Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi - Black neon tetra

Scientific name: Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Common name: Black neon tetra
Group: Characins
Habitat:
Size: 4 cm
Biotope: Found in still and sluggish waters of the local river basins.
Social behavior: The Black Neon Tetra is ideal for a community aquarium with other peaceful fish.
Diet: Black Neon Tetra will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods.
Breeding: Quite easy.
Tank: Minimum 50 litres
Population: 5-6 fishes for 50 litres
Decoration: Finom levelű növények, vulkanikus kövek és
szabadon hagyott tér, ahol lehet úszni.
Temperature: 22-28°C
pH: 6,8-7,2.
Hardness: 5,6-6,7 NK°

Description: Body flattened and moderately deep. Males are more slender than females. The overall quick look is similar to the neon, but they are a different species.

The most noticeable characteristic of the Black neon is the two color band that extends from the base of the caudal fin all the way to the edge of the gill cover. The upper part of this band is a shimmering pale green to white, while the lower part is a broad jet black stripe that if you look close is edged in silver. The fins are clear with a yellowed tinge. The eyes are large and the Iris is topped with a bright red semi circle.

A perfect community fish, the black neon is peaceful and prefers to kept in schools. A smaller tank is all that is needed to keep them. The standard 20 gallon or smaller will be fine. Slightly more demanding than the typical Characin the black neon should have clear water, that is soft, slightly acidic and aged. The tank should have open space for swimming and dense areas of planting. The addition of driftwood will complete the tank. Feeding is not a problem as they will accept all types of flake food and will relish the addition of some live food like Daphnia or small worms.

Not one of the easiet fish to breed at home, the female Black neon is rounder and plumper than the male. When she is ready to breed you will see a increase in her girth. They are a typical Egg scatterer, requiring soft, acidic and very clean water. Failures in breeding are in most cases due to unsuitable water conditions. To spawn them, you will need a small tank placed in a dark spot as the eggs seem to be light sensitive, a 2 inch layer of half inch rock and some bunches of fine textured live plants like Myriophyllium are suitable as the spawning medium. Place the pair in the spawning tank with a temperature of 75°F, feed well for a few days and then raise the tank temperature to around 80°F. They usually spawn early in the morning. The clear eggs are laid among the plants and barely stick to them. The parents should be removed after spawning as they are egg eaters. In 22 to 26 hours the eggs hatch. The fry are very hard to spot, but appear 3-4 days later at which time they are free swimming and will need to be fed infusoria or baby brine shrimp.