Black neon tetra care guide

Plan a tank with black neon tetrasSee all tank mates

Black neon tetra quick facts

Tank setup

Give a group of 8 a tank of at least 20 gallons (76 L) and about 30 in (75 cm) long, because black neons are active swimmers. Plants along the back and sides, open water in front and some floating cover work well. A dark substrate and background make the stripe stand out.

How many black neon tetras in a tank?

The smallest common tank that suits black neon tetras is a 20 gallon long. Here is roughly how many fit in each size when they are the only fish, based on adult size and waste output. Leave room if you want tank mates.

Water parameters

Keep them at 23–27 °C (73–81 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and 1–12 dGH. Farm-bred black neons adapt well to most tap water within that range. Clean, stable water with weekly partial changes matters more than hitting exact numbers.

Best tank mates for black neon tetras

These popular species share black neon tetras' water needs and temperament. See the full list of 97 good matches.

• Betta fish

  6.5 cm (2.6 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Cherry shrimp

  3 cm (1.2 in) · 20–27°C (68–81°F)

• Nerite snail

  2.5 cm (1 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Guppy

  5 cm (2 in) · 22–27°C (72–81°F)

• Dwarf gourami

  7.5 cm (3 in) · 24–28°C (75–82°F)

• Neon tetra

  3.5 cm (1.4 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)

• Panda corydoras

  4.5 cm (1.8 in) · 21–25°C (70–77°F)

• Bristlenose pleco

  12 cm (4.7 in) · 22–26°C (72–79°F)

Avoid keeping black neon tetras with

• Angelfish: Angelfish can eat black neon tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Common goldfish: They need different temperatures: Black neon tetra 23–27°C (73–81°F), common goldfish 15–22°C (59–72°F).
• Oscar: Oscar can eat black neon tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Bala shark: Bala shark can eat black neon tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.
• Chinese algae eater: Chinese algae eater is aggressive and will bully or injure peaceful black neon tetras.
• Convict cichlid: Convict cichlid can eat black neon tetras: they're small enough to fit in its mouth once it's grown.

Feeding

An easy-to-feed omnivore. Use a quality flake or small pellet as the staple, and add frozen or live daphnia, cyclops, baby brine shrimp or bloodworm a few times a week. They feed mostly in the upper and middle water.

Behavior

Peaceful and a bit bolder than the common neon tetra, it swims in the middle and upper part of the tank in a loose school. It mixes well with other small tetras, rasboras, corydoras and peaceful gouramis. Keep it away from fish big enough to swallow it.

Breeding

Black neons scatter eggs and spawn fairly easily, but raising the fry is harder. Use a small, dim tank with soft, slightly acidic water, a spawning mop or fine plants over mesh, and condition the adults with live food first. Remove the parents after spawning; eggs hatch in about a day and the fry need infusoria-sized food at first.

Tips from experienced keepers

• Do not confuse them with black skirt tetras (black tetras), which grow larger and are known fin nippers.
• Keep at least 8. A bigger school swims more openly and shows better color.
• A long tank suits this active swimmer better than a tall one.
• A good first schooling fish: farm-bred black neons adapt to a wide range of water.

Sources

We checked these references when writing this page. Values are for healthy long-term keeping, not survival limits. Last reviewed 2026-10-13. See our editorial policy.

• seriouslyfish.com
• fishbase.se
• aquariumcoop.com