cam

Hi,

why does everyone say neon tetras are so hard to keep...most people that had them say they only lived a week or not a long time...is this true. I really want to get this fish, does any one have advice for me on keeping them alive.....

Gargoyle

They have been farm raised to the point of extinction to be honest...

The deal is they became popular. People saw a chance to make money and did it at the expense of the fish. The farms inbred so much that the genetic code of the farm raised Tetra turned to goo. So they die.. ALOT! There really is NOTHING you can do to make them live. The only real chance you have is to get some that were wild caught.

This has also happened to the Danio but genetic defects are more prevalent in that species. I wish I had better news but thats what I have researched as the cause to many of the issues with certain species of fish.

griffin

umm - that inbreeding info may or may not be true (i wouldn't really be surprised either way)

however, i think neons are one of the easiest fish to take care of. i'm not sure if i got "wild caught" or bred neons, but i know they were pretty cheap, so probably bred. i've had no issues with them, and they have been in my tank for a while now.

as for taking careo of them, do the same thing you would for any tropical fish, keep the water clean, feed, keep at a good temperature. there's lots of info on this website about doing all that, so i won't go into detail here, but feel free to ask any questions you might have

Rebecca

I think I have to agree with griffen, neons and zebra danios were my first two "beginner" fish, since everywhere I read recommended them as being easy to take care of...they were a bit skiddish at first - hid in a corner for the first few days - but after that were, and still are, constantly playing around with my danios...they get along quite well together And I haven't lost any of the original bunch I got. All around I'd say they are actually quite hardy little babes.

Barbrella

I've had neons for more years than I want to think about, and never really had problems with them, although they may not have lived as long as they could.

Right now I have a school of 9 I got about 6 months ago, and have lost only one.

They do need good water conditions to thrive.

Dino

Most neons are pond bred/raised in Asia.

IMO, it is not inbreeding but shipping that causes a lot of problems with these fish.

They are drugged when they are shipped so that more can be stuffed into a bag.

When they get to the country they are to be sold in, they usually go into tanks that do not have the best of water conditions.

They are then shipped again and maybe one more time after that.

Then they arrive in shops, that again, may not have the best of water conditions.

By this time, they have gone thru enough stress that some loss is to be expected.

Be sure and look at all the neon in the tank you are planning to buy from.
If you see any dead, you would do best to pass.

swords3711

really they are excellent fish
if they have enough room, the right water temp, and the proper number in their school they should be fine.
A good temp is about 78F - 80F
It is good to have a school between three and five.
Also, you want to have enough plants for them to swim through

lili70

If the water quality is good them your neons should be fine. If some die in the first days is not you fault. When you buy them look for white areas on their body were they look like loosing color.
If stressed (like transport or turning on the lights without a transition) they might change color overall (not patches).
Otherwise, hardy and good eaters and good community fishes.
I bought only babies (the smallest the shop had 0.5 cm) and they grew very well.
L