The neon tetra is a beautiful, colorful aquarium fish that will add extra beauty to your aquarium. Tetras are small fish that like to school together. A lot of aquarists get confused when it comes to feeding neon tetras.
In this article, we’re going to delve into details on how to feed neon tetras.
How To Feed Neon Tetras?
The first thing you need to know about feeding neon tetras is how to feed them properly. The task may seem simple enough, but if you want it to be done correctly, you need to follow certain steps. Below are the steps that you need to follow:
Step 1: Putting Food In The Tank
Instead of putting in a bunch of aquarium food altogether at the same time, it should be put into the aquarium in small amounts. Additionally, it is advisable that you put food into your tetra tank early in the morning. You should also keep track of the amount of food you put in.
After this lesson, we are going to talk about what kinds of food neon tetras should be fed. You should make sure that you provide a variety of foods so that they have a balanced diet.
Step 2: Watching Neon Tetras Eat And Pouring In As They Finish
Then, you are able to see how your neon tetras eat the food that you are providing them. Also, make sure that you continue to pour small amounts of food as they continue to eat.
You have to make sure that all of your tetras are eating the food you give them, and that this happens almost immediately after you have poured it in. Due to the fact that your neon tetra is just a top or mid-level schooling fish. When the food sinks to the bottom, all you will have is a dirty aquarium and a hungry neon tetra!
Also, make sure you keep feeding them until they stop.
Step 3: Feed The Neon Tetras At Night
When feeding them at night, follow the same procedure as during the day. Also, it will be possible to keep an accurate record of how much these tetras eat in the morning so that you do not overfeed the neon tetras.
How Many And How Often Should You Feed Neon Tetras?
Neon tetras in the wild are opportunistic feeders, which means that they eat as much as they are able to. However, the amount of food they eat depends on how much you feed them.
A good amount would be between two and four times a day in little bits and pieces. Do not feed them more than what they can eat in about two minutes. Too much food can cause digestive problems and sickness.
If you have excess food in the tank, it is essential that you clean it out so that the tank will be as clean and safe as possible.
What To Feed Neon Tetras?
Now that you know how to feed your neon tetras and how often to feed them, you should also know what to feed your neon tetras.
Neon tetras in the wild are omnivorous, eating a variety of algae, small invertebrates, and larvae of insects. This diet can be replicated in the aquarium with flake food, blanched zucchini medallions, and a variety of frozen foods as treats.
Neon tetras prefer blood worms, daphnias, and brine shrimp when it comes to frozen foods that they can consume. The bloodworms can be too large for many of the smaller neons to swallow whole, which is why you will see some of them swimming around the aquarium with what look like bloodworm cigars in their mouths. If your local fish store carries live food, then the fruit flies and blackworms will also be gratefully accepted.
Video About How to Feed Neon Tetra?
FAQs
How long can neon tetras go without food?
In the right tank conditions, neon tetra can survive for up to three weeks without food. Despite this, you should not push your neon tetras to the limit. You should feed them on a daily basis to maintain their health.
Can you feed neon tetras homemade foods?
Yes, it is possible to feed neon tetras with homemade foods like egg yolks, vegetables, etc. Nevertheless, you must make sure that you provide them with sufficient nutrition.
How much do neon tetras eat?
The neon tetra is a very small species of fish that eats a small amount of food because. In general, they will consume between 1-2.5% of their body weight on a daily basis. Depending on the size and the number of fish you have in your tank, you can do the math to determine how much fish food you will need to add.
Your Neon Tetras should be able to finish all of the food you add within a couple of minutes, so you should reduce the amount of food you give them.
Conclusion
I really think neon tetras are a gorgeous species that can be so striking when properly fed. Hence, this article is all about how to feed neon tetras, how much to feed them, and how often to feed them. I hope you got the idea of feeding your neon tetras properly.
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010.