Keeping Neon Tetra Fish As Pets

Neon Tetra fish (Paracheirodon innesi) are a very popular aquarium fish, especially amongst beginner fish keepers. It is estimated that each month, 1.5 million neon tetra fish are imported into the United States, mostly from Singapore, Hong Kong, or Thailand.

Neon tetra fish are a freshwater fish that originate from western Brazil, south east Columbia and eastern Peru. They are found in their natural environment in both blackwater and clearwater streams. They have bright colors and an irridescent stripe so they are visible in dark blackwaters.

Like other tetra species, the neon tetra has a blunt nose and a spindle shaped body. A glistening blue line runs along either the side of their body from the nose to the adipose fin. They also have a red stripe that runs from the center of the body to the base of the tail fin. The rest of the body of a neon tetra is silver in color.

At night, when the fish is resting in shelter, the bright colors will be turned off and the fish will appear dim. This is normal. If however, the aquarium is lit and the fish are still dull after some time, they may be stressed or ill, or their diet is not correct.

Neon tetras are a schooling fish. They should be kept in groups of at least five, but preferably ten or more. If kept alone they will become stressed and spend the majority of their time hiding. They will grow to a maximum adult size of about an inch. Neon tetras are a peaceful fish and can be kept in community fish tanks with other non-aggressive fish of roughly the same size. The neon tetra is probably the most robust of the tetra species when it comes to water conditions. They look very beautiful when combined with other species of tetra. It is not recommended to combine the neon tetra with any larger or more aggressive fish as they will most likely become prey.

As a general rule of thumb when choosing a fish tank for your neon tetras, allow one gallon of water per inch of fish. So if you were going to keep ten neon tetras in your tank, you would need to select at least a ten gallon tank for your fish. An aquarium kit or aquarium starter kit is a great way to purchase everything you need to get started for a very reasonable price. The aquarium kit will often include a filter, water conditioner, fish tank and fish food at a minimum.

When setting up your tank for your new neon tetra, try to mimic their natural habitat. Your aquarium should have a dark colored gravel and dense planting, with plenty of hiding spots. Also allow an open space for swimming. Neon tetra fish are active when kept in a shoal, and will spend the majority of their time in the middle to lower levels of your tank. Adding a floating plant to your habitat will help to darken your aquarium which your fish will love.

Keep the water temperature in your tank to between 68 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH levels in the tank should be between 5.0 and 7.0, and the dH range 1-2. As with all fish species always gradually adjust your neon tetra fish to new conditions. Failing to do so can cause harm to your fish.

Neon tetra fish are not fussy eaters. Feeding them flake food, freeze dried food and frozen food is all acceptable. Vary their diet to prevent malnutrition. Use a variety of high quality tropical flake food and occasionally as treats brine shrimp, bloodworm and daphnia, as an example.

Groups of neon tetras are naturally very beautiful to watch in an aquarium owing to their bright, glistening colors. They are a great fish to keep as they are peaceful and can be more decorative than wall paintings and mesmerising than the television when kept in your living room!

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Selecting Your First Fish Aquarium

There are several different factors you need to consider before purchasing your first fish aquarium. These include the size of the tank, the material it is made of, i.e. glass or acrylic and the accessories that are required. This can be a daunting task if you're just getting into fish keeping. I've outlined some points in this article which I hope will help you greatly.

First, when choosing the size of your fish aquarium consider these main two factors: 1. the space you have available in your home or office where you are going to position your aquarium and 2. the amount of fish you want to keep in the aquarium.

When considering the space you have available don't forget to include room for a stand, if required. Always check the dimensions of the fish aquarium (and stand) with the seller or manufacturer before buying. All good retailers should have this information readily at hand.

If you are selecting your fish aquarium size based on the number of fish you want to keep, there is a frequently used rule of thumb which states “up to a maximum of 1 inch of adult sized slender bodied fish per 1 gallon of water”. For example, the popular neon tetra fish grows up to an adult size of 1.57 inches. They are a schooling fish so let's say you want to keep 10 of them in your tank. Using the rule of thumb above you would need to purchase at least a 16 gallon tank (1.57 inches x 10 fish = 15.7 gallons). Allow for a filter to take up some space in the tank and I would go with a 20 gallon fish aquarium. This is a general guide only and by no means a definitive answer.

Great. We've now chosen the size of our fish aquarium, either by dimensions to fit the space you have available or the amount of fish you want to keep. The second factor to consider is the material your tank is made of. Whilst this may not seem that important, it's worth considering the options available.

The first is the acrylic fish aquarium. Manufacturers of these tanks claim they are 17x stronger than glass and weigh 50% less. They are less likely to break or shatter than a glass aquarium, however are much more prone to scratching and often are scratched during shipping! Acrylic aquariums do, however, refract light better than glass does, giving a less distorted view of the inside of your fish aquarium.

Glass aquariums are the most popular choice for fish keeping. Glass is considerably stronger than acrylic, and can support substantially more than it's own weight over distances. Glass also maintains it's clarity over time, whereas acrylic will tend to yellow with age, especially when exposed to light. Glass aquariums are generally cheaper to buy as they are easier to ship and require less tools to work with, as compared to acrylic tanks. I personally would recommend a glass aquarium over an acrylic aquarium.

Lastly, we come to accessories. Several of the popular brands of fish aquariums, including Tetra and Aqueon, offer aquarium starter kits and complete aquarium kits, that include all the accessories needed to get your aquarium started. These kits come in basic and deluxe form. The basic kit includes such items as, filter, filter cartridge, set-up and care guide, lighting, water conditioner and fish food. This is a good basic kit. The deluxe kits will also contain a water heater, thermometer and fish net. When starting your fish aquarium, at a bare minimum be sure to have fish food and water conditioner, preferably a basic water filter as well.

Good luck setting up your first fish aquarium! Fish keeping can be a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding hobby.

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