Neon Tetra

Paracheirodon innesi

The Neon Tetra (*Paracheirodon innesi*) is without a doubt the most known and iconic freshwater aquarium fish in history, whose popularity has defined the hobby itself since its arrival on the market in the 30s. Famous for its minute dimensions (about 3-4 cm / 1.5 inches) and its derisory price, it sports a dazzling iridescent blue-turquoise band above a red stripe. However, unlike its 'Cardinal' cousin, the red stripe in the Neon abruptly stops mid-flank, leaving the belly and throat a clean silver-white. Although proposed in every store as the first fish for beginners, very few know that the Neon is a fish from decidedly cooler climates compared to the rest of the Amazonian fish, and often dies prematurely if boiled in tanks at extreme tropical temperatures.

Family: Characidae
Origin: Sud America (Alto Rio delle Amazzoni e bacino del fiume Ucayali/Putumayo in Perù e Brasile)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

20 °C - 24 °C

5 - 7.5

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona media. Generalmente occupano la metà inferiore della colonna d'acqua in vasche alte.

Adult size

4 cm

Description

Straight Stripe = Male:

Given the swarming school, there is no need to catch them if you want to determine the sex. Stare at the stomach. If the fish has an almost explosively round belly and the neon blue line suffers a conspicuous hook-like "bend" up or down for this reason, it is a female.

Care and observations

Turn Off That Heater (Death by Hot Water):

This is why your Neons die one at a time after two months. This little fish IS NOT a hot water fish at 28 degrees (82°F). Unlike its Cardinal cousin (with which it is constantly confused and exchanged at equal water parameters), the Neon comes from the cool shaded streams of Peru. Its ideal temperature is between 20°C and 22°C (68-72°F). The boiling water of a common tropical aquarium will destroy its kidneys and horribly shorten its life. They live peacefully at room temperature in houses.

Neon Tetra Disease (NTD):

Being the most mass-bred animal, their genes have weakened over the years. They are the number one patients of the deadly parasite *Pleistophora hyphessobryconis* (which takes its commercial name from them). If one day you see that one of your Neons in the school "fades", loses the blue stripe, its skin becomes opaque and it moves away from the group unable to swim straight, YOU MUST REMOVE IT AND EUTHANIZE IT IMMEDIATAMENTE before it dies, otherwise, as soon as the sick one stops breathing, the entire school will cannibalize its corpse catching the deadly disease.

Flying Snacks (Never Put in with Angelfish):

There is a horrible aesthetic trend of creating huge aquariums with very tall Angelfish surrounded by a nice school of very small blue Neon Tetras to make a visual contrast. Wrong. In nature (on the Amazon River) the Angelfish literally has a mouth conformation purely evolved to swallow a Neon alive in a fraction of a second. It is literally its favorite food. You will buy fish only to feed the predator.

Fish profile

Temperament: Costantemente pacifico. Assolutamente innocuo verso chiunque. Mostra un comportamento di schooling (nuoto di banco in sincrono) notevolmente più debole rispetto ad altre specie, se non sotto stress.
Diet: Onnivoro. La bocca è talmente minuscola che ingurgiteranno quasi esclusivamente cibo in fiocchi finemente tritati o micropellet (0.5 mm). Sono ingordi, se si nutrono troppo in fretta ingoiano aria e galleggiano capovolti per un po'. Mysis e daphnia molto sminuzzati sono eccellenti.
Tank level: Zona media. Generalmente occupano la metà inferiore della colonna d'acqua in vasche alte.
Minimum group: 10
Adult size: 4 cm
Minimum tank: 60 L
GH: 1 dGH - 10 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Branco Numeroso (10-15+ esemplari è il minimo assoluto). Un banco più folto riduce immensamente il nervosismo. Le femmine hanno pance molto rotonde, causando una flessione ad 'S' della tipica striscia azzurra dritta maschile.
Feeding frequency: 1-2 volte al giorno, somministrando quantità misere per evitare fatali indigestioni o blocchi intestinali (data l'allevamento selettivo debole).
Bioload: Bassissimo
Flow: Corrente Nulla o debolissima. Non tollerano correnti rapide, non essendo veri e propri pesci di torrente.
Reproduction: Dispersori di uova 'in ombra'. Facili da riprodurre ma impossibile far sopravvivere gli avannotti in vasche comuni. Nelle nursery commerciali si fanno deporre fittamente in acqua pura senza alcun sale (acqua piovana/osmosi), le piccolissime uova sono fotosensibili e si disgregano se colpite da troppa luce.
Compatibility: Mantenimento perfetto in nanoreef d'acqua dolce con gamberetti Neocaridina e pulitori pacifici come Otocinclus e Corydoras pygmaeus. IL DIVIETO ASSOLUTO: Non mischiare mai e poi mai con Scalari (Pterophyllum altum/scalare) adulti. Gli scalari sono predatori nativi dei Tetra Neon in Sud America: li useranno semplicemente come costosissime arachidi viventi.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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