Green neon tetra
Encyclopedia
The green neon tetra is a freshwater
fish
of the characin family
(family
Characidae
) of order
Characiformes
. It is native to the upper Orinoco
and Negro Rivers in South America.
This fish is similar in appearance to the closely related and better-known neon tetra
, but it is slightly smaller and its red patch is less pronounced, while the blue-green areas of the upper body are more brilliant. Also, its body is slimmer than that of the neon tetra
. It grows to a maximum overall length of approximately 2.5 cm (1 in).
Like the other Paracheirodon species, the green neon tetra is kept as an aquarium
fish, but it is less commonly seen than either the true neon tetra
or the cardinal tetra
.
P. simulans is also sometimes called the blue or false neon. Hyphessobrycon simulans and Cheirodon simulans are obsolete synonyms.
This fish loses its brilliant blue and red color when lights are switched off in the dark, however regains it when lights are switched on again.
Avoid having a filter with excessively strong water intake because this little fish is prone to get sucked in by strong currents, perhaps even more so than the Neon Tetra.
The Green Neon Tetra spawns in a school although in the actual act of spawning one female may be closely associated with one or more males.
About 130 eggs can be laid by each female. The parents should be removed after spawning. The eggs should hatch in 24 hours. The eggs are light sensitive so avoid light.
The babies are very small and infusoria (protozoa) is necessary early on. As they grow, this can increasingly be supplemented with fine commercial fry foods. Green Neon Tetras can breed again after a couple of weeks.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
of the characin family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(family
Characidae
Characidae
The Characidae, characids or characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a by and large monophyletic group at family...
) of order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Characiformes
Characiformes
The Characiformes are an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, there are a few thousand different species, including the well-known piranha and tetras.-Taxonomy:...
. It is native to the upper Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
and Negro Rivers in South America.
This fish is similar in appearance to the closely related and better-known neon tetra
Neon tetra
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater or clearwater streams in southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, including the tributaries of the Solimões where the water is between...
, but it is slightly smaller and its red patch is less pronounced, while the blue-green areas of the upper body are more brilliant. Also, its body is slimmer than that of the neon tetra
Neon tetra
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater or clearwater streams in southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, including the tributaries of the Solimões where the water is between...
. It grows to a maximum overall length of approximately 2.5 cm (1 in).
Like the other Paracheirodon species, the green neon tetra is kept as an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish, but it is less commonly seen than either the true neon tetra
Neon tetra
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater or clearwater streams in southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, including the tributaries of the Solimões where the water is between...
or the cardinal tetra
Cardinal tetra
The cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi, is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. It is native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers in South America....
.
P. simulans is also sometimes called the blue or false neon. Hyphessobrycon simulans and Cheirodon simulans are obsolete synonyms.
This fish loses its brilliant blue and red color when lights are switched off in the dark, however regains it when lights are switched on again.
Water conditions
The wild Green Neon Tetra comes from extremely soft, acidic water at a temperature in the mid to high twenties in degrees C (the seventies in degrees F). These are the ideal conditions for this fish. It will adjust to neutral water with some hardness and a temperature of 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) and is fine in a community tank with small peaceful fish.Avoid having a filter with excessively strong water intake because this little fish is prone to get sucked in by strong currents, perhaps even more so than the Neon Tetra.
Food
The Green Neon Tetra is an omnivore and will eat normal fish foods of a suitable size. Small live food such as mosquito larvae and daphnia is good as are frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp.Breeding
Green Neon Tetras need water similar to the waters they live in in the wild; extremely soft water with a pH of about 6 and a temperature of around 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Ideally the water should be highly stained by the tannins from peat, in subdued light, shaded by plants.The Green Neon Tetra spawns in a school although in the actual act of spawning one female may be closely associated with one or more males.
About 130 eggs can be laid by each female. The parents should be removed after spawning. The eggs should hatch in 24 hours. The eggs are light sensitive so avoid light.
The babies are very small and infusoria (protozoa) is necessary early on. As they grow, this can increasingly be supplemented with fine commercial fry foods. Green Neon Tetras can breed again after a couple of weeks.