▷ Red neon (Paracheirodon axelrodi) | All information and details

Datasheet Red Neon

German name:
Red neon

Scientific name
Paracheirodon axelrodi

Origin:
South America: Guiana, Amazon region

Size:
4.5-5cm

Aquarium

Length:
60 cm

Contents:
From 54 liters

Lighting:
Shady

Furnishings:

plants, shelter

water values

Temperature:

24-28ºC

PH value:
5.3 – 6.5

Behave

Number:
10 Everywhere

propagation:
egglayer

Lining:
omnivore

Behave:

school fish

Difficulty level:
Beginners with basic knowledge

© mikhailg – Fotolia.com

Attitude for Red Neons

Red tetras, Paracheirodon axelrodi, are blackwater fish. They live in darker water, brownish in color with humic acids and tannins, and in shady areas. That’s why the animals are so colorful.

This allows them to recognize each other even in darker waters.

Neons prefer natural conditions, i.e. slightly darkened lighting.

The lighting should in no case be stronger than normal aquarium lighting. i.e. 1 – 2 tubes depending on the pool size.

The aquarium should be densely planted with plants that grow tall and shade the tank.

Amazon sword plants, Aponogeton and Vallisneria are suitable.

Red neon swarm © Julia Beuter

In addition, finely feathered plants are planted, e.g. B. java moss and consorts. Neons love to court in such plants.
Floating plants and additional shading plants, e.g. B. tiger lotus, additionally strengthen the shadow cast.

The water should be soft. 4 degrees dGH should not be exceeded, 1 – 2 degrees are better if you want to breed. The pH should be well below 7, preferably below 6. A pH value between 5 and 5.8 is ideal.
A total hardness of around 7, a carbonate hardness of around 4 and a pH between 6.5 and 6.8 are just about suitable for keeping.

Temperatures around 24° are suitable. In summer the temperature can sometimes reach 30°.

If compromises have to be made in the aquarium, red tetras can also be kept in medium-hard, neutral to slightly alkaline water.

Keeping a group of at least 10 animals is ideal. A lot of space is needed for the neons to form swarms. A swarm can only move if it has space. Therefore, such a pool should be more than 1 meter long and 50 cm deep.

Sex differences in Red Neons

Even adult females are fuller and have a rounder belly than males. Males look a bit underfed in comparison. Females are usually larger too. The males are slender, narrow and smaller.

The pelvic fins are further away from the anal fin in females than in males.

What fish go with neons

All peaceful animals from similar areas of origin are suitable as companion fish. The fish do not have to come exclusively from South America. Armored catfish, loricariid catfish, harlequin barbs, Congo catfish, dwarf cichlids, etc. are suitable.

Of course, the aquarium must not be too crowded. Strong swimmers as companion fish also impair the well-being of the tetras.

Which substrate is suitable for Red Neons

The type of substrate, i.e. whether gravel or sand is used, is irrelevant for red neons because neons do not dig in the ground.

If the aquarium is set up with enough plants that provide shade, the color of the substrate doesn’t really matter.

How old do neons get?

In the wild, Red Neons often only live for a year. In the aquarium, they live up to three to six years on average if they are kept well. The maximum age for red tetras is around 12 years, for neon tetras around 10 years.

Red neons and angelfish

Red neon Source: Image on Wikimedia Commons License: CC Attr. SA 3.0 Author: Lerdsuwa

Apparently, red neons recognize from the shape of the scalars that scalars are predators. This is indicated by an observation when 6 wild-caught altum angelfish with a size of only 3 to 5 centimeters were placed in an aquarium with red tetras. As soon as a small scalar emerged from the vegetation, the neon swarm formed very tightly and dodged the scalar in a bell shape.

After that, the neons crowded into a corner where no scalar could be seen.

Apparently the neons didn’t realize that the scalars couldn’t be dangerous just yet. Apparently, predators don’t have to be significantly larger than neons. It is enough if the shape of a predator can be recognized.

Red neon are mostly in small areas:

Red neon: