Neon Tetras

[NSP]

Hi everyone!

My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.

I have a 25 gallon tank with:

2 Guppies
1 Male Platy
1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)

I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.

How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
inch?

Regards,
Neil

[NetMax]

"NSP" > wrote in message
m...
> Hi everyone!
>
> My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.
>
> I have a 25 gallon tank with:
>
> 2 Guppies
> 1 Male Platy
> 1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)
>
> I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
> Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
> very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.
>
> How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
> inch?
>
> Regards,
> Neil

In an over-filtered low-lying planted 60g commercial tank which gets a 5g
water change every 6 hours, I drop in 500 small Neons (to the approx. 100
Neons which are already in there), and they look marvellous. I'd never
do this at home of course, but the point is that they don't look or
behave stressed. They school back and forth, often in a figure 8
pattern, packed together so tightly that they appear to leave the tank
half empty. Neons find solace & comfort in a crowd, so from a
behavioural perspective (in a tank with nothing but Neons), the inches
per gallon does not apply well to them. From a biological perspective,
perhaps 2 or 3 Neons per gallon would be about right. In your tank, with
other fish, I'd put in about 20 as a nice fit.

NetMax

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Neon Tetras
>From: (NSP)
>Date: 12/4/2003 1:53 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
>Hi everyone!
>
>My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.
>
>I have a 25 gallon tank with:
>
>2 Guppies
>1 Male Platy
>1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)
>
>I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
>Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
>very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.
>
>How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
>inch?
>
>Regards,
>Neil
>

The "rule" is an old one that doesn't apply to most fish in the hobby.
Neons are probably one of a few that it *does* fit.

[m.dekort]

You have planty of room

Get at least 6 - they shoal

NSP wrote:

>Hi everyone!
>
>My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.
>
>I have a 25 gallon tank with:
>
>2 Guppies
>1 Male Platy
>1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)
>
>I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
>Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
>very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.
>
>How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
>inch?
>
>Regards,
>Neil
>
>

[C-FYMP]

What about the different water chemistry requirements? I understand
livebearers are hardy, but will they survive the acidic water the neons
require?


"NSP" > wrote in message
m...
> Hi everyone!
>
> My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.
>
> I have a 25 gallon tank with:
>
> 2 Guppies
> 1 Male Platy
> 1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)
>
> I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
> Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
> very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.
>
> How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
> inch?
>
> Regards,
> Neil

[C-FYMP]

What about the differnt water chemistry requirements? I know the
livebearers are hardy, but will they survive the acidic conditions the
tetras require?

(NSP) wrote in message >...
> Hi everyone!
>
> My tank has finally cycled and all the fish appear to be doing well.
>
> I have a 25 gallon tank with:
>
> 2 Guppies
> 1 Male Platy
> 1 Pleco (don't criticize the Pleco!)
>
> I want to avoid overcrowding my tank. What I have read is that Neon
> Tetras don't quite fit with the 1" per gallon rule because they use
> very little space and are not as wasteful as other fish.
>
> How many neons would fit in the 1" per gallon rule? Is it 2 neons per
> inch?
>
> Regards,
> Neil