Neon fish: varieties, selection, care and breeding

Aquarium science is an activity that not only calms, but also creatively develops a person. Indeed, in order to make an aquarium interesting, you need to make some efforts. In addition, it is very important to choose the right inhabitants of the water reservoir - so that they please with their beauty and behavior. One of these residents is the neon fish, which for over 100 years has remained incredibly popular. We will talk about how to properly grow neon, how to feed it, whether it is suitable for beginners, in this article.

The homeland of neons is the water bodies of South America, Peru, and Brazil. Fish prefer a weak, slow course. Their coloring is caused by natural necessity, because the water in which they live is often turbid, filled with plant debris, closed with low hanging branches and vines.

Aquarium neons look very small and slender. They have a flat side, elongated body, with which they can quickly move between plants and hide in shelters. The length of the body is from 3 to 3.5 cm. It is very simple to understand that you have neon in front of you, thanks to the characteristic neon strip, which can be clearly seen even in the dark. The fins of the fish are small, they are transparent. As for the nature of the pets, he is quite calm and peaceful. These are schooling fish, so they definitely need neighbors, as well as a spacious aquarium where fish can frolic.

If you look at the body of a neon fish, you will notice that it is conditionally divided into two halves. One of them, as a rule, is silver, but the other is colored. Just the color of this second half determines the name of the variety. Consider the different types of neonchiks that are found both in nature and breeding selected.

• Blue (ordinary). This is the most bought type of fish, it is found most often. The lower part of such fish is colored red, the rest is predominantly bluish-gray.
• Blue. Appeared as a result of crossing red and blue neon. Pretty dark, slender body, very clear blue strip stretches along the entire perimeter.
• Red. Similar fish resemble blue neons, differences can be traced only in color. The back of such fish is beige, and there are two neon stripes: one of them is reddish, and the second is blue.
• The black. It also looks like a blue variety, but the color is darker. Two strips are observed on the body. Silver is narrower, but black will be wider.
• Green. Small, fairly hardy fish with a turquoise neon strip. The back of green neon has a bright emerald color.
• Purple. A very interesting variety, also called pink. A clear blue stripe is observed in the middle of the body of the fish; the scales have a bright purple or pink tint.
• Orange. Such neons are very rare, it is almost impossible to meet them. Bred artificially, are descendants of the red species. The body is light orange, the neon plane is pale, blue. Yellow neon, which has a golden color, is very similar to this species.
• Diamond. A fish with such an interesting and beautiful name was also bred artificially. The body is light, almost white, the end of the tail has a red color. Neon stripe, unlike other species, is not observed.

Neons are fish that even a beginner in aquariums will do just fine. If you have never dealt with fish, and this is your first trip to the pet store, we recommend you to use some useful tips.

• Go to different shops. If you travel around the city often or there are several fish shops near your home, visit all of them. This will help to better study the characteristics of behavior, as well as determine the color.
• Never be guided by a feeling of pity. Of course, the weakest small fish will cause a desire to shelter and grow it, but such an individual may well be sick, unable to reproduce.
• Pay attention to seller behavior. If the consultant catches fish for too long, chasing them all over the tank, it means that he is incompetent. Such fish will then go away from stress for a long time.
• Inspect the look. Healthy neons should be active, brisk. Fishes cannot constantly hide in shelters, be afraid. The scales of future pets are shiny, without suspicious spots, eyes are clean. The body should be slim - if you notice a swelling, it is better not to make a purchase. When the seller catches the fish and puts them in a plastic bag, you can see everyone closer. If you are unsatisfied with the appearance, do not hesitate to request another individual.
• Do not buy solitary fish. Neons cannot live alone, because of this, the fish will quickly die and die.

The difficulty in determining the sexual characteristics of neons lies in the fact that it is possible to clearly distinguish a female from a male no earlier than he turns 8 months old. At the same time, fish are sold in pet stores, which are literally a couple of months old. Therefore, the best solution would be to acquire about ten individuals, and subsequently they will independently choose their partners.

When the fish grow up, you can already distinguish them. It is pretty simple:

• females are larger in size, their body has rounded shapes, and males, on the contrary, are smaller, flatter, elongated;
• the neon strip in females has bends; in males, exceptionally straight lines are visible.

Aquarium neons are unpretentious fish for conditions, it is extremely simple to breed and maintain. The only moment is that they cannot stand too sharp changes in water parameters. Therefore, such fish should be bought only when the aquarium is properly launched, everything is installed in it, and the ecosystem meets the requirements.

For a comfortable fish existence you will need to acquire an aquarium with a volume of at least 10 liters. This is for 4 or 6 fish. If there are more neons or they live in the neighborhood with other fish, you need a more spacious tank. As already mentioned, the aquarium must be settled so that the fish do not experience stress.

Water is changed to a third of the volume should be every week. It is important to use the settled liquid. Temperature indicators should be within 18-24 degrees, acidity - up to 7.5 pH. As for oxygen, here the fish are very unpretentious, because in nature they often have to live in muddy waters filled with plant debris. Neon will really like the peat filler, which will bring water parameters closer to natural ones. Bright lighting is not required for neon residents. An abundance of light, on the contrary, will lead to a variety of diseases. Here you also need to remember that in nature, fish live in the shade.

The light must be diffused lamps are placed only on top of the aquarium. In addition, plants will help ensure proper lighting. It would be nice to get a few floating - they will contribute to dispersion.

There should be a lot of greenery in the aquarium, since neons like to hide and slip through the algae. You can pick up any plants you like, but most of all, aquarists recommend lush, with long stems. Such species as Elodea, Wallisneria, Hornwort will look interesting. An absolutely win-win option would be different types of moss. In addition to plants, neon will also need a variety of snags, shards, artificial grottoes. But don't forget about the sense of proportion - brisk pets need a lot of space for games.

Soil as a whole will suit anyone, but it looks the most beautiful dark sand or basalt. So the fish will be more familiar, because in their natural habitat they move along a dark bottom.

Neons living in nature have a fairly diverse diet: these are all sorts of insects that have fallen into the water, and algae, and tiny underwater microorganisms. At home, fish will be happy to eat both natural and artificial food. Types of food can be alternated, dry food does no harm to fish, but try to choose proven brands. You can pamper neons with bloodworms, brine shrimp, and a pipe maker.

Let's look at some more useful recommendations:

• pets are fed once a day;
• once a week, you will need to completely abandon food so that the fish body can "unload" (fish are very prone to rapid weight gain);
• feed should be strewed slowly so that it does not rot at the bottom, becoming a source of bacteria;
• food should be small, as neons have a small oral cavity.

Neons are not viviparous fish that breed by spawning. The process of their breeding is quite interesting, but sometimes tiring, especially when fry appear. In addition, babies can be expected only in water, the parameters of which are fully consistent with natural.

Spawning is set up in a separate tank, the volume of which is about 20 liters (for two pairs of parents).The tank is thoroughly washed and disinfected, then distilled water is poured into it, into which about 300 g of liquid from a common aquarium is added. Remember that without these conditions, you can’t get offspring. Neons often breed in a common aquarium, only fry do not come out of this caviar. That is why the parameters of softness and naturalness are very important:

• the medium should be slightly acidic;
• pH - no more than 6;
• temperature - from 24 to 26 degrees.

At the bottom of the selected tank, Javanese moss in a small amount must be laid, but before that they check to see if there are snails and other organisms there. The light must be made dim, diffused, and only in one area of ​​the aquarium, the remaining areas darken.

A month before spawning, fish begin to be fed well with live food, but immediately before mating, the feeding process stops. Pets are launched into the tank in the evening, where they calmly swim until dawn. Toward morning, the pair begins to mate: the female lays eggs, the male swims behind her, not lagging behind. In total, the female is able to lay up to 200 eggs, which at first cling to the leaves, and then slide to the bottom. When the process is over, the fish are moved to a common aquarium, because parents can take caviar as a tasty food.

It is important to note that In no case should caviar be lit. It is best to put the spawning in a dark place. And also after a few hours, the eggs are carefully examined, since survival is usually low. Whitened specimens are immediately pipetted and removed. When fry appear, do not be afraid of unusual behavior. At first, the kids seem to freeze in space, and they will only swim for 4 days, then they will begin to eat.

Do not forget that young animals see almost nothing, so the light will negatively affect their eyes. Only a small illuminated area is left in the aquarium, where the fry will swim for food. They are fed with boiled chicken yolk, rotifers or a special feed intended specifically for young animals. The temperature of the liquid in the tank should be about 20 degrees, a tenth of it is changed every day.

Neons are very peaceful fish with a good, accommodating character. They are nervous only during the spawning period, but even then they do not create special problems. The optimal neighbors are fish that are no larger than neons: swordsmen, guppies, rassbory. A good solution will be small catfish - real aquarium orderlies. But large predatory pets are absolutely not suitable. This, for example, cichlids that can destroy the entire flock. The same applies to the gold territorial fish.

Aquarium neonchiki, although they are unpretentious pets, are still quite fragile and subject to stress. A prolonged exposure to stress can cause various diseases. One of the most dangerous diseases - plistiforosis. It is provoked by a fungus, which can bring sick individuals or contaminated water. Fish caught up in the disease instantly fade, lose vitality and energy, swim their tail up. There is no treatment, such fish will have to be removed from the aquarium, and the container itself must be disinfected.

Another disease is ichthyophthyroidism. A variety of tubercles, specks appear on the body of the neon, the pet looks as if sprinkled with semolina. This "sprinkling" and caused the popular name of the disease - "semolina". To cure an ailment the aquarium is saturated with oxygen, and the water temperature is increased by a couple of degrees. If these measures are ineffective, it is recommended use purchased drugs.

In general, the listed diseases arise quite rarely, but their cause is negligence of the owners.So that the fish do not get sick and fully live the time allotted to them, it is only necessary to maintain the water temperature at the proper level, monitor the hardness and acidity, timely feed the fish and not overfeed them.

About neon fish you can find a variety of reviews. Many aquarists say that such pets are very beautiful, they completely relieve stress and relieve fatigue in just 5-10 minutes of observation. In the dark, they resemble small fireflies, and in sunlight shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. In addition to graceful appearance, neons do not require difficult living conditions, they are calm, they perceive neighbors well. The design of the aquarium also does not cause difficulties, the main thing is to properly adjust the light.

But there are also less positive responses. For example, some argue that the belief that neon is not whimsical is wrong. Fish are sensitive to temperature - the higher it is, the more the life of underwater inhabitants is reduced. In the hot summer you will have to monitor the water parameters all the time.

For how to properly care for neons, see the next video.