The name "neon" the fish received for a reason. The fact is that she has a luminous strip that runs along the body - from the eyes to the fat fin. This gives the fish a very bright appearance.
Neon is an aquarium fish native to South America. There it is found in the freshwater basins of the Amazon. It prefers shallow water with stagnant water and multiple vegetation; therefore, the conditions in the aquarium are quite comfortable for neon - this is the absence of any kind of currents and the presence of the required number of plants. Moreover, the latter can be purchased at any of the specialized stores.
Aquarium fish neon, as in nature, lives in packs. Therefore, it is better to acquire not one or two individuals, but at least ten at once. Everything will depend on the size of the aquarium. If its capacity is, for example, 50 liters, then 30-40 fish can be placed in it. It is important that each individual has at least a liter of water. This will create a natural atmosphere for neons, in addition, from an aesthetic point of view, a flock they will look much better. Indeed, neon is a small fish, no more than 4 cm long, and males are even less than females by almost a centimeter. Therefore, in small quantities they will be almost invisible.
Neon is a fish and not very whimsical in maintenance and care. It is enough to maintain the temperature of the water in the aquarium within + 24-26 ℃, acidity - 5-6.5 units, hardness - 8-12 °. It is also necessary to carry out aeration and filtering of water and replace it every week with 25% of the total volume. Neon eats both live food and dry. The main thing is that the latter should not be too large. Preference is given to daphnia,
mosquito and tubule
larvae , small bloodworms.
In addition, neon is a very friendly fish, it is able to get along with other representatives of the aquarium world. It is important to observe the size ratio of the "neighbors", that is, other fish should not be much larger than neons. Otherwise, there is a risk for the latter to be simply eaten. For the same reason, it is not necessary to add predatory fish to neons. It is better to give preference to the same peaceful small aquarium inhabitants, such as, for example, speckled catfish.
Neon itself is not a very painful fish. However, one should take into account the fact that it is very sensitive to various medications intended for the treatment of other inhabitants of the aquarium. So, for example, the dosage of a medicine containing copper in the base should be made half as much as indicated in the instructions.
By their glow in the aquarium, these bright babies can please for quite some time. With proper care, neons can live about four years. During this time, their number may well increase. At 5-8 months of age, neons can already produce offspring. To do this, it is enough to plant a female and a male (two males) in a separate darkened aquarium with a small water level (spawning). The very next day, spawning will begin, and after another day the larvae will hatch. Then parents need to be returned back to the general aquarium so that they do not eat their own caviar. Thus, it is possible to grow another generation of neons without significant costs.