Detailed Information About the Black Neon Tetra Aquarium Fish

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Brief Overview

Though it belongs to a different genus, the physical makeup the the Black Neon Tetra Tropical Aquarium Fish somewhat resembles the Blue Neon Tetra. Instead of a bright neon-blue stripe down its body the black neon has a light greenish stripe, supplemented with a black stripe. As an aquarium fish it is superior. They aren't exactly 'hearty' as they so succumb to disease and shock fairly easily, but they are more hearty than their neon blue counterpart. Best kept in schools of four at the very least; these fish will stay in fairly uniform, and beautiful schools if you choose to own ten or more. Some great tank mates for the Black Neon Tetra Tropical Aquarium Fish are Blue Neon Tetra, Cory Catfish, Emperor Tetra, or Harlequin Rasbora

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Detailed Wikipedia Information

The Black Neon Tetra Tropical Aquarium Fish (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) is a freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) of order Characiformes. It is native to the Paraguay basin of southern Brazil.

This species is of typical elongated tetra appearance; it is of plain basic coloration but with two distinct, adjacent longitudinal stripes, white above black. The eye has two thin but distinctive color bands across the top, red above yellow. It grows to a maximum overall length of approximately 4 cm (1.5 in). Despite its common name, it does not particularly resemble the neon tetra, which belongs to a different genus.

The Black Neon Tetra Tropical Aquarium Fish's natural diet consist of small invertebrates and plants.

H. herbertaxelrodi is commonly kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists.

The black neon tetra is sometimes called the black tetra, but that name more properly refers to a different species, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi.

Physical description

The Black Neon Tetra Tropical Aquarium Fish is a small fish with the very largest peaking 2.5 inches. It has a distinct scissor-shaped tail, and beautiful greenish-blue eyes. As mentioned above they have a distinct black line running from head to tail along the lower half of their bodies. On top of this stripe is the "neon" part of the fish which usually shimmers silver but, when caught in the right light, will sheen a beautiful greenish-blue chrome color.

In the aquarium

While commercially bred neon tetras have adapted well to a wide range of water conditions, in the wild they inhabit very soft, acidic waters that are usually cooler than the 25 degrees C most tropical aquaria are maintained at.[1] Neon Tetras have a lifespan of about five years.

Neon tetras are considered easy to keep in a community aquarium that is at least 60 cm (24 inches), with a pH of 5.0 and 7.0 and KH of 1.0 and 2.0. However, they will not tolerate dramatic changes to their environment. They tend to be timid and, because of their small size, should not be kept with large or aggressive fish who may bully or simply eat them. Fish that mix well in an aquarium are other types of tetras, such as the rummy-nose tetra, cardinal tetra, and glowlight tetra, and other community fish that live well in an ideal Tetra water condition. Mid-level feeders, they are best kept in schools of five to eight or more, for the "shoaling" effect when they move around the tank. They shoal naturally in the wild and are thus happier, more brightly colored, and more active when kept as a shoal as opposed to singly. Their colour and the iridescent stripe may become dim at night, and can be virtually invisible after a period of darkness. The color may also fade during a period of stress, such as human intervention into the tank. Neons are best kept in a densely planted tank with subdued light and an ideal temperature of 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit to resemble their native Amazon environment.

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