In nature neons presumably eat insect larvae and shrimp and their larvae, like other small tetras.
In South America there are not only large shrimps such as Macrobrachium, but also a large number of smaller genera, e.g. B. live free-floating in the water.
Neons should be fed as varied as possible.
Live food that you have caught yourself is particularly good.
Suitable feed:
A fasting day should be observed once a week.
Neons stand upside down after feeding.
After a feeding, neons often stand at an angle to almost vertically with their heads down in the water. They jerkily thrust forwards and backwards. The behavior often begins about 20 minutes after feeding. After 1 to 3 hours, all animals swim normally again.
Neons are very greedy. flake food e.g. B. is eaten so quickly that the food has no time to soak up water. The neons swallow a lot of air, which is partly enclosed in the feed. In addition, flake food swells.
When feeding freeze-dried food, it is sometimes much worse.
With live food, tetras sometimes swim with bellies so full that they almost seem to burst.
It helps prevent the feed from being eaten right off the surface without getting it wet. Flake food and freeze-dried food can be soaked beforehand. To do this, the food is placed in water in a can before feeding or immersed in the basin and released under water. If mineral water or a vitamin solution is used for watering in a can, the neons will receive additional nutrients.
You can also feed the feed in smaller quantities over a longer period of time.
Red neon eat Cyclops: