How hard is it to breed Neon tetra ?

Question

Any tips on breeding them? Anything I need to know? Anything to watch out for, or avoid?

Answer 1

If you are new to breeding fish, you will want to start with one of the easier and more prolific species. I have found that Red Eye Tetras, Black Skirt Tetras, Flame Tetras, and Head ’n’ Tail Light Tetras are good choices.

Many other species, such as Serpaes, Black Phantoms and Blue Emperors can be bred once you have gained some experience. Some Tetras, such as Neon and Cardinal Tetras require much more experience and attention to water chemistry, so are not recommended for inexperienced breeder.

CONDITION THE FISH FOR BREEDING: If you have the tank space available, separate the males and the females for a week or two before the planned spawning. This will ensure that the fish do not prematurely spawn, before you are ready. An added benefit is that the fish will have a greater interest in each other after being separated for a while.

During this period of time, feed the fish very well with a variety dry, frozen, and if possible (though not absolutely necessary), live foods. Use such frozen foods as brine shrimp, bloodworms and beefheart and live foods, such as baby brine shrimp, white worms and daphnia.

Keep the water quality pristine with frequent water changes!

SETTING UP THE BREEDING TANK: The breeding tank requirements are simple!

A clean aquarium with the sides and back covered with black plastic, to shield out excess light. A 5-gallon tank will be suitable for most tetras.

No gravel.

A mature air driven sponge filter; preferably the style that sticks to the back of the tank with suction cups. Fry will tend to get trapped under filters that sit on the tank bottom.

Java moss or artificial spawning mop on the tank’s bottom.
A spawning mop or bushy plant that goes from the water’s surface to the bottom of the tank (optional but recommended).

A tank heater set to a temperature in the high 70’s; preferably as warm or a few degrees warmer than the parent’s tank.

A thermometer to monitor the water’s temperature.

Tank cover (lid).

Direct lighting is not recommended.

MOVE THE PARENTS INTO THE BREEDING TANK: Most (but not necessarily all) tetras spawn in the morning, often at or shortly after first light. The evening before the planned spawning, introduce a healthy looking pair of fish to the breeding tank. Select a female that is plump. Select a male that is colorful and active. To reduce the likelihood of fungus and bacteria attacking the fertilized eggs, the water must be kept as sterile as possible, therefore, do not feed the parents in the breeding tank.

THE SPAWNING: The spawning typically lasts for an hour or two and goes something like this… The male’s coloring becomes very intense. He uses this intense beauty to show off to the female. He shimmers and shakes and almost seems to dance around her. He then tries to lead or drive her to his selected spawning site in the plants or spawning mops. If everything goes well, he will eventually entice her into following him there. At this point, the pair take a side-by-side stance, almost seeming to be pushing against each other. With a shimmer and shake, the female releases a few eggs, the male releases some milt and then they separate. With some species, after the separation, the pair seem to be stunned in a state of ecstasy, falling slowly towards the bottom for a few seconds before reviving. These actions are repeated over and over until the spawning is completed.

If you planned the spawning so that you will be home all morning, spend some time observing the action. It is worth seeing! If all goes well, spawning should be complete by mid morning.

Tetras typically love to eat their own eggs. If it is your desire to raise as many fry as possible, remove the parents from the breeding tank as soon as possible after they are finished spawning. If a large quantity of fry is not desired, leave the parents in the tank for a while to decrease the number of eggs present. Once the parents have been removed, remove the artificial spawning mops from the tank. Shake them into the water to free any eggs that may be caught in them.

Tetra eggs are sensitive to light, so darken the tank. Cover the top of the tank with cardboard or black plastic. If the tank is in a very bright room or receives sunlight through its front pane, also cover the front of the tank. Leave the tank in darkness for about 5 days.

THE HATCHING: The very tiny clear eggs will hatch in approximately 24 hours. At this point, they will look like little tiny eggs with a tail. After another day or two, they will resemble tiny slivers of glass and may attach themselves to the side of the tank or to the sponge filter. On day 5 or day 6, the fry should become free swimming. Do not try to feed the fry before they are free swimming. At this point, you can begin to let some light into the tank, but stay away from bright lighting for another few days.

RAISING THE FRY: Your fry will need to be fed as soon as they have absorbed their yolk sacs and begin to free swim. For the first few days, they will require a source of very tiny food. The recommended way to provide this is to add a ball of Java Moss to the tank. The Java Moss will carry a colony of microscopic life that the fry will pick at. An alternate approach is to prepare a culture of infusoria (microscopic organisms) for feeding your new fry. After a day or 2, the fry may be able to handle vinegar eels. At this point, you should also try feeding some newly hatched Baby Brine Shrimp. As soon as the fry are eating BBS, evident from their orange colored bellies, they should be fed enough to keep their bellies plump with BBS at all times. This will mean feeding them several times throughout the day. After a few weeks, you may introduce a good quality powdered flake food into their diet, but BBS should still be their staple diet for their first month of life.

Answer 2

Breeding them is not easy.
To breed Neon Tetras, separate a pair into a "breeding tank" with no lighting at first, and gradually increase it until spawning occurs. Water hardness should be less than 4 degrees and live food such as mosquito larvae are great inducers. Be sure to remove the adults after the eggs have been laid, as the adults will eat them. The eggs should hatch within 30 hours.

Answer 3

It'ss not all that hard to breed neons. The biggest problems are in raising the fry. The babies are very small and unless you are prepared ahead of time to take care of the babies, odds are good none of them will survive.

Here's a good article on it that sums up the details rather well.
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/neons.html

Hope that helps

MM