Neon Tetras

[dR3ws3r]

Hi,

I've been looking to add a half dozen or so Neon Tetras to my main tank for over a month now. The problem is, my LFS doesn't have any. I live in central-east US and the guys at the store continue to order them, but they never come in. One guy I spoke to said there is really only one main breeder for them, (not sure if that is just rumor). I know this is a long shot, but does anyone know anything about this, or is this a common occurrence, that somewhat common fish just stop being available? Disease, covid, etc?

 

[Byron]

Neon tetras are not the healthiest of fish these days, but they should still be available. However, before spending time on finding them...what is your tank size? What other fish do you already have? And what are your water parameters, which refer to the GH (general hardness), pH and temperature?

If you do get neons, or any similar shoaling fish species, you need a group of 10 or more. We have members in the eastern US who may have ideas on suppliers, including online mail ones, but let's sort out the environmental issues first.

 

[Colin_T]

Neon tetras are bred in Asia in the millions by numerous breeders/ fish farms so there shouldn't be a shortage of them. Maybe the shop only buys local bred stuff, in which case there might only be one breeder n the area they buy from. But as a general rule, most pet shops buy fish from suppliers who bring in regular shipments of fish from Asia. Some fish might be bought from local fish farms but the majority are imported.

 

[dR3ws3r]

I have a 25 gallon. Soft water, low kh around 1 dkh, and low GH. TDS is around 60 out of the tap. I currently have 5 out of the first batch of 10 that I bought probably 9 months ago. Probably saw the first 5 die in the first week or two of having them. Only 2 ottos in the tank with them and some Amano shrimp I think getting up to 10 or 12 should be fine. I have even set up a quarantine tank ... but like I said, I can't find any locally. I'm a little hesitant to mail order, but maybe that isn't as bad as I think it is?

Also PH is in the high to low 6's ... depending on what the tap water of the week brings.

Usually do a 5 gallon water change 3 times a week fwiw

 

[Byron]

With your water (very soft and acidic) you might consider the related species to the Neon (Paracheirodon inessi). The cardinal is one, P. axelrodi, but the other is less often seen and in my opinion a lovely little fish, P. simulans. Genetically it is closer to P. axelrodi, but the neon blue/green lateral line is perfectly straight which gives the fish a very linear profile, and the red below the line is less intense but still beautiful. A group of 15 would be best, this is something of a delicate fish but that is usually due to the inappropriate water parameters, not an issue here. I would not however mix this species with the Neon, as they have quite different water temperature needs. But worth considering.