Neon tetra

Reserve the aquarium for the whole shoal

Plan for at least ten neon tetras together. Seriously Fish recommends a group of at least 8-10 and a 60 x 30 cm or larger base. We use ten as the planning floor and 60 L or more as an editorial volume margin. Neither number licenses adding another full shoal without reviewing the available space and filtration.

Length gives the group somewhere to move; height alone cannot replace it. Keep a continuous mid-water swimming route with planted or shaded edges to retreat into. Other small tetras may be companions, but they do not count as neon tetras when deciding whether this group is complete. Avoid placing a few neons in a small display merely because their individual body length is short.

Do not borrow a warmer fish's settings

The species reference's maintenance range is 21-25 C. Its warmer breeding section describes a different task and should not set the temperature for a permanent display. Our pH 6.0-7.5 planning band is deliberately narrower than SF's 4.0-7.5 reference range; it is not an instruction to acidify tap water toward a wild-habitat extreme. The same profile notes that commercially bred fish are more adaptable than wild specimens.

Before purchase, compare the supplier's temperature and water chemistry with your established aquarium. Check GH as well as pH. If your tank must run substantially warmer for its existing fish, reconsider the species combination instead of splitting the difference at the edge of each fish's range. A mature filter and repeatable maintenance matter more than making the water look like a blackwater photograph.

Small mouths need a visible share of the meal

Offer fine complete food and suitable small frozen invertebrates, following the varied diet described in the species profile. Watch for actual swallowing: a fish repeatedly taking and spitting a particle may need smaller food. Deliver it where the shoal feeds rather than leaving all the ration at the surface for faster companions.

Use more than one feeding position if necessary, and remove leftovers rather than increasing the entire ration to compensate for competition. Observe individuals, not just the movement of the group. If one fish cannot reach food, investigate obstruction or harassment before assuming the aquarium needs more food.

Peaceful is only one compatibility test

Choose similarly sized, non-predatory neighbours with overlapping long-term water needs. Adult angelfish can eat small tetras; growing up together is not a reliable safeguard. A matching pH number does not cancel that risk. Keep the shoal's feeding and swimming space intact when considering bottom-dwellers or another group.

When maintaining the aquarium, record water-test results and the amount of waste collected so that partial changes respond to the actual load. Do not let a routine calendar percentage override deteriorating conditions. Prepare replacement water appropriately and avoid abrupt changes in temperature or chemistry; adding fish should trigger a review of both the group layout and filter load.