If you are fond of brightly colored fish, then rainbow fish and neon tetras are hard to miss – both these fish add a dazzle of colors to any aquarium.
New aquarium owners are overly eager to fill their aquariums with the most colorful fish, but they often overlook one little thing: aquarium fish compatibility.
Not all types of fish can live with each other – introducing two kinds of fish without doing your homework can have disastrous consequences.
Read on and find out whether rainbow fish can live with neon tetras; we’ll also look at what fish are compatible with neon tetras and rainbow fish.
Let’s get started.
About Rainbow Fish
Rainbowfish are a freshwater community fish of the family Melanotaeniidae, which is a highly diverse family with many colorful fish. It’s virtually a shopping complex of fish where you can get fish of all shapes and colors for your aquarium!
One of the most popular aquarium rainbowfish is the Boesemani rainbow fish, which is mesmerizing with its dual color tones of blue/purple and orange/red. They are also hardy fish and easy to keep.
Other good options include Neon rainbowfish, Axelrod’s Rainbowfish, Threadfin Rainbowfish, and Spotted Blue-Eyed Rainbowfish.
About Neon Tetras
Simple yet beautiful – that is how I would describe neon tetras. They hail from the blackwater and clearwater streams of the Amazon basin.
Their striking iridescent stripes of blue and red are thought to help them see each other in the murky blackwater of their natural habitat.
They are highly active shoaling fish that like to live in groups – being small and timid, they find safety in numbers.
Can Rainbow Fish Live with Neon Tetras?
When talking about aquarium fish compatibility, two things must be considered.
One is whether two types of fish prefer similar conditions. It goes without saying that sharing the same tank means sharing the same temperature, pH, etc.
The other is whether the two types of fish will leave each other alone or tear each other to pieces. This is the single biggest concern for aquarists looking to keep two species of fish in harmony.
As for the tank conditions, you are in luck, because rainbow fish and neon tetras prefer similar conditions, as follows:
· Temperature of 72 – 82 °F (22-28 °C)
· pH of 6.8 – 7.2 (neon tetras prefer acidic water but can withstand a wider range)
· Plenty of aquatic plants
Now, looking at the second factor, what’s rainbow fish’s compatibility with neon tetras?
It is a bit tricky to answer because rainbow fish is not just one fish species, but rather a big family of fish that are highly varied.
Because they are both relatively peaceful fish, rainbow fish can live with neon tetras as long as there is no significant size difference.
Neon tetras are tiny fish – just 1.5 inches in length – while rainbow fish can reach 6 inches. So here’s a million-dollar question: will rainbow fish eat neon tetras?
The general rule is that if a fish is large enough to eat another fish, then it probably will come to pass. So rainbow fish will eat neon tetras if they can fit them into their mouths.
The Red Irian Rainbow fish and Eastern Rainbow fish can both grow to 6 inches in length, so they better be avoided with neon tetras. The Madagascan Rainbow fish can grow to 4-6 inches as well, so they are out the window too.
The Boesemani rainbow fish – an aquarium favorite – grows to just 4 inches, but I’d be worried if I were a puny neon tetra that has to cohabit in the same tank. You can stretch your luck or better be safe than be missing some of your fish one day.
So what does that leave us with? Since size is the limiting factor, you can choose rainbow fish that are small enough; there’s no shortage of good options:
· Threadfin Rainbow Fish – Just 2 inches in size, the threadfin possesses long elegant fins. They prefer soft acidic water, just like neon tetras.
· Celebes Rainbow Fish – Growing to 2 inches, these fish display beautiful colors of gold and black with a translucent body and uniquely shaped fins.
· Neon Rainbow Fish – These small fish of just 2.5 inches sport a flashy blue-green accent with magnificent red fins. Like the neon tetra, they like to live in groups.
· Spotted Blue-Eyed Rainbow Fish – About the same size as a neon tetra, the spotted blue-eyes have a unique appearance with a yellow body, black-spotted fins, and, of course, blue eyes.
· Forktail Rainbow Fish – A slender fish measuring just 2.5 inches and displaying a yellow/black accent.
· Redfin Dwarf Rainbow Fish – True to their name, they only grow to 3 inches and will be perfect for neon tetras.
Rainbow Fish Compatibility
Now, let’s look at what other fish you can keep with rainbowfish. Again, this largely depends on the rainbowfish species that you have.
Rainbowfish mostly get along with other non-aggressive fish. You can get other rainbowfish, barbs, loaches, peaceful catfish, danios, gouramis, and medium-sized livebearers.
And how many rainbow fish should be kept together? Since they like to live in groups, the more the merrier – aim for more than 6. However, be warned that males can fight each other during breeding season.
If you’re looking for the best rainbow fish for community tank, your options include the peaceful Banded Rainbow fish, Threadfins, and “Blue Eyes”.
Neon Tetra Compatibility
Finding fish compatible with neon tetras is quite easy, as they are peaceful and shy creatures. Neon tetras are considered to be a perfect community fish.
Just be careful that you don’t get fish that is large enough to eat the tetras; that means large fish like angelfish is out the window.
Neon tetras will feel a lot more comfortable if you provide them with a planted aquarium; that way, they can hide in the vegetation should any fish threaten them.
Here’s a list of neon tetra compatible fish: Corydoras catfish, Minnows, Dwarf Cichlids, Dwarf gouramis, Rasboras, Zebra Danios, and Guppies.
If you are in doubt, this aquarium fish compatibility chart will come in handy when figuring out which fish can live with what.
Conclusion
As you may have figured out by now, aquarium fish compatibility is a serious business; keeping more than one kind of fish together is not always easy.
Heck, some even struggle to keep fish from the same species together – try it with bettas and angelfish!
Fish can really be mean to each other, so it’s important that you educate yourself about which fish goes with what.
That being said, there are countless combinations of fish that can peacefully coexist with each other in a tank, combining their brilliant display of colors, shapes, and behavior.
Thanks for reading.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbowfish
https://www.thesprucepets.com/types-of-rainbow-fish-5272300
https://www.aqueon.com/resources/care-guides/rainbowfish
https://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=539
