Freshwater Fish

Gold Neon Tetra

Paracheirodon innesiCharacidaeTetras

1 photos

A Gold neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi), a golden color morph of the classic neon tetra; a small, peaceful schooling fish that adds shimmer to planted community tanks.

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as: Golden neon tetra
Synonyms: Hyphessobrycon innesi
Environment: Freshwater
Native to: Colombia, Peru, Brazil
Habitat: Blackwater and clearwater forest streams and tributaries of the western Amazon basin, typically acidic, soft, tannin-stained water with dense marginal vegetation and submerged roots.
Sourcing: Captive-bred
Conservation: Not Evaluated

Care

Care level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Adult size: 1 – 1.5 in (2.5 – 3.8 cm)
Lifespan: 3 – 5 yrs
Min tank: 10 gal (38 L)
Growth rate: Moderate
Placement: Middle

Water

Temperature: 70 – 77 °F (21 – 25 °C)
pH: 5.0 – 7.0
GH: 1 – 10 dGH
Flow: Low

Behavior & compatibility

Social: Shoaling · groups of 6+
Aggression to own kind: Low
Active: Daytime
Plant safe: Yes
Shrimp safe: With caution

Feeding & breeding

Diet: Omnivore
Foods: Flakes, Micro-pellets, Frozen, Live, Freeze-dried, Algae
Breeding type: Egg scatterer
Breeding difficulty: Difficult
Sexing: Females are typically plumper with a more rounded belly and a slightly bent blue lateral line, while males are slimmer with a straighter blue stripe; differences are subtle outside of breeding condition.

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Care guide

Overview

Schools in tight, shifting groups through the middle water column, its yellow-gold body and pale stripe catching light against dark substrate and shaded plantings. This color morph keeps the same soft, acidic water needs, peaceful temperament, and shoaling requirement of six or more as the standard neon tetra.

Care

Neon tetras do best in a well-planted tank with subdued lighting, soft substrate, and driftwood that mimics their blackwater origins. They are hardy once acclimated but are sensitive to sudden shifts in water chemistry, so stable parameters matter more than hitting an exact number. A tight-fitting lid is worthwhile since they can startle and jump when spooked.

Feeding

Small mouths limit them to fine foods such as micro-pellets, crushed flake, and finely chopped frozen bloodworm or baby brine shrimp. Feeding small portions once or twice daily prevents waste buildup and keeps the whole shoal fed evenly. As midwater feeders they largely ignore food that falls to the substrate, so pairing them with bottom-dwelling species helps clean up leftovers.

Tank mates

Best kept with other small, calm community fish such as corydoras, rasboras, and other peaceful tetras that share similar water preferences. Avoid boisterous or nippy tankmates like tiger barbs, and steer clear of larger predatory fish including adult angelfish that will eat them despite being commonly sold together in stores. Their small size makes them vulnerable, so tankmates should be chosen with restraint and similar temperament in mind.

Breeding

Spawning is triggered by very soft, acidic water, dim lighting, and a dedicated breeding tank free of substrate disturbance. A conditioned pair scatters a small number of adhesive eggs over fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, with fry emerging within about a day. Eggs and fry are highly sensitive to light and water quality, making this a project better suited to experienced breeders.

Health

The species is particularly known for susceptibility to neon tetra disease, caused by the parasite Pleistophora hyphessobryconis, which is untreatable and can spread through a shoal. Quarantining newly purchased neons for two to three weeks before introducing them to an established tank reduces this risk considerably. Sourcing fish from a reputable supplier with healthy stock also lowers the incidence of the morphological weaknesses seen in mass-bred lines.