Black neon tetras

[Fishies4Ever]

I have a 10 gallon fish tank that is overstocked. I have a 29 gallon that I am probably going to get over the summer but it’s going to take me a little while to set up. I am thinking about putting my group of 6 black neon tetras in the 29 so there’s not so many fish in my 10 gallon. How big of a school of them could I have? What kind of bottom dwellers would be good? I want to go with as close to a natural habitat for them so what substrate, plants, etc would be good? They would be the only school of fish except for the bottom dwellers.

 

[Slaphppy7]

12-15 black neons in a 29G

Not much of a footprint for corydoras in a 29G, but you could try them for substrate dwellers...shrimp and snails are nice, too

A single BNP would be fine, as well

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello Fish. 29 gallons is a good size for very small fish. You could easily have a dozen small Tetras in 29 gallons of water. Change half their water at least once a week and add a few plants like Anubias, Anacharis and maybe a little Water Lettuce and you'll have a nice tank. I like Corydoras for the bottom of the tank. Three or four is a good number of a smaller species. I have a hybrid called "Orange Saddle".

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[WhistlingBadger]

You could keep fifteen black neons in a 29g, and such a large school would be good for the fish. This is assuming that the aquarium is set up and decorated appropriately, that your water is reasonably soft, and so on. Some of the smaller Cory catfish would be the natural choice for bottom dwellers. Pick a species you like and get ten or twelve of them. Or pick habrosus cories and get 20 or more!

A substrate of fine sand would be ideal for the cories. Many of us simply use play sand or pool filter sand, available at the hardware store or home center. Plantings could include Amazon swords, cryptocorynes, and floating plants such as frogbit. Both of these fish species appreciate the inclusion of driftwood branches for cover.

 

[GaryE]

Black neons are one of my favourite tetras. They are quite adaptible - going from 23 to 27 C in nature, and accepting soft to medium hard water. A standard 29g is 36 inches across the front, and that would hold a dozen. The only easily found Corydoras from that region is C. hastatus, one of the pygmys, and in a tank planted around the back and edges, that could make a good set up. Greenfire, serpae, neon and panda tetras come from the same region and are about the same size. But serpae can be nippy.

 

[Byron]

If this is a standard 29g, I believe the length is 30 inches (?) by width 12 inches. My two 29's were. Not that this matters much for what follows.

Black neons in a group of 10-12, no problem. This species tend to remain in the upper half of the water column. A good cover of floating plants will make it much more colourful.

If cories are intended, the substrate must be soft sand. Some of the common species would work here, or one of the "dwarf" species. The latter should be in higher numbers, say 15-30, while the former could be in the 12-20 number.

As noted, Serpae Tetra are notorious fin nippers, and just as bad is the "Greenfire" if it is Aphyocharax anisitsi. All species in this genus are real terrors.

Ni mention has been made of parameters, but all these fish to varying degrees are very soft water.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

12-15 black neons in a 29G

Not much of a footprint for corydoras in a 29G, but you could try them for substrate dwellers...shrimp and snails are nice, too

A single BNP would be fine, as well

Ok ty but sorry what is a BNP

 

[Fishies4Ever]

You could keep fifteen black neons in a 29g, and such a large school would be good for the fish. This is assuming that the aquarium is set up and decorated appropriately, that your water is reasonably soft, and so on. Some of the smaller Cory catfish would be the natural choice for bottom dwellers. Pick a species you like and get ten or twelve of them. Or pick habrosus cories and get 20 or more!

A substrate of fine sand would be ideal for the cories. Many of us simply use play sand or pool filter sand, available at the hardware store or home center. Plantings could include Amazon swords, cryptocorynes, and floating plants such as frogbit. Both of these fish species appreciate the inclusion of driftwood branches for cover.

This sounds ideal. Just to be clear I would be able to have 20 harbrosus cory cats with the 15 black neon tetras? I love using sand in my tanks, I have recently found out and driftwood! Do you have a good brand of sand you like to use and is there a specific process to get any harmful things out of it. The sand I have used is a fish sand that is sugar white.

 

[emeraldking]

Ok ty but sorry what is a BNP

I'm not sure but I think bristlenose pleco...

 

[Fishies4Ever]

This is another question. Would I be able to add some albino black neon tetras. Would they all school together or would they do separate schools.

 

[Byron]

This is another question. Would I be able to add some albino black neon tetras. Would they all school together or would they do separate schools.

Yes, these fish are the same species, just the natural one and a variety developed by selective breeding. They recognize each other as the same.

On the sand, as you are in NA have a look at Lowe's or Home Depot for Quikrete Play Sand. This is good safe sand (other brands may/are not). There is a dark grey and a tan colour sand. BTW, never use white, not with cories especially, it does cause stress as they cannot blend in with it.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

Yes, these fish are the same species, just the natural one and a variety developed by selective breeding. They recognize each other as the same.

On the sand, as you are in NA have a look at Lowe's or Home Depot for Quikrete Play Sand. This is good safe sand (other brands may/are not). There is a dark grey and a tan colour sand. BTW, never use white, not with cories especially, it does cause stress as they cannot blend in with it.

Thank you I didn’t know that with the white sand. I don’t have any Cory’s in the tank with the white sand luckily. I’ll have to look at Lowe’s soon.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

I just found out that I won’t be able to have this tank in my current house . I sadly won’t have enough room, but I am glad you guys responded to all my questions so quickly and if I ever want to set up this tank in the future I know what to do. I will still probably get some sand because I am thinking of getting a beta tank. Thank you! So sorry.

 

[Fishies4Ever]

I know I was really looking forward to it. I was thinking I could keep the tank in the basement but my parents said no. I had moved last summer and we had a big house and if we still lived there I would be able to have it. I wanted to do it with this fish because I have an overstocked 10 gallon with 6 black neons already so I though it would be cool to give them their own tank and not have so many fish in the 10. I’m soooo disappointed but maybe someday when we remodel the house a bit.

 

[Slaphppy7]

BNP = "Bristle Nose Pleco", see here: https://www.thesprucepets.com/bristlenose-catfish-1380837

Sorry to hear about the change of plans in upgrading your tank, but all is not lost, and IMO, the 6 black neon tetras in a 10G tank, although not ideal, can be sustained for a while until you can upgrade to a bigger tank.

If an upgrade won't happen soon, could you rehome the fish, or donate to a pet store?

Tell us about the origins of this 10G tank...are the 6 BNTs the only fish in the tank? Any other inhabitants?

How long has the tank been set up? How was it cycled? Planted, no plants?

Post a pic or two of the tank here so that we can have a look