Neon tetra

Care at a glance

The neon tetra is many people's first real aquarium fish, and for good reason: it is small, peaceful and, with its blue and red stripe, an eye-catcher in any planted tank. It is a true schooling fish that only settles down in a decent-sized group; keep too few and they turn shy and pale.

Neons prefer soft, slightly acidic water and do best in a mature tank with some floating plants to soften the light. They are sensitive to big swings, so acclimatise new fish slowly and change water in small portions. Avoid combining them with large or boisterous fish; in a calm community tank they easily reach five years of age.

Best not combined with

• AngelfishPterophyllum scalare
• Tiger barbPuntigrus tetrazona
• OscarAstronotus ocellatus
• Pictus catfishPimelodus pictus
• Red-bellied piranhaPygocentrus nattereri
• Peacock bassCichla ocellaris
• Saulosi mbunaChindongo saulosi
• Auratus cichlidMelanochromis auratus
• Kenyi cichlidMaylandia lombardoi
• Stuart Grant’s peacock cichlidAulonocara stuartgranti
• Sulphurhead peacockAulonocara maylandi
• Benga peacock (sunshine)Aulonocara baenschi
• Red-tailed catfishPhractocephalus hemioliopterus
• RopefishErpetoichthys calabaricus
• Senegal bichirPolypterus senegalus
• Black ghost knifefishApteronotus albifrons
• Leopard bush fishCtenopoma acutirostre
• Silver arowanaOsteoglossum bicirrhosum
• Altum angelfishPterophyllum altum
• Jewel cichlidHemichromis bimaculatus
• Electric blue hap (fryeri)Sciaenochromis fryeri
• Venustus (giraffe cichlid)Nimbochromis venustus
• Midas cichlid (red devil)Amphilophus citrinellus

Related species

• Cardinal tetraParacheirodon axelrodi
• Rummy-nose tetraHemigrammus rhodostomus
• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• PlatyXiphophorus maculatus
• Variatus platyXiphophorus variatus
• MollyPoecilia sphenops