Neon tetras are officially classified to the family Characidae. To most of the world they are known as Characins. This family includes 776 species in 152 different genera. Neons are indigenous to Northwest and Central Brazil, including the Amazon River and its tributaries.
Neons are an all time favorite among freshwater aquarium owners. In any given mouth approximately 1.8 million neon tetras are exported to the US alone. Their petite size most certainly contributes to their popularity. They rarely exceed an inch and a quarter in length. You can keep an entire school of them in an aquarium no bigger than 5 gallons. They are the perfect choice for desktop nano tanks.
A large part of their appeal is almost certainly due to their brilliant color palette. Their bodies and fins are translucent revealing whatever color is in the background. A luminescent blue stripe runs from their eye sockets down almost the entire length of their bodies. Just beneath this, a vibrant red stripe runs from the center of their body to the base of their transparent caudal fin.
Yet another member of the tetra family you may wish to consider for visual interest is the cardinal tetra. Cardinal tetras are slightly more colorful than neons. The brilliant red stripe that is present in the posterior section of a neon's body runs throughout the entire length of the cardinal's. This does increase visual interest from a color standpoint. The increase in color, however, greatly reduces the translucent aspect of this species bodies. The choice boils down to a question of color over transparency. You may wish to consider the fact that cardinals are much less likely to breed in captivity than neons before making a final decision.
Neons are by nature a skittish species. They spook rather easily. They are also very small fish that could easily be perceived as a source of nutrition by larger species. They do however make excellent community fish if you take these factors into consideration. An abundance of plants and or rockwork will provide sufficient hiding place and help them feel confident in their new surroundings. Avoid keeping them with species that will grow large enough to ingest them. Following these simple rules will keep your neons healthy, happy and most importantly, alive!
Neons are mid-tank swimmers. They are shoaling fish. Shoaling fish do not cope well when isolated from other members of their own species. Many will not survive in solitude. It is advisable to have at least four neons in your aquarium. This will help to insure that they adjust well to their new environment.
Another thing you should be aware when selecting potential tank mates; Tetras are well known for their propensity to nibble on the fins of other species. This instinctive behavior is more likely to occur in larger groups. You should avoid mixing them with long finned varieties such as bettas and angelfish.
Neons are omnivores. They are perfectly cable of surviving on common tropical fish flakes. They thrive in slightly acidic (pH 6.8) with water temperatures between 70-79F. If properly care for, you can expect these fish to live in excess of 5 years.
The aquarium trade is a relatively young industry. Goldfish were virtually unknown in the United States until their public debut at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. After the conclusion of WWII, massive fleets of transportation and cargo vessels were now free to pursue commercial interests. Neon tetras were one of the very first tropical species to be introduced to the burgeoning fish hobby industry. They are very much responsible for helping to transform this hobby into the global enterprise it is today. Part of this globalization included the development of commercial fish hatcheries. The vast majority of neon tetras sold in the world are raised to support this industry rather that caught in the wild.
Neon tetras make brilliant additions to any aquarium. They would look absolutely stunning in one of the slim line wall mount aquariums that have become so popular in recent years. To uncover more intriguing facts about freshwater aquarium fish visit the fish buying guide.
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- Choosing the Right Aquarium Tank
- Altum Angelfish Information
- How to Buy a Freshwater Fish Aquarium
- How to Practice Responsible Fish Keeping
- The Straight Scoop on Angelfish
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