A graceful and agile fish, very beautiful. A bluish longitudinal stripe runs from the middle of the body to the base of the caudal fin, bordered at the edges. But the dark gray fins with a white border are especially beautiful. In the reflected light, the fish sparkles like a diamond. She has a peaceful disposition. Gender is easy to determine. Six-centimeter males are larger than females. Their dorsal fin is much larger and more curved.

Content

To keep this fish, a community aquarium is suitable, densely overgrown around the edges, but with sufficient space in the middle. The diamond tetra is a peaceful, agile schooling fish. It quickly sweeps through the aquarium, then hides among snags and plants. Gets along with neons, small cichlids and small armored catfish. It is advisable to pass the water in the aquarium through a peat filter, pH 5.5 - 7.0, hardness 4 - 12 0, temperature 22 - 26 0 C.

The food for these fish is small live or frozen food, as well as dry film food.

Breeding

To breed the diamond tetra, you need an all-glass aquarium with a capacity of 15 - 20 liters. Sand cannot be added to it. A bunch of myriophyllum or hornwort, thoroughly washed with running water, should be pressed to the bottom of the aquarium with a clean glass rod. Water temperature is 26 - 28 0 C. To breed diamond tetra, you need to select a couple of breeders at the age of 8 - 9 months and place them for spawning. Spawning occurs in thickets of plants. The spawners are then removed from the spawning area. After a day, the larvae appear. Tiny, transparent, they do not need additional nutrition for four to five days. Only when they turn into fry and swim, they should begin to be fed 4-5 times a day with zooplankton (“live dust”).

When breeding these fish, you need to remember one important circumstance. The fry grow unevenly. Many of them grow much faster than others. This threatens cannibalism, that is, when larger ones eat their smaller brothers and sisters.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to promptly remove large fry from the spawning area into a separate vessel with the same water as in the spawning area. And most importantly, the young should be provided with a varied and regular diet.


False royal tetra. These are peaceful schooling fish, up to 5 cm in size, preferring clean, fresh water with a temperature of 22-27 degrees. Live in: northern Mato Grosso region, upper reaches of the river. Aripuana. They live up to 5 years. Sexual maturity is reached at 6-8 months. The optimal breeders are selected from a flock of 2-3 month old, medium-sized juveniles. 5-10 days before the expected spawning, the fish are intensively fed, with the addition of livebearers, cyclops and bloodworms. Spawning in pairs. The signal for spawning is a decrease in hardness (by adding fresh distilled water). Increase the water temperature by 2-4 degrees. Spawning tank with a volume of 2-4 liters, with a protective mesh at the bottom. Productivity up to 300 eggs per pair. Fertilized eggs have a transparent shell. After 3-5 days the juveniles begin to swim. The fry are fed by rotifers, nauplii, and ciliates.

Appearance:

The main body color of the male is dark purple with a longitudinal dark stripe in the middle. The adipose fin is cornflower blue. Females of this species are much less colored.

view freshwater fish family characin. Homeland - the upper part of the Amazon basin. Popular tropical fish for keeping in aquariums.

Area:

State of Mato Grosso (Brazil), r. Takuari to the town of Cochin.

Dimensions:
Gender Differences:

males are much slimmer and smaller than females.

aquarium from 40 l, densely planted, but with free space for swimming. Water hardness 8-15°, pH 6.4-7.5, temperature 22-24°C. A weekly replacement of 1/5 of the volume of water with fresh water is necessary.

Feeding:

V natural conditions black neons feed on various small species of crustaceans, mosquito larvae and small insects falling to the surface of the water.

Breeding:

Black neons become sexually mature at 8-10 months. Spawning is paired, but it is better in the ratio of 2 males/1 female. The water is settled for two weeks; hardness 2-12°, pH 6.2-6.6, temperature 24-26°C. Spawning tank - 10-30 l. The water layer is 20 cm. The spawners are placed in the spawning tank in the evening. The lighting is poor. Safety net is required. The incubation period is 24-30 hours. By the end of the fourth day, the fry begin to swim and feed.

Compatibility:

peaceful schooling fish. They prefer to stay in the upper and middle layers of water.

An interestingly colored small characinka, very similar in appearance to the red neon popular among lovers. An exceptionally peaceful inhabitant of tropical aquariums, compatible with any other non-aggressive aquatic organisms of similar size and character. Spends most of its time in the middle and lower horizons. Keeps in packs. Shy, at the slightest danger it tends to hide in the thickets, the presence of which in the container is necessary. When decorating, it is also recommended to use dark soil and branched driftwood. In general, it is recommended to maintain the surroundings in dark colors, emphasizing the originality of the color of false red neon.

Area:

IN natural conditions inhabits tributaries of the Rio Negro (Brazil).

Dimensions:

Maximum size - 4 cm.

Content:

A pair can live in a container with a volume of less than 5 liters, but feels better in larger aquariums - from 100 liters for a flock of 15-20 individuals.
Water is preferable to the following parameters: T = 24-27 ° C, dGH 4-16 °, pH about 7. Filtration and regular replacement of water with fresh water of similar quality are necessary chemical composition. Sensitive to excess dissolved nitrogen salts and sudden changes in environment.

Feeding:

Food: frozen bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, high-quality flake dry food (for example, TetraPro).

(lat. Paracheirodon innesi) is a species of freshwater fish of the characin family. Homeland - the upper part of the Amazon basin. A popular tropical fish for keeping in aquariums.

Names in other languages: English. Neon tetra; German Diamantkopf-Neontetra, Neonsalmler, Neontetra .

Area:

the upper reaches of the Amazon from Sao Paulo de Olivens to Iquitos, mainly in the river. Putumayo, also in the river. Purus to Boca do Tapaua.

Dimensions:
Gender Differences:

The luminous blue stripe on the male is straight, on the female it is slightly curved in the middle, and besides, females are much plumper than males.

an aquarium from 30 liters, densely planted with plants, but with free space for swimming. Neons are quite easy to maintain. They withstand water hardness from 0.5° to 20°, temperature fluctuations from 18 to 30°C. Optimal conditions: hardness 5-7°, pH 6.5-7, water temperature 23-24° C. Lighting is low.

Feeding:

They eat well both live and dry combined food.

Breeding:

Neons become sexually mature at 5-8 months. Before spawning, the spawners are seated in different aquariums with a water temperature of 19-20 and fed only with live food - cyclops, catfish, small bloodworms. Spawning is paired or schooled. The spawning tank is 6-10 l and 25-30 l, respectively, the water level is 10-15 cm and 20-25 cm. Distilled or cationized water is used (i.e. passed through ion exchange columns). In the first case, the water should sit in the light for 2 weeks, in the second, the fish can be planted the next day. A separator mesh is installed at the bottom. Water hardness 0.5-3°, pH 6-6.5, KH 0-1°, temperature 23-25°C. Water should be disinfected with ozone or ultraviolet irradiation. Producers are placed in the spawning tank in the middle of the day or late afternoon. The next morning (or after 2-4 days) spawning occurs, which lasts 2-3 hours. Productivity is 50-150 small transparent eggs. After spawning, the spawners are caught and again placed in different aquariums. After 5-6 spawns, repeated every 6-8 days, the fish should be allowed to rest for about a month. The caviar should be darkened. Remove the whitened eggs 2-4 hours after spawning. The incubation period is 20-24 hours. On the 4-5th day the fry swim. Starter food - ciliates, rotifers, etc. At this time, the water hardness should be gradually increased, otherwise dropsy will develop. They spawn throughout the year.

Compatibility:

The fish are schooling and swim more in the middle layers of water and near the bottom.

Additional information:

There are veil and albino forms of blue neons. They live in an aquarium for up to 3-4 years.

Kerry (purple neon) lives in the upper reaches of rivers South America, for example in Brazil (Madeira River and its tributaries). Belongs to the characin family.
The Kerry's body is elongated, moderately high, slender, laterally flattened. The abdomen is whitish. The fins are transparent, rich yellow. The male's adipose fin is azure. In the female, the brown coloration of the back extends on the side to the longitudinal stripe. The fins are transparent, yellowish. The female's adipose fin is brownish-red. There is a dark blue wide longitudinal stripe on the side of the Kerry. Body length up to 4 cm, lives in aquariums up to 3-5 years. Kerry females fewer males and slightly paler in color brightness. It is very similar to neon, which is why its other name is purple neon. The Kerry also has physical and biological similarities to the Royal Tetra.

Peaceful, active, schooling fish. It lives in the upper and middle layers of water and loves to frolic in algae. The size of the aquarium for a Kerry is from 50 liters, for a general aquarium where she will live with other fish - 100 liters. The water temperature in the aquarium is 23-26°C (soft or medium hard), aeration, filtration and weekly water changes are required, plants are desirable. Kerry gets along well with most peaceful fish and will look great with all characins. You can feed it with live, dry, or combined food; it takes food from the surface of the water, and actively eats daphnia and bloodworms. Kerry is bred quite well at home; for spawning, it is best to place a pair or several pairs in a separate container; after spawning, the parents must be placed in the main aquarium, the incubation period is 20-30 hours, the fry swim in 5-7 days, the starting food is Artemia and "living dust" The fish grow quickly and become fully sexually mature by six months.

or Purple neon(Inpaichthys kerri)/False king tetra is a carp-like fish of the characin family. Kerry tetras are similar to the royal tetra (palmeri).

Description of Tetra Kerry:

The color of the male is dark purple with a longitudinal dark stripe in the middle. The adipose fin is cornflower blue in color. Females are noticeably less colored than males. Abdomen in both sexes white. The fins are yellowish and transparent.

The body of these fish is long (up to 4 cm), slightly tall and slender, and slightly flattened on the sides. Males are usually larger than females.

Tetra Kerry Habitat:

These fish live in the north of the Mato Grosso region, the upper reaches of the Aripuana River.

Caring for Tetra Kerry:

Tetra Kerry loves clean and fresh water with a temperature of 22-27°C.

Tetra Kerry are friendly and schooling fish. They stay mainly in the upper and middle layers of water. It is allowed to keep them in a community aquarium, where there are many plants, but there is enough space for swimming.

It is best to feed them with live food, preferably “live dust”, small bloodworms, and tubifex.

Reproduction of Tetra Kerry:

Puberty in young animals occurs in 6-8 months. The best producers are chosen from the flock. 5-10 days before spawning, the fish are fed generously, adding cyclops, bloodworms and livebearers to the food. Spawning is paired or group with the same number of females and males.

A female who is not ready for spawning is pursued by the male and may even be killed. The female's readiness for spawning is determined by her restlessness.

The spawning tank should have a volume of 2-4 liters, with a mesh at the very bottom. The presence of small-leaved plants and low lighting is desirable in the aquarium. Temperature for reproduction 26-28°C, water hardness gH 1-8°; pH 6-6.8;.
Spawning begins with reducing water hardness. This is done by adding distilled liquid and increasing the water temperature by 2-4°C.

One pair of breeders produces approximately 280-300 eggs. Fish do not eat caviar. Fertilized eggs look like a transparent shell. After spawning, the fish must be removed and the aquarium darkened. After 3-5 days, the juveniles swim throughout the entire aquarium. It is best to feed them nauplii, ciliates and rotifers.

Main types of Tetra Kerry:

Has great biological similarities with Royal Tetra and mother-of-pearl Tetra (nematobriko), which were obtained in our country over the past 10 years.

Meet neon black and neon purple! The fish will not come as a surprise to anyone, because everyone knows it and it is the one that will first attract your attention when you enter the aquarium department.

The side stripes of the fish, shining like signs of a night city, became their distinctive feature in the aqua world. But few people know that in addition to red, there are also their brothers, less known to the public, but very, very undeservedly.

Otherwise, this fish is called purple neon or false tetra. Originally from Brazil, lives in the Aripuana and Madeira rivers. U aquatic life a body of this type is elongated in length, moderately high, rather slender and has a slightly flattened shape on the sides.

The color of the belly is light, the fins are transparent, having a subtle yellowish tint. The adipose fin is bluish. In females, the back is colored brown, extending to the sides. The adipose fin of females is brownish-red.

The fish behind the walls of the aquarium appeared relatively recently. It has been known to modern aquarium hobby for no more than 20 years. And as soon as she was discovered, she immediately received universal recognition and love from aquarists around the world.

The unique coloring, peaceful disposition and amazing schooling behavior have made the fish one of the most popular in the world, and put it on the same level as the blue one that we love so much. But not only purple deserves a place next to the best representatives of the underwater world.

Black neon

Representatives of this species of freshwater fish were first described by Gehry back in 1961. This fish is found in the basins of the Rio Paraguay and Rio Taguari rivers, which are located in the south of the Pantanal nature reserve.

The reserve is a colossal wetland area. Its area is about 200 square kilometers.

This species of fish is on the verge of extinction in its natural reservoirs and has long been on the list of animals listed in the Red Book. It is now almost impossible to find wild specimens of this species on the market. All black neons found on the market are grown on farms in Europe and the Far East.

The black diamond inhabits shallow bays and tributaries, areas of flooded forests and river shallows. In its native element, the water of this species has an acidic reaction.

It is usually brown in color. This is due to the presence of tannins and other chemical substances released from decaying organic matter.

- fish that are quite easy to keep in freshwater aquariums.

It is not necessary to have extraordinary skills and knowledge. What's important for you to know: Neons are gregarious creatures. This fact determines the beginning of choosing a home for pets.

Black neon, like its brothers, likes to occupy the middle layers of water in the aquarium. If you keep fish in small numbers, you will not be able to enjoy their species interactions. The black neon will reveal its magnificent coloring only when there are at least 10 of them in one aquarium. Its brother, purple neon, has a similar behavior.

When choosing a container for neons, you need to remember that the more spacious the aquarium, the more beautiful the fish will display their behavior, especially in a school. An aquarium for a flock of 10 individuals should be from 120 liters.

And it is desirable that the aquarium be retracted in length. Neons are fish that can live in different conditions, but the most important aspect What remains is that the fish need to be placed in an already established aquarium. If some fish can feel comfortable in water that was poured into the aquarium a day ago, then for neons this period should be about a week.

Aquarium compatibility

As was previously said, neons are the most peaceful fish on the planet, and even if many peaceful fish have intraspecific strife, you will not notice this in this species of underwater inhabitants.

If we talk about compatibility with other fish within the same aquarium, the quiet ones have never bothered anyone. What you have to think about is not touching them.

Who do Neons feel comfortable with? Our heroes get along well in the same aquarium with the following fish:

  1. All are viviparous.
    Viviparous fish are absolutely non-aggressive towards their neighbors in the tank. The only aggression is the interspecific competition of some males for a female in mating season. Skirmishes are purely symbolic and very rarely result in serious damage. Mollies, platies, swordtails and guppies will be wonderful neighbors for our neons.
  2. The neon community is capable of existing peacefully in the same aquarium with all the labyrinths.
    Lalius, macropods, and gouramis are the perfect peaceful companionship for kids. Only the mating season can be a small problem. When a pair lays eggs in a nest of bubbles that lies under the surface of the water, the male, fiercely guarding it, is able to drive other fish away from the restricted area. But such warnings in a large community aquarium rarely result in serious confrontations.
  3. Danio.
    Another schooling fish, peaceful, like neons. There won't be any problems with these nimble guys either.

And you should immediately note with whom it is not advisable to keep the fish. The first dangerous enemies of neons are large African cichlids. Having seen the babies, the hunting season immediately opens on them until every last one is eaten.

Another enemy of neons in a community aquarium will be aquarium crucians: telescopes, veiltails and koi carps. The fish are herbivores, but when they reach fairly large sizes, they simply swallow the babies swimming nearby.

Conclusion

Neon black and neon purple occupy their rightful place among the most beautiful fish in modern freshwater aquariums. The little ones are so beloved by our compatriots that they occupy a leading position in the popularity of keeping them in home aquariums.

It doesn’t cause any difficulties even for kids, and they themselves can brighten up the whole family’s leisure time and for many hours their eyes will be drawn to the amazing creatures from the waters of Brazil living in the house.