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Encyclopedia / Tetras / Neon tetra
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Variations

5 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Neon tetra

Paracheirodon innesi · Neon, Neon fish

A tiny, peaceful schooling fish with a glowing blue stripe and a red tail half. Keep at least eight together.

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2.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
21–25 °CTemperature ✓
5–7pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Tinfoil barb eats animals up to about 5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Betta eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Not recommended
  • Dwarf gourami eats animals up to about 2.5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

235 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–10 dGH
Group size ✓8 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ?Easy
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1.5–2.5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful, shy schooler of the middle water. Colours and confidence improve in groups of 10 or more and in dim, planted tanks.

Food

Micro-pellets and quality flakes daily; frozen daphnia, brine shrimp or bloodworms twice a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Male Neon tetra
Male
Female Neon tetra
Female

Mature females are rounder-bodied and a little larger than males.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-scatterer · Moderate

Egg scatterer bred in a separate, very dimly lit tank with soft, acidic water (pH 5.5-6.5, gH 1-5). Adults eat the eggs, so they are removed once eggs appear. Eggs hatch in 24-36 hours and fry swim freely 3-4 days later.

Pairing

Buy a group of 8-10 and let them pair up. Condition with live and frozen foods.

Setup

10-20 L bare tank with soft, acidic water (pH 5.5-6.5, very soft), spawning mops or java moss, and a dim room. Cover the sides to cut light.

What starts it

Soft, slightly acidic water, a cooler water change and dim light with morning sun.

Eggs

60-130 eggs per spawn; they hatch in about 24 hours and the fry swim in 4-5 days. Eggs are very light sensitive.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria or green water for days 1-3, then newly hatched brine shrimp and microworms. Keep light low early on. Grow out in a larger tank once fish are about 1 cm.

Common mistakes
  • Using hard tap water
  • Keeping the tank bright
  • Leaving adults to eat the eggs
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionUpper Amazon basin – Peru, Colombia & Brazil
Rivers and lakesRio Putumayo and upper Solimões (Amazon) tributaries
HabitatSlow, soft blackwater and clearwater forest streams
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
See it on the world map

Plants that suit it

Java fernAmazon swordVallisneriaCryptocoryneRotalaLudwigia

The story of the neon tetra

The neon tetra was first imported from the upper Amazon in the 1930s and described by George S. Myers in 1936. It was named after the American aquarist and writer William T. Innes. Today most neons in shops are commercially farm-bred, largely in Southeast Asia.

The neon tetra was collected in the upper Amazon in the mid-1930s and shipped to Europe, where it caused a sensation among aquarists. George S. Myers described it in 1936 and honoured William T. Innes, whose aquarium books were hugely popular. Today nearly all neons in shops are farm-bred in Asia and the USA.

First described by George S. Myers in 1936. Named for Named after aquarium author William T. Innes.

  • Its blue stripe can fade at night while the fish rests, then brighten again in the morning.
  • The neon's iridescent stripe works by reflecting light from tiny crystal-like plates in the skin.
  • Billions of neon tetras have been bred commercially, making it one of the most traded aquarium fish ever.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources