One species · 3 varieties
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
FreshwaterFish
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
- Hard
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Characidae
- Origin
- Peru, Colombia, Brazil
Pick a variety
One setup covers every line on this page: care is the species' care.
Overview
Keep them in a group of at least six, ideally more, in a tank of 40 liters or up. They're peaceful and sit in the middle of the water column, schooling tightly when something spooks them. Water should run cool to room temperature, roughly low to mid 20s C, soft, and acidic to neutral. Feed small flakes, micro pellets, and the odd frozen treat like daphnia or baby brine, and keep tankmates small and gentle.
In the wild
Neon tetras come from soft, slightly acidic blackwater streams in the western Amazon, across Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. These are dim, tannin-stained creeks shaded by forest canopy. To match that, give them a planted tank with some floating cover, dark substrate, and soft water on the acidic side. They show their best color in lower light.
Good to know
This is a small characin in the family Characidae, topping out around 3 to 4 cm. It's an egg scatterer with no parental care, and a healthy adult can live several years. Wild stocks have declined in places from deforestation and pollution, though the species itself isn't threatened. Most fish in the trade today are commercially bred.
Did you know
That blue line isn't pigment. It's a layer of reflective cells called iridophores, and the fish can shift the angle of those crystals to change how the stripe looks. At night the blue fades almost to gray, then comes back when the lights are on.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Every variety on this page wants the same water, so one set of picks fits them all. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.
Green panchax
Aplocheilus blockii
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Wandering snail
Ampullaceana balthica
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)50–84°F (10–29°C)
Burmese mini moth catfish
Hara minuscula
Freshwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
False chocolate gourami
Parasphaerichthys lineatus
Freshwater1 in (2.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Paska's blue-eye
Pseudomugil paskai
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Harlequin moth catfish
Pseudolaguvia ribeiroi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Neon tetra need?
A Neon tetra needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a Neon tetra need?
A Neon tetra is comfortable at 70–77°F (21–25°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.5.
How big does a Neon tetra get?
An adult Neon tetra reaches about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Does a Neon tetra need a group?
Yes. A Neon tetra is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.
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)15 gal (55 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)Green neon tetra
Paracheirodon simulans
1 in (2.5 cm) · 15 gal (55 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)