Are you a proud neon tetras owner but unsure how to keep them healthy and well-fed? Fear not, as this article is your ultimate guide to feeding your beloved aquatic pets. From the frequency of feeding to the right amount, we’ve got you covered.
It’s important to remember that feeding your tetras two to four times a day for just two minutes is ideal for their growth and development. But wait, there’s more! To keep your neon tetras happy and healthy, make sure to diversify their diet with nutritious options.
Let us understand what, when, and how often you should feed neon tetras.
How To Feed Neon Tetras?
The first thing to know about feeding neon tetras is how to feed them. It may seem easy, but you need to follow certain steps to get it right. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1: Putting Food In The Tank
You have to put the food into your aquarium in small amounts. Do not put in a bunch of food altogether at the same time. Likewise, ensure you put the food in your tetra tank in the morning. Also, keep track of how much you are keeping in.
We will talk about what to feed neon tetras right after this. Make sure you put varieties of food so that they have a balanced diet.
Do Neon Tetras Need Filter To Survive? Find out here.
Step 2: Watching Neon Tetras Eat And Pouring In As They Finish
You can then watch your neon tetras as they eat the food that you are putting in. Also, remember to continue pouring small amounts of food as they eat.
You have to make sure that all of your tetras are getting to eat almost immediately when you pour in the food. This is because your neon tetra is only a mid to top-level schooling fish. If the food goes to the bottom, you will only have a dirty aquarium and a hungry neon tetra!
Besides, make sure to feed them until they stop eating.
You can also learn about ‘How Many Neon Tetras Should You Keep In School?’ from here.
Step 3: Feed The Neon Tetras At Night
If you’re a dedicated neon tetra enthusiast, you know that feeding them at night is just as crucial as during the day. To ensure your tetras receive proper nourishment around the clock, follow the same feeding procedure you do in the morning.
Keeping track of how much your neon tetras eat in the morning is also essential to prevent overfeeding.
By monitoring their food intake, you’ll avoid any potential health issues and promote a thriving underwater community. So, take note of the right feeding portions, and your neon tetras will thank you with their radiant colors and playful swimming.
How Much And How Often Do Neon Tetra Fish Eat?
In the wild, neon tetras eat as much as possible and are opportunistic feeders. However, how much they eat depends on how much you feed them.
A good amount would be two to four times a day, little by little. You shall only feed them what they can eat in about 2 minutes. Any excess food can cause trouble and sickness.
I would advise you to use the exact amount of food that you measured in the morning. Besides, you shall track how much you will feed neon tetras in one day.
These tetras have multiple feedings in the wild as they feed when they get the opportunity. So the multiple feelings that you give the Neon tetras are to mimic their natural habitat.
I have also written an article on ‘Why Is My Neon Tetra Not Eating?’ – Here Is What You Can Do.
Also Read: How Often To Feed Tetra Fish
Do clear out the excess food in the tank to ensure the tank is clean and safe.
Tips on maintaining and cleaning the tetra tank are given in the articles below:
Why Is My Neon Tetra Getting Fat?
Neon tetras can get fat because of two reasons. One of them is because the neon tetras are expecting, and the other is because they are sick. I have illustrated in detail about it in the following subheadings:
Is My Neon Tetra Going To Lay Eggs?
Before diving into breeding, it’s essential to determine the sex of your tetras. Males tend to have a slimmer body shape than their female counterparts, who have a distinctive blue lining.
Once you’ve identified the genders, observe the males’ behavior as they court the females. If you notice the male neon tetra dancing around the female, it’s a telltale sign that they’re ready to mate.
As the process progresses, the female neon tetra will start to appear a little puffy in the lower belly, indicating that it’s time to lay eggs. With a little patience and observation, you’ll be rewarded with a flourishing brood of neon tetras in no time.
Get more information on ‘How To Tell If A Neon Tetra Is Going To Lay Eggs?‘.
Is My Neon Tetra Sick?
If you notice your male neon tetra getting fat, probably your neon tetra is sick. Similarly, it is quite hard to differentiate between female neon tetras as sick or pregnant.
Look for any discoloration in their body as they might have caught neon tetra disease.
If so, immediately remove the sick fish and isolate it. Also, clean your tank thoroughly and quarantine the rest of the fish for a good amount of time. The puffiness can be caused by the cysts formed in their body.
More about neon tetra diseases you might like:
- Growth on Neon Tetra’s Mouth | Cause And Treatment
- Neon tetra curved crooked spine or neon tetra disease
- Tetra Fish Diseases and Treatments
What To Feed Neon Tetras?
Now that you know how to feed and how often to feed on your neon tetras, you should know what to feed your neon tetras.
Feed your neon tetras with a variety of food in the diet. However, as a base food, consider high-quality flake foods or pellets. Moreover, you can add daphnia and brine shrimp to their diet every now and then.
You can feed the following things to you are neon tetras:
- high-quality flake food,
- brine shrimp,
- freeze-dried bloodworms
- micro-pellet food
- Daphnia
- Vegetables
- Worms
- Live foods
Some of the related articles about the neon tetra diet are:
- Best homemade neon tetra food
- Can neon tetra eat goldfish flakes?
- How long can neon tetras live without food?
- Tetra Fish Diet | What do Tetra Fish Eat: A Complete Guide
Major Things To Consider While Feeding Neon Tetras
The major things that you should consider while feeding your neon tetras are:
- Feed neon tetras multiple times a day.
- Only put in food that neon tetras can eat within 2 minutes.
- Put food in your aquarium little by little in small amounts to avoid any wastage.
- Clean the aquarium by taking out the excess food.
- Use high-quality food for your neon tetras to avoid any disease or lack of nutrition.
- Likewise, they use varieties of food to give them balanced nutrition and keep them healthy.
- Similarly, use an aquarium filter that does not disrupt the water flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can Neon Tetras Go Without Food?
Neon tetra can survive up to three weeks without food in the ideal tank condition. However, this does not mean that you will push your neon tetras to the limits. Do feed them on a daily basis to keep them happy and healthy.
Find out more about it in our article ‘How Long Can Neon Tetras Live Without Food’.
Can You Feed Neon Tetras Homemade Foods?
Yes, you can feed neon tetras homemade foods like yolks, vegetables, etc. However, you have to ensure that you are feeding them the sufficient nutrients they need.
Last Words
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.
You can feed neon tetras two to four times a day. Moreover, only feed them the amount of food that they can eat in 2 minutes. Any exceeding amount to put harms your tetra fish and causes your aquarium water to become cloudy.
Last but not the least, take extra care of adding varieties and nutrition to their diet, and you will have happy schooling neon tetras in your aquarium.
Related articles:
- Neon Tetra Behavior: Are They Aggressive/Fighting or Playing?
- How To Feed Tetra Fish Fry Properly | Dos and Don’ts With Alternative Fry Food
- How To Prepare Your Tetra Fish Before Vacation?
