29 Gallon Tank Hypothetical Nano Fish Instead of Neon Tetra?

[aoiumi]

Are there any good nano fish alternatives to Neon Tetras? I'm setting up a nano fish community in a 29 gal in about a year, and I'm trying to get the stocking perfect before I buy anything. My mom and I will be sharing care, and she really loves the look of Neon Tetras, but I've heard they have a lot of health problems. Cardinals look similar, but are larger, and I really want lots of small fish to get bigger schools.

I plan on heavily planted, with lots of rock and driftwood to make hiding spaces. All going well, I'll get the plants in this summer and slowly add the stock over the next year. The one thing I'm certain of is a shoal of pygmy corys, or one of the other two dwarf corydoras species.

Are there any good nano schooling fish that get that bright red and blue of neons?

 

[Sewerrat]

Could doe embers and green neons not the same color but still small and colorful.

 

[aoiumi]

Could doe embers and green neons not the same color but still small and colorful.

True, though only one or the other, since I'm aiming for larger schools where possible.

 

[Fishfur]

Are there any good nano fish alternatives to Neon Tetras? I'm setting up a nano fish community in a 29 gal in about a year, and I'm trying to get the stocking perfect before I buy anything. My mom and I will be sharing care, and she really loves the look of Neon Tetras, but I've heard they have a lot of health problems. Cardinals look similar, but are larger, and I really want lots of small fish to get bigger schools.

I plan on heavily planted, with lots of rock and driftwood to make hiding spaces. All going well, I'll get the plants in this summer and slowly add the stock over the next year. The one thing I'm certain of is a shoal of pygmy corys, or one of the other two dwarf corydoras species.

Are there any good nano schooling fish that get that bright red and blue of neons?

If it must be red and blue, then no, there is no tiny fish I can think of that gives you that combo like neons do.

If red and blue isn’t essential then there are quite a few options.

Green neons have a nice strong blue stripe but barely any red. Even smaller than neons.

 

[aoiumi]

If it must be red and blue, then no, there is no tiny fish I can think of that gives you that combo like neons do.

If red and blue isn’t essential then there are quite a few options.

Green neons have a nice strong blue stripe but barely any red. Even smaller than neons.

The neons are really for my mom. I'm trying to find something like them that she might like, with less risk of them up and dying.

 

[Fishfur]

The neons are really for my mom. I'm trying to find something like them that she might like, with less risk of them up and dying.

I gathered as much but one of the big reasons they are so popular is that the colour scheme they have is not common. Cardinals are even better but are not tiny. Sadly, neons are often very fragile and weak and too often die, no doubt thanks to excessive inbreeding and mass production.

 

[aoiumi]

I gathered as much but one of the big reasons they are so popular is that the colour scheme they have is not common. Cardinals are even better but are not tiny. Sadly, neons are often very fragile and weak and too often die, no doubt thanks to excessive inbreeding and mass production.

I'm getting that. Are there any other really colorful tiny fish? I know chilli rasboras and green neon tetras, I'm wondering if there's anything else.

 

[bored411]

I'm getting that. Are there any other really colorful tiny fish? I know chilli rasboras and green neon tetras, I'm wondering if there's anything else.

There's quite a few nano fish that are colorful. Celestial pearl danios, dwarf emerald rasboras, endlers, guppies, green neons, blue neons, mountain minnows, rice fish, etc. Rasboras are all pretty decent though they can be on the smaller end of things and I found dwarf emerald rasboras in particular to be rather shy.

 

[aoiumi]

There's quite a few nano fish that are colorful. Celestial pearl danios, dwarf emerald rasboras, endlers, guppies, green neons, blue neons, mountain minnows, rice fish, etc. Rasboras are all pretty decent though they can be on the smaller end of things and I found dwarf emerald rasboras in particular to be rather shy.

Hm. If I build the stocking around cory catfish and a potential centerpiece fish, the next question is what to put together... time to dive into fish compatibility again.

 

[Fishfur]

Ruby tetras - pretty red, quite petite - do best in big groups as they are shy.

Sundadanio axelrodi - males are stunning. Blue or green variant. 1.25”.

Beckfords Pencilfish Red variant. Not as tiny as Boraras or Microdevario kubotai but very nice fish. Seeing males spar is a really fascinating show. Their red fins light up like nuclear powered billboards . About 1.5”.

If you are not opposed to livebearers some of the most colourful little fish available are male Endler/Guppy hybrids. Most are no more than an inch long.

Very active, extreme colour variations, multiple colours per fish, not aggressive and can be kept without females and do well.

Pure strain Endlers like the Black Bars are also quite colourful. Cover the entire tank at times but seem to prefer the upper two thirds overall.

 

[TClare]

I second the ruby tetras, they are even smaller than neon tetras, no blue but very pretty, I have some with pygmy Corydoras and some other small fish, they definitely like a densely panted tank.

Even brighter red but rather bigger are the really red pencilfish (Nanostomus mortenthaleri and N. "Rio Cenepa".). They can be quite expensive though.

These are suitable if you have soft water. If your water is hard the livebearers would be a better option.

By the way I have found neon tetras to be hardy and undemanding, however I live closer to the source, which may be a factor.

 

[aoiumi]

I second the ruby tetras, they are even smaller than neon tetras, no blue but very pretty, I have some with pygmy Corydoras and some other small fish, they definitely like a densely panted tank.

Even brighter red but rather bigger are the really red pencilfish (Nanostomus mortenthaleri and N. "Rio Cenepa".). They can be quite expensive though.

These are suitable if you have soft water. If your water is hard the livebearers would be a better option.

By the way I have found neon tetras to be hardy and undemanding, however I live closer to the source, which may be a factor.

Hmm. I have well water so it's much more on the hard side, (7-8 ph depending on if I add things as well) so maybe not.

Celestial pearl danios are beautiful, and I believe they don't need as large a group? (As apposed to tetras which would love groups 50+, as I understand.)

I'm honestly a little scared to touch endlers and guppies. There's just... so many different breeds. So many different patterns. So many sellers of various reputations. I do love them though, especially the way fancy guppies move. The long tails look so much like bettas, but they actually do want to live together, unlike bettas which will fight their own reflection.

 

[ProudPapa]

. . . I'm honestly a little scared to touch endlers and guppies. There's just... so many different breeds. So many different patterns. So many sellers of various reputations. I do love them though, especially the way fancy guppies move. The long tails look so much like bettas, but they actually do want to live together, unlike bettas which will fight their own reflection.

There are a large number of color and fin shape varieties, but picking one that you and your mom both like shouldn't be too difficult. Like neon tetras, over producing them commercially has resulted in weak genetics, but if you can find a breeder that sells them as opposed to importing them you should get healthy fish (or at least there's a better chance).

As far as I know endlers don't have the same health issues. They might also be a better option since they're generally smaller than guppies. The females are larger, and drab and colorless, but the males are very attractive, and assuming you don't want fry all males would be a better option anyway.

 

[aoiumi]

There are a large number of color and fin shape varieties, but picking one that you and your mom both like shouldn't be too difficult. Like neon tetras, over producing them commercially has resulted in weak genetics, but if you can find a breeder that sells them as opposed to importing them you should get healthy fish (or at least there's a better chance).

As far as I know endlers don't have the same health issues. They might also be a better option since they're generally smaller than guppies. The females are larger, and drab and colorless, but the males are very attractive, and assuming you don't want fry all males would be a better option anyway.

One reason I've considered guppies/endlers before is that I do have ducks, who I know would gladly take culled fish for food. It's not my main plan for them, but it does mean I'm not as worried about overpopulation. And being able to breed a really gorgeous strain would be a delight.

Any recommendations on where to get started looking for guppy/endler strains?

 

[ProudPapa]

. . . Any recommendations on where to get started looking for guppy/endler strains?

I might, if you're in the US.

 

[aoiumi]

I might, if you're in the US.

Yeah, USA.

 

[FunnyFish]

There is also the Kubotai Rasboras which is nano, green, and cute. I have looked at these ones several times, but too expensive in Canada.

I would also go with Ruby Tetra as others have said. I have lots with pygmy Cory in my tank.

 

[KingOscar]

The neons are really for my mom. I'm trying to find something like them that she might like, with less risk of them up and dying.

These nano fish are very robust and beautiful too. They don't even need a heater.

White Cloud Mountain Minnow Care (Tanichthys albonubes)

 

[ProudPapa]

Yeah, USA.

I have two varieties and some mutts that I haven't listed yet because I was waiting for the weather to warm up, but it's getting there.

One of our other members, Pwilly07, also has an online store and he has some.

 

[chromedome52]

I didn't see anyone mention Ember Tetras, another very red and very small species. Around the midwest they are fairly available. Only time I found Ruby Tetras was when I was picking through tanks of transshipped wild Cardinals at certain stores.

 

[aoiumi]

Hey again. Talked with my mom, and she really prefers no heater for energy savings. The area for the tank is usually around 68-74 F, (20-22 C) which kind of nicely narrows things down.

I'm looking again at white mountain minnows, and brief search shows wildly conflicting results for what temps C. hastatus, C. habrosus, or C. pygmaeus (The three dwarf cory species) like, so I'm going to put those in the confusing, but possible and I have a back-up tank.

Anyways. Any good coldwater nano fish, or centerpiece fish?

 

[kallililly1973]

I think the second poster mentioned embers. I would recommend them as well I find them to be very hardy and in a 29 you could probably easily get away with 10-15 maybe even 20. We keep some in an 8.8 gallon rimless and the temperature is usually around 73-76 so your temperature should be ok for them as well.

 

[Fishfur]

If it helps any, Seriouslyfish.com reports a temperature range for them from 20-28C.

That’s 68-82.4F.

So Embers should be ok as long as it doesn’t get colder than 68F.

 

[Thunder_o_b]

Just to stick my nose in here, neons do not need to be in schools of 50 and up (tho they look great the larger the school. 10- 15 works quite well. I kept them for years, but then the available stock just got so bad I gave up on them.

 

[Lusoluvr]

There are an assortment of rice fish species/colors. They don't need a heater. This would be my personal choice. Platinums and orange variety are beautiful!

 

[Racerguy]

I just got some Neon Rainbow Dwarfs about a week ago. They are fairly lively and the shimmering pearl blue you can see from a few feet away.

 

[Redshark1]

In my opinion I think you should at least give Neon Tetras a try.

There is nothing as good, save Cardinal Tetras which are a brilliant higher temperature alternative and still pretty small.

The temperature you gave is ideal for Neon Tetras, which are often wrongly kept at high temperature all year round.

The problem with Neons has to do with Columnaris which they can get when they are stressed by the transport and different water conditions they experience when they are shipped.

If you find a reputable LFS, as I did, selling well acclimatised fish you will find they can be sturdy reliable fish. But I agree there are some unreliable sources.

Maybe add them later to a mature healthy aquarium.

If you lived nearby I would bring you some healthy ones in order to convince you they are great!