Diamond Head Neon Tetra Care Guide - Aquarium Tips, Diet & Breeding

Diamond Head Neon Tetras are a striking ornamental form of the familiar Neon Tetra. They retain the species’ vivid electric-blue lateral stripe and brilliant red lower body, while the selectively bred Diamond Head pattern gives the head and front of the body a more reflective, silvery appearance. Colour intensity can vary between individual fish and is often strongest when they are settled and healthy.

These are small, peaceful and active fish that spend much of their time in the middle levels of the aquarium. They are naturally social, and a properly sized group moves together in a loose, constantly shifting shoal rather than behaving as solitary fish.

In the wild, Neon Tetras inhabit slow-moving forest streams, tributaries and flooded areas shaded by overhanging vegetation. Leaf litter, submerged roots and tannin-stained water create a subdued environment in which their bright colours provide both camouflage and visual communication.

Paracheirodon innesi has long been one of the most popular community aquarium fish because of its manageable size, peaceful temperament and distinctive colouring. Diamond Head specimens add extra reflective detail while retaining the lively character of the standard species.

Diamond Head Neon Tetras are a selectively bred colour form of the Neon Tetra, Paracheirodon innesi, whose wild ancestors come from the upper Amazon basin in South America. The species is associated particularly with the clear and blackwater tributaries of western Brazil, eastern Peru and parts of Colombia.

A group of Diamond Head Neon Tetras should have an aquarium of at least 60 litres, with a footprint of roughly 60 by 30 cm or larger. Use gentle filtration and leave an open area for schooling, while planting the sides and rear with live plants. Dark sand or fine gravel, driftwood, roots and some floating vegetation help recreate their shaded forest-stream habitat and bring out their colours. Moderate water movement, subdued lighting and stable, clean water are preferable to a stark or highly turbulent setup.

Up to about 4 cm (1.6 inches) in total length. Females are often slightly larger and deeper-bodied than males.

Diamond Head Neon Tetras are omnivores that should receive a varied diet of quality small flakes, micro pellets and suitably sized granules. Supplement these regularly with frozen or live foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and cyclops to encourage strong colour and condition. Their small mouths require finely sized foods, and several modest feedings are preferable to large portions that remain uneaten.

Diamond Head Neon Tetras are peaceful community fish and can be kept with other similarly sized, non-aggressive species such as small rasboras, ember tetras, harlequin rasboras, pencilfish, corydoras and small peaceful gouramis. They also work well with other calm South American tetras when adequate swimming space is available. Avoid large or predatory fish, fin-nippers and boisterous tankmates, which may harass them or eat them. They should not be housed with aggressive cichlids or considerably larger species.

Diamond Head Neon Tetras are egg-scattering fish that breed most successfully in a separate, dimly lit breeding aquarium with very soft, slightly acidic water and fine-leaved plants or a spawning mop. Condition a group with live or frozen foods, then introduce a pair or small group. Adults may eat the eggs, so use a mesh barrier or remove the fish after spawning. The eggs usually hatch in around 24 to 36 hours, and the tiny fry initially require infusoria or another suitably fine first food before progressing to newly hatched brine shrimp.

Females usually have a noticeably rounder, fuller abdomen, especially when carrying eggs, while males tend to be slimmer and more streamlined. The blue stripe may appear straighter on males and slightly curved on females, although this distinction is not always definitive.