Neon Tetra 2-3cm ^Sale

Characteristics

Origin and Distribution

Neon tetras originated from the clear water and blackwater streams and tributaries in the Orinoco and Amazon river basins in Brazil, Columbia, and Peru. These are regions of blackwaters beneath dense forest canopies that allow very little light to get through. Neon tetras live in shoals mainly in the middle water layers and feed on insects, worms and small crustaceans.

Neon tetras are generally all captive-bred, with most coming from fish farms in the Far East and Eastern Europe. Several varieties of captive-bred specimens are now available. These include the long-finned neon tetra, though they are rather rare, as well as a golden strain that is basically a semi-albino variety, and a diamond neon tetra that appears sprinkled with metallic scales along the top portion of the body. One variety has the blue stripe but not the red coloration.

Colors and Markings

The neon tetra has a slender torpedo-shaped body that reaches no more than an inch and a half in length. What this fish lacks in size, they make up for in color. From the tip of the nose to the adipose fin, the neon tetra has a bright neon blue stripe. It is believed this bright stripe makes them more readily visible to each other in blackwater conditions.

Below the blue stripe, the neon tetra sports a white-silver belly. Past the belly, a bright red stripe extends all the way to the tail. The striking red, white, and blue combination make the neon tetra one of the most popular of all aquarium fish. The fish is rivaled only by the cardinal tetra, for which they are often mistaken. The key difference between the two fish is the red stripe. In the neon tetra, it only extends from the middle of the body to the tail. In the cardinal tetra, the red stripe runs the entire length of the fish, from snout to tail.

Like other colorful fish, the bright colors of the neon tetra will fade at night when they are resting, when they become alarmed or when they are ill. At the pet store, choose specimens that are actively swimming and robustly colored, as faded colors can be an indication of poor health.

Tankmates

Neon tetras are peaceful fish that get along well with most community fish. Always keep neon tetras in schools of a half dozen or more as they are a shoaling species that requires the presence of others of their kind. Neon tetras do well in a community tank as long as the other species are not large or aggressive. Small peaceful fish such as rasboras, small tetras, dwarf gouramis, corys, and other small catfish are good choices as companions. Avoid larger tetras, as they will eat neon tetras at the first opportunity. The rule of thumb is, if the mouth of the fish opens large enough to swallow the neon, they will do it sooner or later.