Neon Tetra Fish

Neon tetra fish or Paracheirodon innesi, as they are scientifically known, belong to the Characidae family of the order Characiformes. Native to southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru and western Brazil, neon tetra is the most attractive tropical fish. It is sturdy and inexpensive and is the species most preferred by aquarium owners.

Neon Tetra Fish Facts

• Neon tetra have brightly colored bodies, with a fluorescent blue line along the side. They actually appear to be gleaming in the aquarium, which is why they are called 'neon tetra'.
• There is another bright red stripe that begins at the middle of the body of the fish and extends up to the caudal fin.
• Neon tetras have a spindle shaped body with a blunt nose. They have a silvery white belly and an almost transparent body, with only the brightly colored stripes prominent.
• Neon tetra are docile and live peacefully with other fish in the aquarium. They are quite active and a group of 5 or more, in a medium-sized aquarium will be just perfect!
• They are quite sturdy and healthy and the life span can be as long as 10 years or more, if proper care is taken.
• The female neon tetra has a slightly larger belly and a bent iridescent stripe than that of the male.
• These fish are omnivores. They feed on brine shrimp, granules, flakes, frozen food or algae wafers.

Neon Tetra Fish Care
Neon tetras are brightly colored and are an exciting addition to your aquarium. However, breeding neon tetras in your aquarium is not all that easy! Proper care and maintenance is required to successfully rear these beautiful water creatures. Neon tetras favor soft acidic water. A pH between 5 and 6 is just perfect for successful breeding. However, these fish can favorably adapt to neutral water. Dark gravel substrate in the tanks with different plants, provide ample hiding space to the neon tetras, thus, making them feel secure. Although neon tetras are excellent community fish, it is recommended that you place the breeding pair in a separate breeding tank. The breeding tank should be placed in dark surroundings, and the lighting should be increased gradually, as spawning takes place. Spawning generally takes place in the mornings and the female lays about 60 to 130 eggs.

Next comes the food! As I said earlier, neon tetras are omnivores. They are undemanding and eat almost anything that is offered. They generally eat all kinds of small ground food. You could feed them with small live blood worms, brine shrimp and freeze dried foods, to keep them healthy.

Neon Tetra Fish Diseases
Neon tetras are often under the threat of a deadly disease known as the neon tetra disease. It is caused by Pleistophora hyphessobryconis, a parasitic spore forming protozoan, that affects not only the neon tetras, but also other aquarium fish. The spores of this parasite enter the fish when it consumes infected material. Once it finds entry to the intestinal tract of the fish, the newly hatched embryos produce cysts within the muscle tissue and can prove fatal. The symptoms of this disease include restlessness and decoloration of the fish. Neon tetra disease is incurable so far and it becomes necessary to prevent your neon tetras from getting infected.

This was all about neon tetra fish. Hope you got all the information that was needed for proper care of your neon tetras!