Black neon tetra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black neon tetra |
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The black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) is a small, colorful freshwater fish. It belongs to the characin family, which includes many popular aquarium fish. This fish comes from the Paraguay basin in southern Brazil. You can often find black neon tetras in pet stores, as they are popular for home aquariums.
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What is the Black Neon Tetra?
This fish is named after Herbert R. Axelrod (1927-2017). He was a famous publisher of pet books. His magazine, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, published the first description of this fish. The scientist Géry named it in his honor in 1961.
How Does the Black Neon Tetra Look?
The black neon tetra has a typical tetra shape. It is long and slender. Its body is mostly plain, but it has two clear stripes along its side. One stripe is white, and the other is black. Its eye also has two thin, colorful bands: red on top and yellow below.
This fish can grow to about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long. It looks a bit like the famous neon tetra, which is a close relative. In the wild, black neon tetras eat small invertebrates and tiny plants.
Sometimes, people call the black neon tetra just "black tetra." But that name usually refers to a different fish called Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.
Keeping Black Neon Tetras in an Aquarium
Black neon tetras are a great choice for a home aquarium. They are quite easy to care for.
What Kind of Water Do They Need?
These fish like soft, slightly acidic water. It is important to keep their tank water very clean. Aquarists (people who keep aquariums) suggest using live plants in the tank. A darker bottom material (substrate) and open swimming areas are also good.
How Many Fish Should You Keep Together?
Black neon tetras are schooling fish. This means they like to live in groups. You should keep at least 6 of them together, but more is even better. For a group of 6 fish, a tank of about 60 liters (15 US gallons) is a good size. For 8 to 10 fish, you might need a 20-gallon tank.
What Do Black Neon Tetras Eat?
These fish usually swim and eat near the top of the tank. They do not often feed from the bottom. Because of this, some aquarists keep them with fish that live at the bottom, like pygmy corydoras. This way, any leftover food on the bottom gets eaten.
Black neon tetras enjoy many different foods. You can feed them flake food, frozen food, and freeze-dried food. Giving them small live foods, like worms or brine shrimp, can make their colors look even brighter.
How to Breed Black Neon Tetras
It can be quite simple to breed black neon tetras if the water is just right. Before breeding, fish keepers give the parent fish lots of live food. This helps them get ready to lay eggs. Fish that are about one year old are usually good for breeding.
You can tell the difference between males and females by their body shape. Female black neon tetras are usually rounder and plumper than the males.
For breeding, the water needs to be soft and acidic. It should be similar to their natural home in the Amazon. The water should have no more than four degrees of hardness.
Black neon tetras scatter their sticky eggs over plants. One female can lay hundreds of eggs! The parents might eat their own eggs, so it is best to remove them after they have laid the eggs. These fish often lay their eggs early in the morning.
Raising the baby fish, called fry, can be a bit tricky because they are very tiny. Their first food is usually microscopic organisms called protozoa. As they grow, they can eat tiny Daphnia or very fine fry food. Live food that is the right size is always good for them.
See also
In Spanish: Tetra neón negro para niños
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
