Fun Neon Tetra Facts For Kids

he neon tetra was first discovered in the jungles of Amazon in 1934, widely distributed in Western Brazil, Southeastern Colombia, and Eastern Peru. It is a tropical fish, known for its vibrant body colors- blue stripe and red stripe. It is a very social and peaceful fish not known to kill any other fish.

The scientific name of neon tetra is Paracheirodon innesi. They don't die until they are sick or are kept alone or their habitat is not suitable. These fish are known to live around 10 years.

The Paracheirodon innesi are sensitive to direct light rays, so they live in blackwater habitats. They are most active when there are 12 or more tetras in a group. Neon tetra care is critical. Don't forget to clean your aquarium; use a heater seasoned sponge filter and powerhead or air pump filter.

Read the fantastic facts about the neons. Also, find out the facts about yellow bass and toadfish.
 

What type of animal is a neon tetra?

Neon tetras are small schooling fish. They are social and like to swim in groups of their kind. The baby tetras grow well when they are in groups. The neon tetra's behavior is non-aggressive and peaceful. Its bright colors, vibrant blue line, and simple dietary needs make it the best fish to keep in your aquarium.

What class of animal does a neon tetra belong to?

The Neon Tetra is a fish. It belongs to the class Actinopterygii and the family Characidae.

How many neon tetras are there in the world?

The exact number of Neon Tetras in the world is not known. However, less than 5% of the Neon Tetras are caught in the wild and sold in America's markets. It is evaluated that more than 1.5 million Neon Tetras are imported from the fish farm to America.

Where does a neon tetra live?

Neon tetras live in blackwater and clearwater or freshwater streams. Also, they are found to live in fish farms, fish tanks or community tanks, breeding tanks, aquariums, or in a 20 gal (90.9 l) tank.

What is a neon tetra's habitat?

The neon tetras are the native inhabitants of the Amazon Basin in South America. It is a freshwater fish. Neon tetra's habitat comprises the dark blackwater and clearwater streams of the Amazon Basin of Brazil, Peru, and Columbia where light rarely reaches. beneath the canopies of the dense forest where lots of leaves have fallen.

Captive breeding is practiced for neon tetras, so they are also found to live in a fish breeding tank or fish tank, community tank, or a minimum 20 gal (90.9 l) tank size. Also, in the aquarium of some households.

Neon tetras need certain water conditions. The Paracheirodon innesi fish species dislike staying in a newly set up tank at the cycle's initial start. Add the neon tetras only when the tank is old enough, and the water chemistry is stabilized according to their suitability, soft and acidic. The hardness of water should not be more than 10 dGH, and the pH level should not be more than 7.0. You can also use blackwater substances to make the water soft and acidic.

Since neon tetras live in the blackwaters with extreme vegetation and tree roots without the reach of light, you need to create a darker set up in the aquarium with lots of plants, fewer light rays, and more hiding places. A dark substrate will work the best. This darker theme will act as the Paracheirodon innesi fishes' natural habitat.

Who do neon tetras live with?

The neon tetras are found to live in packs. Since they are schooling fish, you will often find them in a school or pack and in the middle of the water column. A neon tetra's school size is between 6-12 fish.

The neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) are always together in groups. So if you are planning to keep neon tetras in your aquarium, you need to have a school of neon fish species of at least half a dozen. They are shoaling species and like to be with their kind. The Paracheirodon innesi are non-aggressive fish; they are known for their peaceful nature. It can live well in a community tank with other fish species. Other fish species that can be a good companion with the neon tetras are small tetras, rasboras, corys, dwarf gouramis, and small catfish. It is better to avoid large tetras and other large fishes, as they will eat the neon tetras.

How long does a neon tetra live?

In the wild, the neon tetra's lifespan is around 10 years. Whereas, when kept in the aquarium they can live for two to three years. The wild Neon Tetra lives longer than the aquarium Tetra fish.

How do they reproduce?

Neon tetra breeding is a bit complex due to its requirement of specific water conditions. For aquarists, breeding neon tetras in a separate tank is the best solution if you want to breed them. The water should be soft and acidic, the pH level should be less than seven, and the dGH should be between 1-2. Use the sponge filter to clean or filter the water, and provide plants similar to their habitat. Breeding fish will jump in the water, so cover the top of the tank. Create a darker environment by covering the sides of the tank with dark paper. In an ideal condition for neon tetra, the water temperature should be 75 F (23.9 C) to breed.

Before placing the breeding pairs in the fish tank feed them with live food. Also, keep the tank in complete darkness when introducing them. Increase the lighting of the tank slowly.

You can tell a female tetra is pregnant when it carries a large belly with eggs in it and is ready to spawn. Spawning usually occurs in the morning time. During spawning, the male fish cuddles the female fish.

The pregnant neon tetra releases 60-130 eggs. The neon tetra's eggs are transparent and sticky and stick well to the water tank plants. When the females release the eggs, remove the fish's breeding pairs from the tank; otherwise, they will eat the eggs.

The eggs should be kept in low lighting. The eggs hatch after 24 hours and the baby fish, known as fry, will feed on the egg sack for some days. All eggs do not hatch; the hatch rate is a bit low. After three or four days the neons are ready to swim freely and fed small food items like egg yolk, rotifers, and infusoria. In a few weeks, they will become big enough to be fed large food like shrimp. The Tetras' beautiful blue and red lines are visible after one month.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status is Not Evaluated..

What do neon tetras look like?

The Paracheirodon innesi is a freshwater fish known for its bright colors. It consists of a turquoise blue stripe that starts from the eye to the adipose fin. The vibrant red stripe starts from the middle of the body to the caudal fin.

The bright colors of the Paracheirodon innesi allow them to recognize each other in the blackwater. However, except for their vibrant colors, they are transparent, making it easier for the Tetras to hide from their predators or take a rest. The Paracheirodon innesi can grow up to 1.5 in (4 cm) in length. It has a spindle-shaped body and big eyes. The eyes cover the majority of the head portion.

In terms of Neon Tetra male vs. female, the females are shorter than the males. The female has a slightly bent stripe due to its big belly. In comparison, the males have a straight stripe.

How cute are they?

The Paracheirodon innesi is an adorable and attractive fish. Their vibrant body color and large big eyes that occupy most of the head section grab the viewers' attention.

How do they communicate?

The Paracheirodon innesi communicate with each other with the help of their vibrant body stripes and accordingly swim around in groups. If they are not kept in water according to their requirement, their body color will fade and eventually lack communication.

How big is a neon tetra?

Neon  size is (1.5 in) 1.5 in (4 cm) long. The male is slightly longer than the female. It is smaller than the cardinal tetra.

How fast can a neon tetra swim?

The Neons can swim very fast. However, the exact speed is not found in any research papers.

How much does a neon tetra weigh?

The weight of the tetras is around 0.0003 lb (0.12 g)

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male species is known as male Neon Tetra fish, and the female species is known as female Neon Tetra fish.

What would you call a baby neon tetra?

A neon tetra baby is known as a fry.

What do they eat?

The Paracheirodon innesi are omnivorous, which means that they eat both plants and animals. Feeding them a good diet is essential. Neon tetra's food comprises frozen brine shrimp, live brine shrimp, flake food, tiny granules, frozen and dried bloodworms, and other food items to ensure good health.

Are they eaten by humans?

No, humans do not eat the neon tetras.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, the Paracheirodon innes would make a great pet as they are non-aggressive and peaceful fish. This Neon neon blue tropical fish is one of the  most attractive fish to keep in aquariums. Just make sure that the neon tetra's tank has water hardness according to its requirement. Also, feeding them a diet they love most. The neon tetra temperature in the water is between 68-82.4 F (20-28 C).

If the Paracheirodon innesi are not kept with their kind in the aquarium, they will get stressed and hide in the aquarium. They might even lose their immunity if the tetras are stressed for long. The color of the Paracheirodon innesi faints when they are stressed or suffering from a disease. You should remove them from the aquarium if this happens.

The tetras are active fishes and are happy when kept in a large group. Remember, never keep fishes bigger than the tetras as they might eat them.

Did you know...

The Paracheirodon innesi has the unique ability to turn off their body color to stay safe when they feel threatened or when resting.

The related species of Paracheirodon innesi are Cardinal Tetra, Black Neon Tetra, Green Neon Tetra, Albino Neon Tetra, Purple neon Tetra.

Cardinal Tetra vs. Neon Tetra: Often, both the fishes are confused, but they are different. The red stripe of the Neons starts from the middle, whereas the red stripe of the Cardinal Tetras runs the entire body.

The Neons have infections like white spot disease, fin rot, fungal infections, bacterial infections, and so-called 'Neon Tetra Disease' (caused by Microsporidian parasite). It would be best not to keep the Tetras suffering from the Microsporidian parasite with other fish because its infection lasts six months.

Why are neon tetras brightly colored?

The Paracheirodon innesi is brightly colored to recognize each other in the blackwaters of Amazon Basin, South America.

How many neon tetras are imported to the US as pets?

The Neon Tetra price is only $1 per fish. It is an inexpensive aquarium fish. Around 1.8 million Neons are sold in the US as pets, with an estimated value of $175,000. Most of the Neons sold are bred in captive breeding. These fishes are exclusively used as aquarium pets.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including suckerfish, or tetra.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our neon tetra coloring pages.