An iconic, peaceful nano shoaling fish famous for its electric-blue lateral stripe and red rear half. A classic beginner community species that must be kept in groups.
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South America (upper Amazon basin, Peru, Colombia, Brazil)
Origin
New World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Water type
💧 Freshwater
Family
Characidae
Genus
Paracheirodon
Part of the Tetras
Small, often brightly colored characin fishes popular as peaceful shoaling community aquarium fish. Tetras are kept in groups, appreciate soft, slightly acidic water and planted tanks, and range from tiny nano species to larger schooling fish.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Soft-water nano school
10 gal / 38 L (school of 6+)
Paracheirodon innesi needs soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6.0–7.0, 22–26 °C), gentle filtration, and a school of 6+. They are stressed in bright bare tanks — provide planted cover.
Recommended
Planted blackwater community
20 gal long / 75 L
Long footprint suits a tight school of 10–15. Driftwood, leaf litter, and floating plants dim the light and bring out the electric blue/red stripe.
Citron / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Amazonian biotope
55 gal / 200 L biotope
Large blackwater biotope with school of 20+, soft RO-buffered water, and tannins. Mass schooling display rivals any reef fish for impact.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Fish eggs are small, translucent spheres, often laid in clutches on plants, substrate, or in a nest — or carried/brooded by a parent in livebearing and mouth-brooding species. A dark eye spot and the curled embryo become visible inside as development progresses.
Photo coming soon
Fry
Newly hatched fry are tiny and semi-transparent, frequently still carrying a yolk sac that fuels them before they feed freely. They lack full fin structure and adult coloration, staying near cover until they can swim and forage on their own.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles look like miniature adults but with developing fins and muted or different markings; many species shift pattern and color as they mature. Growth is rapid at this stage given clean water and steady feeding.
Adult
Adults show the species' full size, finnage, and mature coloration, and are sexually mature. Many fish develop sex-specific differences in size, color, or fin shape, which can intensify during breeding.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Provide a planted aquarium of at least 60 L (around 15 gallons) so a proper shoal can be kept; tank length matters more than height for these active swimmers. Use a dark, fine substrate, plenty of live or silk plants around the edges, and some open mid-water swimming space. Subdued lighting, driftwood, and a few floating plants help bring out their color and reduce stress.
Neon tetras prefer soft, slightly acidic to neutral water: pH roughly 5.5-7.0, soft to moderately soft hardness, and a temperature of about 21-26 C (70-79 F). Avoid adding them to a brand-new, uncycled tank, as they are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite spikes. A gentle filter flow and stable, well-cycled water are key to long-term health.
Substrate
A dark, fine substrate (sand or fine gravel) dramatically intensifies the electric blue and red stripe. A blackwater-style bottom with leaf litter and botanicals mirrors their soft, acidic Amazon tributary origins.
Equipment & setup
Use gentle filtration (sponge or low-flow) and a heater at 70-81F, keeping water soft and slightly acidic for best health and color. Subdued lighting, especially diffused through floating plants, suits these forest-stream fish and reduces stress.
Diet
Neon tetras are micro-predators and omnivores. In captivity they thrive on a varied diet of high-quality micro-pellets and crushed flakes, supplemented with small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and microworms.
Feed small amounts once or twice a day, only what they finish in a couple of minutes, to keep water quality high. Variety improves coloration and conditions adults for breeding.
Behavior & temperament
This is a peaceful, gregarious shoaling species that should be kept in groups of at least 6, and ideally 10 or more, where it displays tighter schooling and bolder behavior. Kept singly or in tiny numbers they become stressed, faded, and prone to illness.
They mix well with other small, calm community fish but can be intimidated by, or eaten by, larger or boisterous tankmates. Dense planting and gentle, dimmer lighting provide enrichment and security; a confident shoal will swim openly in the middle of the tank.
Health
Neon tetras are vulnerable to 'neon tetra disease' (Pleistophora hyphessobryconis), a microsporidian parasite causing patchy color loss, a faded or broken stripe, lumps, spinal curvature, and wasting; there is no reliable cure, so prevention through quarantine and prompt removal of affected fish is essential. They are also susceptible to columnaris and ich, often triggered by poor water quality or chilling.
Many commercial neons are mass-bred and can be somewhat fragile, so buy from reputable sources, quarantine new arrivals, and acclimate slowly. Stable, clean, soft water and a stress-free environment are the best defenses.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Keep a shoal of at least 10-12 in a mature, stable tank, as neons are sensitive to poor water and swings in parameters. Quarantine new arrivals carefully to avoid introducing 'neon tetra disease,' and use catappa leaves to gently tint and acidify the water on the cheap.
