Good Neon Companions

[Elsha]

My sixteen-gallon has almost finished cycling. The lone survivors are two neon tetras (yeah, we made a few mistakes) so, obviously, some of the first fish I'm looking to get once it's done are some more neons to keep them company. My partner, on the other hand, thinks neons are ghastly and really wants to get some other tetras in the hopes that they'll school with the neons but also be more interesting. Since he has his heart set on a school of pearl danios as well, there's obviously not room in the tank to have two tetra schools and the danios.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions on tetras that will school well with neons. I thought perhaps glowlights, but I'm open to suggestions. The partner really wants penguin tetras after having seen them in the fish shop, but I'm pretty sure they'd be too big to school happily with neons - I just need some outside opinions to help convince him he's on the wrong track! (Of course, if that would work, it'd make him very happy, but fish health and happiness clearly comes before what he thinks is pretty in the tank.)

 

[luque]

ime glowlights do school with neons.

 

[Majjie]

My glowlights do hang around with the neons - but they don't interact with them like other neons would. The only other fish that would are cardinals - which your partner probably wouldn't like either.

 

[Elsha]

Heh, okay then. I guess he's going to have to resign himself to disappointment.

 

[NEONCORY]

I don't know the surface area for the 16G tank but the danios are swimmer and really need some space to swim. They do better with long tank and I believe Pearl Danio is one of the biggest Danio if I remember correctly. So they are not suitable for the tank below 20GL. You can always check the recommendation for the specie profiles.
If you set the mind for the another tetra that school with Neons would be Cardinals, Green Neons and Glowlights. Although I don't know they would be considered "school together" since they don't swim back and forth like you see in the over stocked dealer tank. Once they live in your tank for a while and become settle down, each fish explore and find their own space. Some time they do little pecking to establish their own territory. So you want see them swimming together all the time. After all schooling is the form of defence mechanism so the predator see as bigger fish. So unless something threatning for them, they will not truly school together. I see them swim same area when I come to the tank to feed them or stick my hand in the tank to do water change or something but rest of the time, each fish do their own thing. I also heard that some of the rasbora would school well.
If the tankmate which goes well with Neons and school their own, I would recommend to consider Hatchet fish or Pencil fish. Which mainly occupy the upper part of the tank. And they do better in the group so should get 6 and up. Or you could go with smaller type of Corydoras, there are so many of them but make sure to choose smaller kind since your tank is not big. They would entertain you and partner that they have such a character. They would wink at you. And they are peaceful. They would even lay eggs if the condition is right.
I don't think you can get more than 1 group beside the group of Neons(and it is a good thing that you will get more Neons since they do better in the group of 6 or more) and one more group of fish.
Well, anyway good luck with your choice.