Neon Tetra Paracheiraden Innesi Neon Tetras come from the streams of the Peruvian Amazon, and it is here that they travel in large schools. To view their colours at their best, keep Neons in soft, clear and slightly acid water with a temperature maintained at approx. 72ºF and 76ºF. The tank should be well-planted and have a dark bottom. Neons are not fussy eaters. Neons can reach a size of approx. 1½ inches. I love these fish and they look great in a school of about 40-60 fish. The colourful part of their body is dark maroon and has a thin bluish-green stripe, extending the full length of their body. The difference between the sexes is in the stripe: the male's stripe is straight whilst the female's stripe is slightly crooked. The belly is silvery becoming red at the posterior; the fins are transparent. When breeding, choose a colourful pair over the age of nine months; keep them well fed. You will need a five gallon, completely glass tank which is dimly lit and well-planted. The water should be very soft - no more than 3DH, acid PH6.5, temperature 73ºF-74ºF. You will also need to add two teaspoons of salt per gallon of water. When the female is swollen with eggs, place the pair in the breeding tank. They should lay within a couple of days; if not, remove them and feed them on live tublex worms for approx. one week and then try again. When Neons begin to spawn they will chase each other through the plants. About 60-130 non-adhesive eggsa are scattered throughout the tank. As soon as the pair have finished, remove them and place a lid on the tank. The eggs will begin to hatch in approx. 24 hours. Keep the tank away from direct light. Once the fry become free-swiiming, slowly increase the amount of light the tank receives. It is preferable to feed the fry on yolk from a hard-bioled egg, which is squeezed through a cloth. Be prepared to loose a few of the fry.