Neon tetra care
Paracheirodon innesi · Blackwater and clearwater streams of the Amazon basin
Neon tetras need a 10 gallon or larger tank, 70 to 79 °F, soft to moderately hard water and a group of six or more; they school tighter and show more color with ten.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 70 to 79 °F (21 to 26 °C)
- Group size
- 6 or more
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1.6 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep neon tetras
Neon tetras need a 10 gallon or larger tank, 70 to 79 °F, soft to moderately hard water and a group of six or more; they school tighter and show more color with ten. Add them only to a fully cycled tank: they are sensitive to ammonia and to big swings in water chemistry. Plants, a darker substrate and gentle flow make them settle; bright, bare tanks keep them pale and hiding.
Diet: Omnivore: micro pellets, crushed flakes, frozen or live baby brine shrimp and daphnia. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Neon tetra tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Cherry shrimp
1.6 in · 5+ gal · 65–82 °F
Sparkling gourami
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 76–82 °F
Pitbull pleco
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
DrawingAsian stone catfish
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 64–75 °F
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
1.7 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Marbled hatchetfish
1.5 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Medaka
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 65–82 °F
African dwarf frog
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; neon tetras grow to 1.6 in.
Golden wonder killifish: Adult golden wonder killifish eat fish under about 2 in; neon tetras grow to 1.6 in.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Axolotl: Axolotls belong in a tank of their own.
What a neon tetra tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon neon tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon neon tetra tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Neon tetras need 70 to 79 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding neon tetras.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 70 to 79 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common neon tetra problems
- Neon tetra disease: a pale patch that spreads under the stripe and a bent spine. There is no reliable cure; remove the fish and keep the others under close watch.
- Fading color at night or under stress is normal; color that stays faded points to water quality, so test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
- Losses in the first weeks usually come from adding them to a new, uncycled tank.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Paracheirodon innesi. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sparkling gourami BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pitbull pleco Haplochromis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Agassiz's dwarf cichlid Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Marbled hatchetfish Sven Kullander, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Medaka Seotaro, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Golden wonder killifish Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Axolotl LoKiLeCh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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