Neon Tetras

hankey

New Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Location
Canada
I've seen different people with Neons listed in the tanks along with chiclids. Am I thinking of the right tiny little tetra with red and blue? Are these really tank mates or is there another Neon Tetra out there. Just curious. They would be a great addition but I thought they would just end up as food for more dominate chiclids. I thought I would ask though becuse I never would have put clown loaches in a chiclid tank until I read about that on these boards.
 
neons with Malawian chiclids yes
with any other chiclid caution is requried, its not recomended.

There are several species that are similar in appearance and to the untrained eye all look the same.

Neon tetra[Paracheirodon innesi], Cardinal tetra[Paracheirodon axelrodi] and Green neon (false Neon) tetra[Paracheirodon simulans].

EDIT
There is now a colour variation of the Neon tetra called a Diamod head neon tetra, these have been selectivly breed to move the neon stripe to the head and form a diamond pattern.
 
"Neon tetra[Paracheirodon innesi], Cardinal tetra[Paracheirodon axelrodi] and Green neon (false Neon) tetra[Paracheirodon simulans]."

So these are okay with chiclids from Lake Malawai?

Are they together in the "wild".

I was told that one of the reasons it's hard to mix species is that chiclids have an "imprint" of fish that they may come in contact with and when they see a strange fish that they don't have an "imprint" of they become aggresive towards it.

Are there recomended numbers for the neons? Should there be at least 4? 6?

And do they eat chiclid feed?

Thanks for your time.
 
with neons 6 would be a suggested minimum, they look awesome in my krib tank in a shoal of 10.
 
The cichlids, gourami's, and angelfish I keep just use Neons as feeder fish.
My wife loves neons and spent a year continously adding neons to the 3 tanks I have, trying different fish combo's etc. Never worked.
 
So these are okay with chiclids from Lake Malawai?

Absolutely--if you like your neons dead. The only cichlids I would include with neons are dwarf varieties - like kribs, from the rivers of west Africa, and then only if the tank isn't too small (20 gallon+)
 
I'd advise against adding tetras, or any typical community fish, to a cichlid tank. You may find the one odd occurence where it'll work, but it's not very likely.

I had a friend at work selling a 55-Gallon, complete setup (tank, stand, fish, etc.) so I bought it from her. When I went to see the tank, I stared in amazement at his selection of fish. 2 fully grown Jack Dempseys (one of which looked to have a broken spine...) 2 Baby Common Plecos, an "eel" of sorts that measured all of 5", and...a Black Skirt Tetra.

Yes, a Black Skirt Tetra.

According to the lady's son (who kept the tank) the tetra had been in the tank for years and got along famously with the fish. I thought "Eh, ok...wonder why, but whatever."

I got the tank home and added the baby South Americans to the 55, along with the fish that occupied the 55-Gallon under the previous owner. Including the Black Skirt Tetra (which I really should have found something else to do with...)

Within 2 hours, the Black Skirt Tetra was met his demise at the fins of a Dempsey. One of the same Dempseys that he had previously been housed with.
 
I used to have small tetras with Malawi cichlids and other strange fish that shouldn't really be together in a tank (with fish) we inherited. They all got along famously - even though they shouldn't. Fish can't read books though!

Anyway - the point is: after the very old tetras died, there was a time delay in replacing them - only a couple of months. When I restocked with the same type of fish I had before, they quickly became snack food, with the Malawis developing frightening hunting abilities not seen before.

So - my small 'nurse' tank became a home for the remainder of the tetras!
 
Many 'cichlids' can be kept with community fish under the right conditions, I was refering to lake Malawi specifically. I've seen a number of Tanganyikans do well with 'tetra's et al.' and new world cichlids can, of course be kept with many community type fish as well.
 
some may well of kept neon tetras with malawis but i certainly would not recommend it.

and why on earth anyone would want to even try is beyond me :S :/
 
I guess I'll think it over some more. I have added clown loaches (3) which certainly adds alot to the tank. Right now I have 14 mixed africans, the 3 clowns and 2 sedydonis catfish. I've also been promised a yoyo loach. This will bring me up to 20 fish in an 80 gallon tank.

So many people recomend overstocking. Am I there yet or should I add more chiclids?
 
freddyk said:
So these are okay with chiclids from Lake Malawai?

Absolutely--if you like your neons dead.
:lol: , sorry , that made me :lol:

Try adding them with dwarf new worlds , kribs or thomasis'
 
well ive got to admit im guilty of weird stocking..........

How ever i do have one characin with my african chichlids its a Hujeta garfish, otherwise known as the rocket characin, not your pretty little neon i know but he adores chichlid pellets! (and neon tetras for that matter!)

Kept with him is a proper mix, 8 alunacaras, a livingstoneii 2 tropheus duboisii and 3 miscellaneous malawis as well as catfish (synos and plecs) a birchir and 2 spiny eels and a true asiatic gar
 

Most reactions

Back
Top