Black Neon Tetra

Black Neon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon Herbertaxelrodi)

Native Location: Brazil

Climate: Tropical

Maximum Size: 4cm (1.6 inches)

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Omnivore

Breeding: Easy

Temperature Range: 23 – 27℃ (72 – 81℉)

Preferred pH Range: 5.5 – 7.5

Minimum Aquarium Size: 38L (10 gallons)

Potential Tankmates: Neon Tetras, Gouramis and other small tetra

Care Level: Beginner

Not to be confused with Neon Tetras, Black Neon Tetras are smaller but fuller-bodied. It has widespread popularity due to distinct visual characteristics.

A Black Neons diet consists of feeding on smaller crustaceans, invertebrates and algae. They can eat a variety of live, frozen and flake foods. Offer them frozen bloodworms, mosquito larvae and brine shrimps. Consider if an addition of some vitamins and other supplements could benefit them too. Black Neons are school fish and need the company of at least six others of their kind. House them with other Tetras or non-aggressive mid-sized bottom-dwellers.

They are an active species and skilled jumpers with a tendency to fly right out of your tank. So, there will need to be a tight lid covering, to avoid these deathly escapes. Plant a lot of vegetation in the aquarium, particularly tall plants. Black Neons will hang around the top section of your tank. Add driftwood, branches and twisted roots to double as decorative styling and coverage for your fishes.

Black Neons are a hard species to tell males and females apart. But as a general rule of thumb, females are larger, more rounded in the belly than males. And a lower abdomen means the female is sexually mature and full of eggs. Black Neons are egg layers, so try breeding in a separate tank with a healthy pair of adults. Provide fine-textured plants, and floating plants to keep the tank dim. Females will scatter fertilised eggs. Once completed, you will need to remove the adult fish from the tank as they will likely eat their young.