Shortly before this, start gradually increasing the water hardness (this is necessary for the juveniles to develop properly) and make other water parameters of the spawning and nursery tank equal, by adding 1-2 glasses of water from the tank where the breeders live every day. In the wild, Neon Tetras can live up to approximately 10 years, however, in home aquariums they are much more likely to live 5-8 years. In the wild, the neon tetra prefers dense canopies, ... Lifespan: 3-5 Years; 12. The male is usually larger, brighter colored and thinner, than the females. Gold Neon Tetra has a lifespan of 5 years. If the fish are ready to spawn, they will start laying eggs the very next morning. Larger fish are out of the question, too. Albino Neon Tetra Paracheirodon innesi (captive variety) This golden-white mutation has been selectively bred in recent years. However, there are never any guarantees when it comes to the lifespan of a fish (as you probably know). After the spawning is over, remove the breeders from the tank as well as the tank plants and the net (after removing the eggs from them). After all, the Neon Tetra is arguably the most popular of any tetra species. On the 6th day the juveniles start to swim. Once you become familiar with their requirements, owning them will be a piece of cake. Like other fish from this region, the diamond tetra does very well in captivity. When you receive Neon … It has silver color combined grey, black, and yellow colors. These fish will group up throughout the day to explore the tank and scavenge for food. They’re beautiful, easy to care for, and a lot of fun to watch. Once the female releases the eggs, they will fall into the mops to stay protected from hungry adults. Diamond tetra is a good tank mate for most all of live-bearing species (platy, molly, swordtail), zebrafish, Odessa barb, rosy barb and so on. Venezuela is a birthplace of the diamond tetra or, more precisely – coastal area of Lake Valencia (Carabobo State), Aragua and Guacara rivers. The diamond tetra (lat. They lay on the tank bottom or stick to the volume walls. There are many different types of aquarium catfish out there. Green Neon Tetra - Paracheirodon simulans. That makes them quite small and easy to manage even if you don’t have space for a larger aquarium. This is a hardy species that can withstand a lot before succumbing to health problems (which is another reason why they’re great for beginners). The expected life span for Moenkhausia pittieri is 3-5 years. The fish requires soft, slightly acidic and very clean water. Dry flakes or pellets should be the main diet staple. Monitor water parameters regularly. Whatever you choose to call it, there’s no denying this freshwater fish’s beauty. It’s a bit larger than most tetras, but it still features the same laterally compressed body. Diamond Tetra (Moenkhausia Pittieri) Diamond Tetra. For females, the dorsal fin is quite short. When you keep this number of species in a group, any fights they have happen inside the group without hurting any other fishes in the tank. The Cardinal Tetra is a bit less durable than other tetra species, including the similar-looking Neon Tetra. The fish got its name due to its opalesque scales, that are especially beautiful at dim light. For vegetables, diamond tetras like simple snacks like lettuce. The Green Neon Tetra is one of the most misidentified species in the tetra family. To get the offspring put a couple of diamond tetra species into a separate volume of 10-15 liters capacity. The diamond-head neon tetra looks very similar to the wild type of the species, but it has a bright, metallic diamond-shape between its head and dorsal fin. For the most part, diamond tetra care is fairly straightforward. The body and fins coloring gets darker and the scales have bronze tint. Since it is tank-raised, this fish is very adaptable, but its natural habitat contains soft, acidic water rich in tannins and leaf litter. At first glance, it’s not hard to see why. In a community of 10-15 relatives the behavior becomes even more interesting: the males show themselves in front of the females, they unfold their tail fins and their scales shimmer. Use river sand as the bottom substrate and add some branchy snags. No, neon tetra will not eat shrimp in your tank but they might chase and harass shrimps thinking them as food. It is … This should induce spawning. The fatty fin is pale pink. The young fish will have duller coloration than their adult counterparts. The fish feels comfortable at 22-26 °C, pH 6-7.5, provided with weekly water renew (10-15% of the total tank volume). Like other tetra species, the diamond tetra has a lengthy anal fin. However, five or seven is even better! However in aquariums Neon Tetras will generally live for around 5 years. The biggest challenge that aquarists have to overcome is pairing the fish off. Diamond tetras make great additions to larger multi-species tanks. They aren’t picky, so finding suitable meals should be a cinch! You can breed them in single pairs or larger groups of 12. Valencia is located between two chains of mountains and it is the second largest lake in Venezuela. They have the same shimmering blue stripe and plashes of red as their more famous cousins. Water quality as a rule is very poor there mainly due to contamination as a result of human life and activities, agriculture and industrial production. You can use flakes as the basic diet and feed it additionally with live or frozen food – bloodworm, brine shrimp. Always provide hiding places for the fish and never keep them in groups of less than 5 specimens. However, there are never any guarantees when it comes to the lifespan of a fish (as you probably know). This species can survive in alkaline waters thanks to their hardy nature, but slight acidity can do a lot to help bring out their beauty! Diamond Tetra Tropical Fish Learn all about the Diamond Tetra's feeding habits and food types, its behaviour, its origins, its natural habitats, is it male or female, breeding advice and information, suitable tank mates, its sizing and growth range, minimum tank size, water PH and more. However, you have to put a bit of thought into its tank mates. These fish are natural omnivores that will eat everything from plant matter to tiny insects in the wild. The dorsal fin is deserving of some special attention, too. Diamond tetras suffer from all of the common freshwater ailments. The neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) is a freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) of order Characiformes.The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater and clearwater streams in the Amazon basin of South America. You can utilize hang-on-back models or canister models. It is quite easy to keep the fish, especially if you have some experience in aquarium husbandry. The fry will survive on the egg sac for a few days more. The first thing to consider? If you’re looking for a peaceful community fish that can cohabitate with others, the diamond tetra is an excellent choice! The expected life span for Brycinus longipinnis is 3-5 years. These little creatures are peaceful, but they can also be very active. If your shrimp is 7/10th’s of an inch, there is no worry you need to take and your tetra … The one from Sumatra island, Indonesia refers to another species.. Harlequin Rasboras are a great shoaling fish to add to your community tank. This fish is easy to feed. Several handfuls of dry leaves (beech or oak tree ones) will complete the simulation of the natural biotope look. At the very least, keep three fish together. However, the normal lifespan of these fish is between 5 and 8 years. Appearance of Neon Tetra But once you do, it’s smooth sailing from there. Choose a balanced formula that meets their nutritional needs. Long fin Tetras are classed as a peaceful species, however if kept with timid tank mates, they will out compete them for the food. Males have more saturated violet tint, while it is barely seen on the females body. These fish can be a bit picky in that regard. However, the scales have an iridescent shimmer than can flash colors of orange, blue, green, and gold! Colors. Tank water parameters have a wide range of acceptable values. Below are the main water parameters to aim for. While not a picky eater, the Blue Diamond Neon Tetra will thrive and … It is convenient to combine this process with feeding, by mixing filtered off plankton and water from the tank in a glass and then pouring the mixture into the spawning tank. It’s sometimes called the diamond characin, or the timanttitetra. By the age of 6-7 month old the young fish has all the distinctive features of adult species down to the sexual dimorphism and they are ready to breed themselves. We’ve been fans of this species for years, and definitely recommend them to anyone! Since the fish is a renown one, it is massively bred, which means that it is adapted to local conditions. Neon Tetras are great pets for beginners and new enthusiasts, adding color and activity to the aquarium. Diamond tetra is native to Venezuela where exactly lives in the resident of Aragua and guara rivers and valencia lake. Feel free to get creative here since there are no hard requirements in terms of plant cultivars. You may also use bunches of small leaved tank plants for this purpose. His favorite aquariums are biotopes (Amazon River),  with Echinodorus and Angelfish. Occasional plant and protein-based snacks are good, too! Since they are mid-level and top-level swimming fish, we should use taller plants in the aquarium. Inhabits in thickly planted areas of the lake and in several of its slow tributaries. However, through the years he’s had experience of keeping almost all types of freshwater fish and shrimps. It is better to put the fish in the spawning tank in the evening. Diamond tetras are a fascinating freshwater fish that more owners should consider. This fish can also be kept in a tank with Amazon biotope, though diamond tetra doesn’t dwell in Amazon river. Most of the body takes on a silvery hue. These fish will definitely view your shrimp as a snack! You should never keep these guys with super-aggressive species. It’s a common sight in the pet trade and continues to be a favorite among fish-lovers around the globe. Its flat body is covered with silvery-gray scales, each of which shimmers like a diamond in reflected light. They are large, dark colored with cross hatching and enduring. A larger tank will create more swimming space while also making it easier to maintain water conditions. The fish gets its common name from the gorgeous finish of its scales. Usually the female lays 350-400 eggs from which only less than 40-60% are fertilized during the first spawning. For diamond tetras, suffering from a disease isn’t normally a huge issue. Neon tetra - Paracheirodon innesi; The size of your tank! You’ll learn everything you need to know! The eyes feature a subtle splash of red on the upper half, creating a unique accent. You should also give them thawed and shelled frozen peas from time to … Short description. Instead, stick to peaceful fish that are roughly the same size as this species. Unfortunately, neon tetras do get sick, and there is even a “neon tetra disease” that has no remedy. Their dorsal is rounded and the rest of their fins are shorter, than those of the male. Speaking of water conditions, it’s important to create the right environment for your fish when it comes to parameters.. Diamond tetras come from shallow rivers and streams in South America, and prefer warm waters that are slightly neutral. Author Note: The great thing about diamond tetras is that their hardiness often limits the spread of disease. Sergey is a founder and author of Meethepet.com. The Blue Diamond Neon Tetra must be kept in schools of 6 or more. In fact, they’re one of the most popular…, Clown Loaches are one of the most popular freshwater fish in the aquarium scene. While hardy, diamond tetras still need a well-maintained environment and top-notch diet to stave off disease and stay healthy. The pectoral fins are transparent, colorless, the rest of them have violet-blue tint. It is desirable to put the breeders separately for 6-8 days before spawning and feed them high with crustaceans and other live food kinds. Fish Keeping Difficulty. ... Lifespan. In the wild feeds on small insects and spineless species living in water or fallen into it. But we don’t recommend trying that out unless you have some experience. Provided with high and proper feeding juveniles become 1 cm long on the 20th day of their life, but at that they still swim very little. Neon Tetra Looking at a school of them can immediately grab peoples’ attention, reducing their stress levels. Diamond tetras are gorgeous freshwater fish that don’t get nearly enough attention. Meanwhile, males have long and pointed fins that are easy to identify. It depends on how ready the fish are for spawning and their physical condition. Therefore, such large school requires a roomy tank (from 200 liters, 44 gallons capacity). Add some driftwood and twisting branches to simulate all of the hiding places the fish have in the wild. This fish will reach about 2 1/3 inches (6 cm) in length and has a lifespan of about 3 to 6 years in the aquarium. As long as you catch the problem early on, you can quarantine the fish and mitigate the spread to others in the community. The Diamond Tetra is famed for its striking appearance. As a result, this species has relatively clear-cut sexual dimorphism, which comes in handy during the breeding season. But, the iconic iridescent shimmer will start to develop at about nine months of age. Interestingly enough, they like odd-numbered social groups. One final noteworthy characteristic of the diamond tetra is the eyes. Fortunately, most of the common diseases are easy to avoid if you stay on top of water conditions. For example, spinach leaves or flakes containing plant components. These freshwater fish are surprisingly resilient, which makes them great options for beginners and novice aquarists alike. They are particularly fond of brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. Author Note: The quality of care you provide will have a big impact on the lifespan of these freshwater fish. Recently, glofish tetra and lemon tetra have also been introduced, so you can have a shimmering school of tetra fish in your tank. Pictures The diamond tetra (scientific name: Moenkhausia pittieri) is an eye-catching species that goes by many other names. Diamond tetras aren’t going to venture down there too much, but it helps provide that natural feel. The usual size of an adult neon tetra is an inch and a half. Neon Tetra Lifespan. Though the fish has a reputation of the one that nips fins, such behavior can be corrected as a rule by keeping the fish in a school of at least 6-8 species. For example, there is the long-finned neon tetra which is very rare, a golden strain, and a diamond neon tetra which looks sprinkled with very attractive scales all over its body. This stripe is almost absent on the male body. Columbian tetra (Hyphessobrycon columbianus): five years; Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus): five years; Convict (Amatitlania nigrofasciata): 10 to 18 years; Debauwi catfish (Pareutropius debauwi): eight years; Diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittier): five years; Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciata): 10 to … Turn all of the lights off in the tank and add your fish. When you’re decorating the tank, aim to replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible. That said, more space is never a bad thing. However, still it is desirable to keep the fish in soft water. Fema… The scales on the whole body shimmer, that’s why the fish is called diamond tetra. We recommend a tank size of at least 15 gallons when keeping these fish. Its flat body is covered with silvery-gray scales, each of which shimmers like a diamond in reflected light. The diamond tetra is one of the stockier types of tetras out there. Diamond tetras do best in an Amazonian biotope setup. Or you can do it another way: renew 60-70% of the tank water with the fresh one of the same composition and temperature. It’s easy to understand why- Neon Tetras are exceptionally beautiful, friendly, and hardy fish. It really adds to their overall beauty! Diamond tetras are easy to please! Recommended number of the species is 6, because this way you will have a chance to see all the beauty in a school in a tank with opaque lighting. Make sure your tetra have a balanced diet by feeding them a mix of pellet food and insects, like freeze-dried bloodworms and wingless fruit flies. The lifespan is about 5 years. The neon tetra has been seen to be living for as long as 10 years in captivity. “Pleistophora Hyphessobryconis (sometimes also spelled Plistophora), which is responsible for the well-known ‘neon tetra disease,’ is perhaps the best known sporozoan disease in tropical fish, most notably in neon tetras…. Thus, there is constant process of eutrophication there (this is the process of water quality degradation because of excessive ingress of so called ‘biogenic elements’ into the water, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the first place) and this causes algal bloom. Whatever you choose, make sure that it can cycle the water volume several times an hour to keep ammonia and nitrate levels undetectable. Diamond Tetras do better in soft and slightly acidic water conditions. This tetra is a good choice of fish for a community tank. Family: Characidae. Provided with such feeding the offspring grows by leaps and bounds. They fall under the small group of tetra fish (but should not be confused with neon black tetra, neon gold tetra, yellow neon tetra, Diamond Head neon tetra or cardinal tetra) as they look similar. Lifespan: 5-10 years; Diet: Omnivorous; Every tetra list has to include the Neon Tetra. However, this is a great choice if you have experience and just want a low-maintenance freshwater species as well. With their incredibly beauty and low-maintenance care requirements, this is a species that anyone can enjoy! Females have not very pronounced greenish-gray lateral stripe that starts from the tail fin base and goes along the body. The neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) is one of the oldest tropical fish in the hobby, having first been collected and kept as far back as the 1930’s. Originally from inland bodies of water in South America, the diamond tetra prefers to live in shallow and slow-moving tributaries. Eggs should hatch in about 24 to 36 hours. The Diamond Tetra is a stockily-built tetra species with a laterally-compressed body. The goal here is to give the fish plenty of places to hide and relax. The iridescent finish gets more vibrant as the fish ages, reaching its pinnacle once the fish matures. A powerful filter with filtering medium that acidifies water will help you with this task. It is good to use natural subdued light from the window in this case. Black neon tetras are now generally all captive-bred and there is an albino form that is also sometimes available. Lifespan. To prevent bacterial and fungi infection add some methylene-blue into the tank water. Neon Tetra have a fairly wide range for their lifespan depending on their care conditions. You might see some playful fighting here and there, but aggression is usually not something you have to worry about with diamond tetras. Add some spawning mops or clumps of java moss to the bottom of the tank. The Neon tetra has been around in the aquarium hobby for many decades since they first appeared in the 1930s. This fish like almost all tetra species feels more comfortable together with other fishes of its kind and usually they are quite timid if there are not many of them in a tank. Top of the fish iris is red. However, only reproductive species can demonstrate this fascinating coloring, because the juveniles are rather pale colored. ... Diamond Head Tetra require moderate care and have a peaceful temperament. That should be enough to keep a smaller group of three fish. Common name: Diamond tetra. In this case to trigger the spawning process you should add 1,0-1,5 liters of fresh soft water with temperature T= 29-30 °C.During the spawning male haunts the female actively and makes her lay eggs. Also, keep the hardness low. Start off with a layer of sand substrate. The tank lighting should be dim and scattered. Now, add live plants. During their mating games they very often spawn, but it is almost impossible to save the eggs in the community tank. It is native to the Paraguay basin of southern Brazil. Studies showed that species diversity of the fish has reduced almost by 60% starting from the middle till the end of the 20th century. 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