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Characins
/ Characinae / Cardinal Neon
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi | Pictures
SYN: Hyphessobrycon
innesi
PD: This fish has a slender body and is slightly laterally compressed.
The back is silver to olive brown while
the belly is silver.
A green to blue iridescent stripe extends from the eye near the tail.
Below this, beginning in the middle
of the body, is a bright red band that runs to the base of the tail.
SIZE: 1.6" (4 cm)
SS: Cardinal Tetra (
P. axelrodi), False Neon Tetra (
P. simulans
)
HAB: South America; Rio Putumayo, Eastern Peru; Most are now captive bred in Hong Kong
S: bottom, middle
TANK: 20" (50 cm) or 10 gallons (38 L).
The lighting should be dimmed by a cover
of floating plants.
The tank should be well-planted and have a dark gravel substrate.
WATER: pH 5-8 (6.8); once acclimated 1-25 dH (8); 68-77°F (20-25°C)
SB: A peaceful fish ideal for a community tank.
Do not keep the Neon Tetra with substantially
larger fish such as Angles, for the neon may get eaten.
Keep this fish in groups of five or more.
SC: Tetras, Corydoras,
Apistogramma, Discus, gouramis, Hatchetfish, Livebearers, Danios,
Rasboras.
FOOD: Flakes; live; insect larvae, Brine Shrimp,
Tubifex,
Daphnia.
SEX: Males are slimmer and their neon blue stripe is straight.
Females have a fuller stomach and their
blue neon stripe bent.
B: Use a small breeding tank with a pH of 5-6, a water temperature of 75-77°F (24-25°C),
and a water hardness of 1-5 dH.
The tank should have subdued lighting and be well-planted with bushy plants.
The
female lays up to 130 eggs.
Remove the parents after spawning.
Leave the eggs in the dark tank to keep down
the growth of fungus.
The fry hatch after 24 hours.
The young are free swimming after five days, after which time they
can be fed crushed flakes and paramecia.
BP: 7.
The Neon Tetra is a moderately difficult fish to breed.
R: Susceptible to incurable neon disease.
Among the most popular of tropical freshwater
aquarium fish.
Neon tetras are sensitive during acclimation, during this period neons are most likely
to expire.
After the initial week or two, the fish become adjusted and are fairly hardy.
DC: 3.
The Neon Tetra is a hardy, community fish.
Avoid fluctuating water conditions.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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