Bring a luminous flash of neon blue and green to your home aquarium with the Green Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon simulans). Smaller and rarer than the common Neon Tetra, these stunning nano fish feature an intense electric blue-green lateral stripe that runs across their entire body. Their peaceful nature and active schooling behavior make them a prized addition to aquascapes, blackwater setups, and planted community tanks.

Quick Overview

Complete Care & Habitat Guide

Place of Origin

The Green Neon Tetra is native to South America, specifically the upper Rio Negro and Orinoco River basins in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. In the wild, they inhabit slow-moving, acidic blackwater streams rich in dissolved tannins from decaying leaf litter and overhanging jungle foliage.

Tank Environment & Setup

To bring out their vibrant iridescent coloration and keep stress levels low, house Green Neon Tetras in a well-planted aquarium with a dark substrate.

• Aquascaping: Dense vegetation, floating plants, and pieces of natural driftwood provide shade and mimic their natural habitat.

• Water Conditions: They thrive in soft, warm, slightly acidic water. Adding Indian almond leaves or botanical tannins helps recreate natural blackwater conditions.

• Filtration: Use a gentle filter flow, as these small tetras can struggle against strong powerheads.

Minimum Tank Size

While exceptionally small, Green Neon Tetras are active swimmers and must be kept in groups of 6 or more (10+ recommended) to exhibit natural schooling behavior. A 10-gallon tank is the absolute minimum size for a small school, though a 20-gallon long aquarium provides ideal swimming space.

Care Level & Maintenance

Green Neon Tetras are generally easy to care for once acclimatized, but they are sensitive to sudden shifts in water chemistry. Perform regular 15–20% weekly water changes and ensure your aquarium is fully cycled before introducing them.

Diet & Feeding

Green Neon Tetras are micro-predators with tiny mouths. Offer a varied diet of tiny, high-quality foods:

• Dry Foods: High-protein micro-pellets, crushed tropical flakes, or spirulina powders.

• Live & Frozen Foods: Baby brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, and rotifers for optimal coloration and vital nutrients.

Ideal Tank Mates

Their gentle disposition makes them ideal for nano aquariums and peaceful community setups. Avoid large or aggressive fish that could view them as prey.

• Great Tank Mates: Celestial Pearl Danios, Ember Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, Pygmy Corydoras, Otocinclus, Dwarf Gouramis, and Freshwater Shrimp (Neocaridina and Amano).

Breeding Information

Breeding Green Neon Tetras in captivity is challenging due to their requirement for extremely soft, acidic water ($\text{pH }4.5–5.5$, $\text{dGH }<2$). To attempt breeding:

1. Condition a pair or small group on live foods in a dedicated, dim breeding tank equipped with spawning mops or fine-leaved plants like Java Moss.

2. The female lays scatterings of adhesive eggs among the plants, which hatch in roughly 24–36 hours.

3. Remove the parent fish immediately after egg-laying to prevent egg consumption.

4. Feed newly hatched fry infusoria or liquid fry food until large enough to accept baby brine shrimp.

PLEASE READ BEFORE ORDERING

• The photos shown on fish product pages are representations of adult fish and are NOT the actual fish that you will be receiving. 
• Please visit our “Ordering/Shipping fish” page prior to checking out to familiarize yourself with our process.
• We ship fish exclusively using overnight shipping with either FedEx or UPS. We will not ship fish with lesser expensive shipping services like “Ground” or “Priority Mail”. This is to ensure the safety of the fish. 
• Unless specified, all fish are sold as unsexed.