Question About Neon Tetras.

[Alexp08]

So i was watching the show "tanked" on animal planet. The host said that neon tetras glow because they were injected with color from jelly fish. I thought neon tetras evolved to look the way they do now and that the glo fish danios were the ones that got injected (among other).  
Any clarity on this issue?

 

[delkimgreen1]

who the hell even thinks to do something like that anyway Lol

 

[Lillefishy]

Neon tetras are a natural fish, Glofish® are a man made fish genetically altered not injected to glow.
There are also dyed fish which are injected, a horrible practice.
I don't like that show, it's all about what ridiculous things they can put in tanks & not about the welfare of the fish, only watched one though

 

[Byron]

That show is dangerous to this hobby, frankly.  I'll say no more on that.
 
Injecting dyes into some fish species has been done, sadly, but not to the four species of "neon" tetra.  These fish, Paracheirodon innesi (neon tetra), P. axelrodi (cardinal tetra), P. simulans (false or green neon tetra) and the fourth more recently discovered species that to my knowledge has not yet been described and named, all have the blue/green iridescent line that contains pigment cells known as iridophores (or sometimes guanophores); these reflect light using plates of crystalline chemochromes made from guanine. In light, these generate iridescent colours due to the diffraction of light within the stacked plates.
 
Byron.

 

[sawickib]

I will also say the show is very dangerous to new comers, and i dont remember where i heard this so take it lightly, but they stock them intentionally way over the limits and then they later take most of the fish out for reasonable levels of fish in the tank. Still it makes new comers think that its ok to get a tank fill it with water and throw a crap ton of fish in it, so yeah its bad.

 

[Alexp08]

Yea i can see how it is dangerous. I like watching it just to see the different verities of saltwater fish. Im only freshwater so it gives me a glimpse into the other side. 

 

[delkimgreen1]

Im a keen coarse angler (waits for sharp intake of breath) and i wont watch robson greens show on tv because he treats the fish abysmaly. So if this tanked is in the same vien i dont think i will be watching it.

 

[Gruntle]

Tanked is more about creating different shapes of tank ("I own a winery so I want a fish tank shaped like a wine barrel"). They are predominantly saltwater, and as far as I can tell their knowledge of freshwater fish is abysmal. I saw them build a drumkit tank once and put 4 Ranchu goldfish in a tank that looked like it was less than a gallon, with absolutely no filtration. I can only assume their saltwater knowledge is up to the task, because I know nothing about it. Fish Tank Kings is another, again mainly saltwater, but they appear to have a bit more care about their livestock.
 
Tanked seems to have degenerated more into the "look at these two idiots who run a business and how they can't agree on anything." I have trouble watching it, but I do sometimes like the ideas they come up with for tank shapes. I would like to duplicate some of them, but I think I caught a hint on one show that their tanks run into the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.

 

[delkimgreen1]

Basic square tanks are easy enough to make i had a mate used to make them back in the 80 's but time you buy the glass and have the edges ground and buy the silicon glue is it really any cheaper ?