Many aquarists, admiring the sparkling school of neons in a community aquarium, do not even realize that breeding these fish is an art form. At home, it does not happen by itself. Successful spawning requires separate preparation, special conditions, and a little luck.
The main secret is that neons lay their eggs not in the general aquarium, but in a specially prepared spawning tank. A special environment is created there: very soft, almost acidic water, dim lighting, and often small-leaved plants or special sponges are placed there. Without this, the eggs simply will not be fertilized or will become covered with fungus.
The process begins with the selection of an active pair of producers. They are fed intensively with live food and then placed in a spawning tank, usually in the evening. The action itself most often takes place at dawn: the fish swim around, the female lays hundreds of small transparent eggs, and the male fertilizes them. After that, the parents are immediately removed so that they do not eat their own eggs.
The most difficult part comes later. Caviar is extremely sensitive to light and fungus, so the spawning tank is darkened. After a day, larvae appear, and after a few more days, the fry begin to swim. They are fed with the smallest food, such as infusoria, and very slowly accustomed to harder water. This is the only way to get a new generation of these bright sparks.
Features of reproduction
Neon fish are miniature colorful inhabitants of water bodies, distinguished by a neon horizontal stripe on their bodies. The phenotype is divided into many species and decorative subspecies, among which the most popular are veiltail, red neon, common, and black neon. These varieties are often chosen by novice aquarists because of their unpretentiousness and attractive appearance: neon fish easily get along with other phenotypes, are undemanding in food, and look great against a background of green vegetation. And, of course, every aquarist dreams of getting the coveted offspring from neon tetras. However, without attention and compliance with certain rules about pregnant neon tetras swimming in an artificial pond, you can forget about it, because first you need to learn about the reproduction of the phenotype in the wild.
In their natural habitat, fish spawn during the rainy season. Therefore, in aquarium conditions, neon breeding should be stimulated by regularly changing the water, which the pets perceive as rain. In addition to stimulation, it is necessary to equip the fish with a spawning ground and know how to distinguish females from males in order to pair future parents.
Neons reproduce in the aquarium under the right conditions – in a quiet, clean spawning ground with dark soil, low lighting and soft acidic water. The female lays eggs among small plants or nets, after which the male fertilizes them. The parents are immediately removed so that they do not eat the eggs. After a day, larvae appear, and after a couple more days, fry, which are fed with live cultures. Breeding is not easy, but with careful care, it is quite possible even at home.
Breeding in a community aquarium
In 90% of cases, neon fish breeding in a common aquarium ends in failure. And it's not even that there are other species in the tank or that the conditions are unsuitable — it's simply that the neon eggs are eaten immediately after being laid. There is a chance to save the offspring if, immediately after spawning, the eggs or parents are caught and moved to a separate tank, but this requires constant monitoring of the fish so as not to miss the moment when they begin to reproduce.
If the owner is not deterred by the low chances of obtaining offspring, then suitable conditions for neon fish spawning are created in a common aquarium:
- water hardness – up to 4 dH;
- acidity – up to 5 pH;
- temperature—26°C;
- lighting should be subdued.
- food – live or frozen;
- vegetation – at least a few twigs for the eggs to attach to.
If all conditions are met, the neon tetras will begin mating. First, the fish swim restlessly around the tank, then the female begins to lay eggs. At this time, the male presses tightly against her from behind and fertilizes the eggs as they fall. The egg with the future baby sticks to the leaves, and after three hours falls to the bottom, where it is instantly eaten by the inhabitants of the tank. That is why experienced aquarists recommend breeding neon tetras in a spawning tank, where comfortable and safe conditions for the fry will be created, and the pets will be able to reproduce peacefully.
Choosing future parents
Before you start breeding neon tetras, you need to choose the future parents. You can determine the sex of the fish based on the following facts:
- females are slightly larger than males, with a rounded, plump abdomen.
- the sex can be distinguished by the neon stripe on the body: in males it is straighter, while in females it has a slight bend;
- during the spawning season, males develop a clearly visible swim bladder.
Once you have determined their sex, you should select two neon tetras—a male and a female. Criteria for selecting a pair:
- rich and bright coloration;
- good appetite, mobility;
- the fish are less than one year old.
After selecting the future parents, separate-sex fish are placed in separate containers and fed intensively with daphnia, bloodworms, and cyclops. Before breeding neon tetras, the pairs are “introduced” to each other by arranging short meetings in the same tank, and then separated again. For breeding, it is necessary to select twice as many male fish as females. At this time, the spawning tank begins to be prepared.
Preparing the spawning tank
In order for the pets to reproduce, a breeding tank with suitable conditions for offspring is set up for the neons. It is not very difficult to build a breeding tank for fry with your own hands. A 20-liter container is suitable for six fish, and nylon mesh or Java moss is used as a substrate.
Water parameters:
- hardness – up to 4 dH;
- acidity – up to 5 pH.
- temperature – 25–26C.
The water level in the holding tank should be 15 cm from the edge of the spawning tank. To help them adjust, add 200 ml of water from the old tank where the fish used to live to the holding tank.
Neons usually begin to reproduce on the same night they are introduced to the tank, or early in the morning at dawn. The female lays eggs, and the male fertilizes them, after which the eggs fall onto the substrate. Immediately after breeding, the parents are transferred back to preserve the long-awaited offspring. The breeding tank with future fry is placed in a dark, secluded place.
Caring for fry
After removing the parents, aquarists closely monitor the eggs, waiting for the moment when the neon fry begin to swim. If some of the eggs have died, they are removed from the breeding tank with a pipette. It is also recommended to use special antifungal preparations.
Three days later, the larvae appear and begin to swim actively. In the first hours after birth, each fry must reach the surface of the water, so there should be no film on top. The larvae inhale air, which is necessary for the formation of a swim bladder, and after a short time they turn into tiny neon fry.
The babies have poor eyesight, so aquarists equip a special lighted area for feeding so that the fry swim toward the light. The pets are first fed with infusoria, then transferred to nauplii and cyclops. Gradually, the fish are prepared for relocation to a species aquarium, gradually increasing the hardness of the water. Four weeks after birth, a neon stripe appears on the body of the fry, and after that, you can begin to relocate the fish.
Breeding neon tetras in an aquarium is possible and acceptable if you follow some simple recommendations. Getting the long-awaited offspring depends, first of all, on the owner's efforts—by caring for your pets and stimulating spawning, you can soon begin to admire the little neon tetras.
Breeding neon tetras is a laborious but endlessly fascinating task. If you have managed to create the right conditions and see the eggs, you have already performed a small miracle. The main thing to remember is that success depends on the little things: very soft water, dim lighting, and perfect cleanliness.
Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work out the first time. Even experienced aquarists don't get fry every time. This is normal. Each attempt gives you new experience, and sooner or later you will definitely see tiny silvery fry in the tank.
And when that happens, the feeling of joy and pride will be immense. You have given life to these bright sparks, and now they will grow and delight you with their beauty. This is the greatest reward for a true aquarium enthusiast.
