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.

• Do Glofish Really Glow? Glofish do not exist in nature. They were created in a laboratory. No, you are not seeing things. You may not read about it on the front page of USA Today. You may not hear about it on a television commercial break that ends with the words, "film at......
• Surgeonfish - Surgeonfish And Saltwater Aquariums The surgeonfish family are some of the most well-liked marine aquarium fish in the marine aquarium hobby. By and large considered a big fish, the smallest of them can attain a length of at least 7 inches in captivity. The largest of them can reach lengths of over 3......
• Altum Angelfish Information Altum, which is the Latin word for tall, appropriately describes the Altum angelfish. The tallest of the freshwater angelfish, it can attain a height of 12" and a length of 6". The Altum is a species of Pterophyllum that originates from the waters of the Rio Orinoco in Venezuela.......
• The Straight Scoop on Angelfish Angelfish, Pterophyllum Scalare, are classified to the family Cichlidae. This family is also referred to by the name cichlids. These fish originated in the river systems of South America. Angels are elegant and graceful creatures. Angelfish are an all time favorite among fish lovers throughout the world. Their distinctive......

• Fishing Report: June 18, 2010 Lakes/Saltwater Anderson: The warm weather is bringing about some good bass fishing. Many are catching bass in the 1-2 pound class. Crappie fishing has been decent but small. Berkeley: Salmon and cod fishing relatively strong in this area. Berryessa: Topwater bass continue to bite well. Camanche: Trout fishing continues to......
• Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf User Reviews Send this to a friend Striper Moon: Fly Fishing Techniques and Flies for Striped Bass in Estuary, River, Bay & Surf Manufacturer: Customer Rating: List Price: Varies based on product options Sale Price: View Sale Price Availibility: View Product Availability Buy Now Product Description Product Details No......
• Then Came the Cake I had a rough time getting back to my healthier eating routine after Easter splurging. Even though I didn't eat a lot of junk, I had strong sugar cravings for the next several days. Seems that eating something really sweet triggers me to want more sweets! The more I eat,......
• Should You Keep A Fish Only Aquarium, Corals Only, Or A Mixed Reef? This decision is often taken in the planning stage, when considerations of equipment arise - what is needed? Some equipment is duplicated whatever the system type. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is true for marine systems. Many would say a mixed reef is the ideal, but......

	What Fish? A Buyer's Guide to Tropical Fish: Essential Information to Help You Choose the Right Fish for Your Tropical Freshwater Aquarium (What Pet? Books) List Price: $16.99 Sale Price: $0.75 Used From: $0.27
Prospective tropical aquarium hobbyists will find vital information on many fish varieties—cichlids, swordtails, and many others. Readers will find tips on species identification, feeding, behavior, approximate and purchase prices...

	Tetra 8-4/9-Ounce AquaSafe Water Conditioner with BioExtract List Price: $6.99 Sale Price: $3.32
All the features of todays AquaSafe® now with BioExtract. The new formula now contains seaweed extracts (natural biopolymers) which support the development of beneficial filter bacteria for healthy and clear water.

Written by Stephen J Broy using tags: aquarium, desktop, Fish, freshwater, mount, mounted, nano, Neon, neons, tank, tetra, tetras, tropical, wall