot of Neon Tetras are caught from Rio Solimões. Rio Solimões is a name attributed to an upstream part of the great River Amazon; a part that starts at the border of Brazil and Peru and ends when the river converges with Rio Negro. (In Brazil, the name Rio Solimões is sometimes used even further upstream, but the name Rio Marañón is more common for those parts.) 

The South American blackwater and clearwater streams and rivers have very soft and somewhat acidic water. The flow through tropical regions and the water temperature stays around 20 – 26° C (), sometimes higher. The commercial bred Neon Tetras have often been adapted to conditions that are very different from those found in their native habitat.

Today, an introduced population of Neon Tetra is established in Singapore.

Neon tetra description:

Just like the other tetra species, the Neon tetra has a spindle shaped body and a blunt nose. A glistering blue line runs along each side of the body, from the nose and all the way to the adipose fin. The Neon tetra is also decorated with a red stripe that runs from the middle of the body to the base of the caudal fin. The side over the blue stripe is of a dark olive green shade. The belly is of a silvery color and the anal fin is nearly transparent.

During the night, when the fish is resting in a sheltered place, the sparkling colors will be turned off and the fish will look dim. If you quickly turn on the lights in the aquarium after a longer period of complete darkness, you might not notice your Neon Tetras at first. If the coloration continues to be dull even after some time in the light, your tetras might be ill or stressed. You might also be keeping them on an inadequate diet.  

The Neon Tetra is often mixed up with the Cardinal Tetra, since they both feature striking red and blue stripes. The Cardinal Tetra is even sometimes referred to as “Red Neon Tetra” in everyday language, even though it is in fact a separate species and not a color variation of the Neon Tetra. Distinguishing these two species from each other is however not difficult at all if you know what to look for. Under the sparkling blue stripe, you will see a red lateral stripe in both species. If this red strip ends roughly halfway from the nose of the fish, you are looking at a Neon Tetra. If the striping instead continuous much longer, you are looking at a Cardinal Tetra. The name Cardinal Tetra is derived from the long, red robes worn by cardinals and these robes do not end half-way.
 

Neon Tetra behavior and suitable tank mates:

The Neon Tetra is a peaceful fish that is often kept in community aquariums with other non-aggressive fish species of roughly the same size. Neon tetras look very beautiful when combined with other tetra species, but they can be combined with fishes from a broad range of other families as well. Keep in mind that most tetra species are less robust than the Neon tetras when it comes to water conditions. Neon tetras should naturally never be combined with larger fishes that will consider them prey, or aggressive fish species that will bully them.

The Neon Tetra is a shoaling species and you should always keep at least five Neon Tetras together, preferably more. A Neon Tetra that is kept alone will be much stressed and spend most if its time hiding. The stress can also weaken its immune system and make it more susceptible to illness. A large group of Neon Tetras are naturally also much more beautiful to watch in the aquarium and you will be able to see a much broader range of natural Neon Tetra behaviors. When kept in a shoal, Neon tetras are active creatures and they will spend most of their time in the middle to lower strata of the aquarium. Neon Tetras are known to sometimes shoal together with the closely related Cardinal Tetras.

Neon tetras can reach an age of 10 years or more in captivity, but most Neon Tetras have considerably a shorter life span than this.

Neon Tetra setup:

Try to mimic the natural Neon Tetra habitat when you set up the aquarium. The River Amazon and its tributaries are filled with densely grown plant life and the rivers and streams are shaded by jungle vegetation. Your Neon Tetras will therefore appreciate a planted aquarium with plenty of hiding spots. There should also be an open area for swimming. The light should be subdued; ideally use floating plants to make the aquarium a little darker for your tetras. The bottom should preferably consist of a dark substrate. Many aquarists cover the back and sides of the aquarium with dark tissue to make the aquarium darker and bring out the contrasting colors in their Neon Tetras. The recommended minimum aquarium size is 60 cm (24 inches).