Neon Tetra

Neon Tetras are native to the Orinoco and Amazon river basins in Brazil, Columbia, and Peru and live in areas where there is a high density of foliage as this keeps them safe from the bigger fish that live in the river. They tend to live around the middle water layers in big shoals as they can find plenty food in these waters. They have become a very popular aquarium fish and are bred heavily in East Asia and exported around the world.

Neon Tetras may be small but they are full of vibrant colours which allows them to stand out. The top of their body has a blue strip with a white strip along the middle and a red stripe at the bottom that begins half way down their body and runs to the end of their tail. They are often mistaken for cardinal tetras however they have a red stripe that runs the full length of their body. Their bright colours do become less vibrant at night or if the fish is stressed or ill which can help our aquarists see if there is any problems.

They are an omnivores fish who will eat both plants and other animals however as they are so small they tend to be limited to insects and worms. In their natural habitat they try to avoid direct light and will often hide under branches and plants so avoid using your flash on your phone as the might cause stress to them.