Neon Tetra
Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) are small, peaceful schooling fish that need a group of 6 or more in a cycled, planted tank of at least 10 gallons, with soft, slightly acidic, stable water around 72–78°F.
Neon tetra at a glance
- Scientific name
- Paracheirodon innesi
- Adult size
- ~1.5″
- Temperature
- 70–81°F
- pH
- 5–7
- Minimum tank
- 10 gal
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Social
- schooling — keep 6+
- Reference
- Wikipedia
The neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) is one of the most popular aquarium fish: a tiny, peaceful schooler with a bright blue-and-red stripe. It does well for beginners, with one catch — it is a true schooling fish and suffers kept in small numbers.
Tank and schooling
Keep neons in a group of 6 or more in a cycled tank of at least 10 gallons. A 10-gallon fits 8-10 neon tetras as the sole species, or 6-8 in a community setup. A larger school in a planted tank looks better and behaves more naturally; the fish tighten up and show color when they feel safe in numbers. In small groups they hide, pale, and stress.
Water
Neons want soft, slightly acidic, stable water, around 72–78°F and pH 5.0–7.0. They are sensitive to an uncycled tank and to sudden changes, so add them only after the nitrogen cycle is complete and acclimate slowly. Stable beats perfect.
Diet
They are easy to feed: a quality micro-pellet or crushed flake as the staple, with frozen or live foods like daphnia and baby brine shrimp for variety. Feed small amounts once or twice a day.
Temperament and tankmates
Neons are peaceful but small, which makes them a snack for bigger fish. Keep them with similarly calm, similarly sized tankmates. The compatible companions and the fish to avoid (from our compatibility model) are listed below; check a full plan in how many fish in a 10-gallon tank.
Compatible tankmates for Neon tetra
Generated from our compatibility model — temperament, fin-nipping, temperature overlap and predation. Run your exact plan in the calculator below.
Good companions:Ember tetra, Cardinal tetra, Harlequin rasbora, Guppy, Endler's livebearer, Platy, Molly, White cloud minnow, Corydoras catfish, Pygmy corydoras, Otocinclus, Kuhli loach, Cherry shrimp, Nerite snail, Mystery snail.
With care:Zebra danio, Dwarf gourami, Tiger barb, Serpae tetra — workable in a planted tank, but watch them.
Avoid:Betta, Angelfish, Goldfish.
Plan a Neon tank
Start with the centerpiece and check stocking, filtration and compatible tankmates — live.
Planning a Neon tetra tank. We start with your neon tetra and filter the list to compatible tankmates — untick to see every species (incompatible ones get flagged).
Stocking — under 85% comfortable · 85–100% full · over 100% overstocked
Show the math
FAQ
- How many neon tetras should I keep?
- At least 6, and more is better. Neons are schooling fish; in small numbers they get stressed and lose color. A 10-gallon comfortably holds a school of 6–8 as the main fish.
- What size tank do neon tetras need?
- 10 gallons or more. They are small but active swimmers and need room to shoal. Smaller tanks do not give a school space to behave naturally.
- What water do neon tetras like?
- Soft, slightly acidic, stable water, roughly 72–78°F and pH 5.0–7.0. They are sensitive to swings and to an uncycled tank, so add them only after the tank is fully cycled.
- Can neon tetras live with bettas?
- Often yes, in a planted 10-gallon-plus tank, since both want similar warm water. Watch for fin-nipping either way, and avoid keeping them with larger fish that can eat them.