Variety of Neon tetra
Gold neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
One of 3 varieties of Paracheirodon innesi · See all varieties →
FreshwaterFish
Varieties · Paracheirodon innesi
See all 3 →
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 70–77°F
- 21–25°C
- pH
- 5.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 1.5 in
- 3.8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 11 gal
- 40 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Egg scatterer · Hard
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Characidae
Overview
The gold neon tetra is a pale form of the neon, with a cream to yellow body. It still carries the blue and red stripes but looks washed out next to standard fish. It is a peaceful schooling fish for a community tank and easy to keep.
Did you know
Gold color in the neon tetra is not only a bred trait. Seriously Fish notes that wild neons sometimes turn up looking gold or platinum as well. In those fish the sheen is put down to a parasite causing increased scale deposits, not to anything a breeder selected.
Caring for the gold neon tetra
Gold neon tetras need a group of six or more and a tank of 11 gal (40 L) or larger. Give them plants, some floating cover and a dark substrate. They hold the middle of the tank and school tightly when something spooks them.
Keep the water soft and on the acidic side, at 70 to 77°F (21 to 25°C) with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5. Feed small flakes and micro pellets, plus the odd frozen treat such as daphnia or baby brine shrimp.
Gold neons are peaceful, so their tank mates should be small and gentle. They are egg scatterers with no parental care, and breeding them is hard.
Good to know
The gold neon tetra is leucistic, with a broad reduction in pigment cells rather than the missing melanin of albinism. It pales without becoming a true albino, and it keeps a dark eye where an albino shows red. Seriously Fish lists golden and albino as separate strains, alongside short-bodied, long-finned and diamond. The form turns up on most online stock lists, but the depth of gold varies between suppliers. Judge the actual fish rather than the stock photo.
In the wild
The gold neon tetra is a form fixed in captivity rather than a wild variant. No breeder, country or decade is recorded for it. Aquatic Arts sells USA bred stock, and other US sellers describe the fish simply as tank-bred.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The gold neon tetra is a peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Gold ring danio
Danio tinwini
Freshwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)
Harlequin moth catfish
Pseudolaguvia ribeiroi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Dubois' panchax
Epiplatys duboisi
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
Wandering snail
Ampullaceana balthica
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)50–84°F (10–29°C)
Common questions
Is a gold neon tetra a different species from the neon tetra?
No. A gold neon tetra is a variety of the neon tetra, Paracheirodon innesi, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a gold neon tetra need?
A gold neon tetra needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does a gold neon tetra eat?
A gold neon tetra eats small flakes and micro pellets, with the odd frozen treat such as daphnia or baby brine shrimp.
How big does a gold neon tetra get?
An adult gold neon tetra reaches about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Does a gold neon tetra need a group?
Yes. A gold neon tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
How does a gold neon tetra breed?
Gold neon tetras are egg scatterers and give their eggs no care. Breeding them is hard.
Related species
1.8 in (4.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–84°F (23–29°C)Cardinal tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
1.8 in (4.5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)
1 in (2.5 cm)11 gal (41 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)Green neon tetra
Paracheirodon simulans
1 in (2.5 cm) · 11 gal (41 L)
1.5 in (3.8 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Eschwartzae tetra
Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae
1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)
1.5 in (3.8 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Peugeot's tetra
Hyphessobrycon peugeoti
1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)
1.5 in (3.8 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Procyon tetra
Hyphessobrycon procyon
1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)
- 1.5 in (3.8 cm)15 gal (55 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Piabinhas tetra
Hyphessobrycon piabinhas
1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 15 gal (55 L)