beginnerfishlover

OK, I've been looking into getting neons. I think they are so cute and they only grow to 1.5", which I really like. But I have heard they are hard to take care of. Is that true? And do they do well with other fish, or just in a school by themselves? Thanks!

Allie

Our always have done fine. They do well in a community tank and alone. Looks awesome in a big tank with like 20 of them.

sirdarksol

They can be difficult to keep alive for the first few weeks. This has something to do with the methods used to ship the fish, I believe, as some members have bred them and say that they have no problems when their customers buy them (even when shipped). A friend of mine has a tank with three black neons. There have been as many regular neons in the tank, but they've never survived more than a week.
Once you get them past the first few weeks, they're not too difficult to keep alive.

Barbrella

I've always had neons in my tanks. They do fine with any fish not too aggressive, or big enough to eat them of course!

They do need very good water quality, but when they have that they're pretty hardy and will eat anything. They should be in a school of minimum 5 or 6.

Shaina

You need to be careful acclimating them, since many these days are bred in fish farms in Asia and they have quite the trip -- they don't do well with quickly changing parameters in my (limited) experience. I lost a group of 3 I bought because I only took like 45 minutes to acclimate them, and I think it was too fast. I have 8 now, and didn't lose any of them, but slowing added small amount of tank water over about 2 hours.

It seems like once they are adjusted to the tank, they do well.

In larger groups they are fun to watch, chasing each other all over the tank. Also a nice contrast to the greens, blacks, and browns in my tank thus far.

Lucy

Hi Beginnerfishlover,
You know my opinion on neons from your other post....I just love mine.

Phishies Inn

When I started my first 10 gallon, I thought the neons would be the "weakest" of all the fish I had - so far, they've outlived even my zebra danios! I'm so impressed. They're pretty cute too But they definitely are happier in lots of numbers. The more, the merrier, but don't overcrowd anything of course :P

susitna-flower

I agree neons are easy AFTER they are very slowly acclimated.

They need a school of 6+ and as many as you can keep in a tank without overcrowding the size limit on your tank.

Are you thinking of getting some? The tanks you currently list couldn't hold a school.....which would be the problem at this point.

They are sensitive to water quality, and should only be purchased AFTER a tank is completely cycled.

I have cardinal tetras which I feel are more colorful.

beginnerfishlover

Thanks for all of the replies. Susitna-flower, I am eventually (I'm not sure when, though) going to get a bigger aquarium. I want to do a LOT of research on fish first, though, because when I got my five gallon I knew nothing about the nitrogen cycle, nothing about fish, and I overstocked my tank . . . which caused the death of three of my fish. So, right now I am exploring all of the fish. So, no, I won't be getting any more until I have a new aquarium.

Back to the neons. Would it be better (in a ten gallon tank) to just buy 6 or 7 neons, or to get, say, four of one kind of tetra and four (or whatever would add up to ten inches) of a different kind of tetra? I'm good either way, I just wondered.

Lucy

I'd say get 6 or 7 neons, they do better in larger groups.

I have 4 neons and 4 serpae in a 10 gallon They are active and get along fine, but I am 2" overstocked.

If I were to do it over again, I would have stuck with one type since they like to be in groups of 6 or more.

Check that....lol, If I were to do it over again, I would have purchased a larger tank!

blaxicanlatino

I know a group of six or seven is best but would 4 be okay? it also houses a betta, 1 oto (about to leave) and 2 ghost shrimp. I know a bit overcrowded

sirdarksol

No. I've heard from people who have tried to keep neons with bettas that they can nip the betta's fins.