Red neon blue-eye

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep them in a group of 8 to 10 or more in a tank of at least 40 liters, and skew the group toward males, since competition drives their red color and constant fin-flicking display. They are peaceful nano fish that work the top and middle of the water column, so floating plants and dense planting give them cover and display space. Hold the temperature from 22 to 27 C and the pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Feed small foods like micro pellets, crushed flake, and frozen treats such as daphnia or baby brine. They do best in a nano or species tank, not a busy community, since anything large or fast will outcompete and stress them.

In the wild

Red neon blue-eyes come from the Timika region of southern New Guinea, where they live in small, clear forest streams and pools over tannin-stained water. To match that, give them a heavily planted tank with floating cover up top, a dark substrate, and gentle flow. Keep the water warm, from 22 to 27 C, with a pH on the soft side of neutral, roughly 6.5 to 7.5. They settle in best and show their color in a quiet, well established tank rather than a brightly lit bare one.

Good to know

This is a rainbowfish relative in the family Pseudomugilidae, the blue-eyes. Adults stay tiny, around 3.5 cm, and they are short-lived, often only one to two years. They are egg-scatterers that drop their eggs among fine plants or spawning mops over several days, with no parental care. Most fish in the trade are tank-bred rather than wild-caught.

Did you know

The males spend most of the day sparring without ever touching. Two rivals will face off side by side, flare every fin, and flash their red color at each other, then break and do it again. A group with several males keeps that display going, which is the main reason to stock more males than females.

Related species

• Honey blue-eye

  Pseudomugil mellis

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
• Paska's blue-eye

  Pseudomugil paskai

  1.4 in (3.5 cm)11 gal (40 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
• Popondetta blue-eye

  Pseudomugil connieae

  2 in (5 cm)11 gal (40 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Spotted blue-eye

  Pseudomugil gertrudae

  1.5 in (3.8 cm)17 gal (65 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Delicate blue-eye

  Pseudomugil tenellus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)77–90°F (25–32°C)

• 

  Forktail blue-eye

  Pseudomugil furcatus

  2.2 in (5.5 cm)22 gal (85 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)