How Do You Tell if a Neon Tetra Is Pregnant

Many aquarium enthusiasts are fans of the neon tetra. It's easy to fall in love with these brightly colored fish because they are relatively easy-going. Once you get used to having one neon tetra in your aquarium, you may want to breed them to have a family of these beauties. How do you tell if there's a pregnant neon tetra in your aquarium?

The process of how neon tetra fish reproduce is rather unique and does require proper steps for successful fertilization. Since these fish are so loveable, many fish owners are pleased to find out that their neon tetra is going to have babies. Today we're going to cover everything you should know about a pregnant neon tetra.

How Can You Tell If Your Neon Tetra Is Pregnant?

Before we get into whether or not you have a pregnant neon tetra in your aquarium, we should clear up one fact first. Neon tetra fish can't get pregnant. The female fish will reproduce by spawning eggs and laying them at the bottom of the aquarium so they can be fertilized by males.

So this could lead you to wonder whether or not your female neon tetra is ready to spawn eggs. If you believe that your neon tetra is ready to reproduce, here is how you can find out for yourself:

Determine If The Neon Tetra Is Female

In order to determine whether or not a neon tetra will reproduce, you must know its gender. Neon tetra fish have physical features that will let you know whether they are male or female. The male neon tetra fish are generally smaller. They have a more slender body with a straight blue line.

Female neon tetra fish are usually bigger than males. They are more round in shape and the blue line on their body is more bent.

Check Their Belly

Once you have determined which fish are females, you can observe their bellies to determine whether or not they are ready to lay eggs. If the female neon tetra is ready to lay eggs, her belly will appear swollen. It will look more enlarged than normal. This is the biggest clue that she is ready to lay eggs.

Pay Attention To The Male Neon Tetra Fish Behavior

It's not just the females you should keep an eye on when trying to determine if they are ready to reproduce. The behavior of the males will also be a straightforward sign that she is ready to lay eggs. When the males start to exhibit courting behavior, it's likely because the female is ready to reproduce.

Some of the behavior that you may notice from the males is a particular dance they do in order to attract the females. When they are doing this mating dance, the male fish usually swims around in a square pattern while jerking back and forth. Sometimes you may notice him stop and remain still for a moment, then get right back into the rhythm of his dance.

What Should You Do If Your Neon Tetra Is Pregnant?

If your neon tetra has given off the signs that it is pregnant then you will need to get prepared. It's a good idea to do some research and brush up on your knowledge of these beautiful fish. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to help prepare for the arrival of baby neon tetra fish.

Separate Tanks

Once your female neon tetra has given the signs that she is ready to breed, it's best to put her and the male fish in a separate tank. This will be the tank that you plan to hatch the baby neon tetra fish in. The eggs are adhesive, so it's a good idea to make sure this tank has plants and moss for the eggs to stick to.

Make sure the breeding tank has a lid to prevent your neon tetra fish from jumping out when they get too excited during the breeding process. It's a good idea to put the fish in this tank during the evening because that is when the breeding takes place. Everything else in the process will happen once the sun comes up.

This breeding tank should be at least 10 gallons (38 liters) to get the right tank conditions for successful breeding. When you focus on creating the right breeding conditions, they are likely to produce more eggs.

Ideal Water Conditions

When your neon tetra is preparing to lay eggs, you will want to do everything you can to create the right environment for them. These fish thrive when they are living in water that is 77 Fahrenheit (25 Celcius) so it's important to reach a temperature that the fish will be most comfortable in.

On top of the temperature, you should also make sure they are living in soft water with low mineral content. Ideally, it should be slightly acidic with a pH balance of 5 to 6. This is how you can best recreate their natural habitat. Most pet stores have pH testing strips so you can get an accurate reading.

Neon tetra fish need clean water too, so it's important to keep on top of the water changes. If this gets neglected, they may decide not to breed. Neon tetra needs the right conditions to be encouraged to breed, and they are particular about the water.

It's recommended to change the tank water more frequently when encouraging neon tetra to breed. When changing the water, it's important that you only change out half of the tank's water at a time to avoid putting the fish in shock. While you want to give them the right conditions, you have to change the water gradually.

Improve Filtration

It's recommended that neon tetra fish owners get a corner filter for their aquarium. Neon tetra fish need an environment with good-quality filtration. This will help remove all of the waste and bacteria from the aquarium so they have a healthy environment. It is very important to have one in place in order to protect the health of the baby neon tetra fish.

If the water tank is not kept clean, then a white substance could form around the eggs. This is a fungus that could infect the egg and possibly kill the embryo. To avoid infestation of fungus and bacteria, you will need to make sure the tank has a proper filtration system.

Adequate Lighting

It's important that newborn neon tetra fish have an environment that's as close to their natural habitat as possible. This includes lighting as well. Move the aquarium to a place where it's not exposed to full light. Neon tetra will always do better in a darker environment. While their aquarium doesn't need to be in complete darkness, it should only receive a small amount of light in the day.

Hiding Spots

It's important that you place items such as plants, moss, and rocks in the aquarium because they allow a hiding spot for the female neon tetra. Once the female is ready to lay her eggs, she becomes very shy. If she has hiding spots, she will feel more comfortable laying her eggs. Females also prefer to lay their eggs in darker areas of the aquarium.

Adding Fish

Breeding neon tetra fish is a lot different than how cats and dogs breed. Instead of it being a one on one occasion, neon tetra fish breed in groups. For a better chance of successful spawning, many people will place between 6 and 8 male and female fish in the breeding tank in the evening, and leave them there for at least 2 days.

FAQ

When you place a male and female neon tetra fish together, they could breed and start their own family of beautiful colored fish. While you won't ever see a pregnant neon tetra in your aquarium, you could be lucky enough to have a neon tetra that is ready to lay eggs. These are some of the most frequently asked questions about when neon tetra fish reproduce.

What Do Neon Tetra Eggs Look Like?

Neon tetra eggs are very small and round, similar in shape and size to tapioca. They are clear but often will have a white or yellow tint to them. These eggs are a similar consistency to jelly and will stick to the leaves and plants in the aquarium.

Since they are clear and incredibly tiny, it's very difficult to see these eggs. To get a glimpse you will have to look very closely. Many people are guilty of cleaning the eggs up because they mistook them for waste.

How Many Eggs Do Neon Tetras Lay?

Once a neon tetra is ready to lay eggs, she could lay anywhere from 60 to 120 at a time. While this may seem like a lot, most of the eggs won't hatch or survive. Once the eggs have been laid, it's up to the male neon tetra fish to fertilize them. On average, only 30 percent of the eggs end up hatching.

What you may not have known is that there's a way to check whether or not one of the eggs has been fertilized. An egg that has successfully been fertilized will have a black dot inside it.

How Long Will It Take For Your Neon Tetra To Lay Eggs?

When the female neon tetra is ready to breed, she will scatter the eggs throughout the aquarium, giving males the opportunity to fertilize them. The female will generally lay the eggs in the morning and the amount of light will determine how long it will take for the female to lay eggs.

Usually, a female neon tetra will take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to lay the eggs. After the eggs have been laid, the process usually takes 24 hours for them to hatch. It's important to remember that the babies will need to stay in a separate tank with minimal light for at least 5 days.

Do Neon Tetras Eat Their Babies?

Once you notice neon tetra eggs in the aquarium, it's best to move the fish to a separate tank. This is because it's very common for neon tetra fish to eat the eggs as well as their babies once the eggs have hatched. Most babies won't survive the attack from their parents, so it is best to keep them separate and give the babies a chance to grow.

Ideally, you should wait for at least 3 months before introducing a baby neon tetra fish to an aquarium with other adult fish. If they are introduced too early, they are likely to get eaten. It's also a good idea to keep them separate because baby neon tetra fish are more prone to disease.

They are also more sensitive to injuries which makes it more difficult for them to survive in a community tank.

Final Thoughts

Aquarium fanatics around the world are always excited about the sight of neon tetra fish. These colorful beauties are loved by many aquarium enthusiasts. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also very easy-going. Many people feel comfortable breeding them because they know those beautiful babies will all find a great home. However, when you want to breed neon tetra, you need to have the right conditions.

Once you have the right environment ready for your neon tetra fish to breed, the process doesn't take long at all. One thing to keep in mind about breeding neon tetra is that the female fish doesn't become pregnant. Instead, she will lay a lot of eggs to give the male fish an opportunity to fertilize them.

When your female neon tetra is ready to lay eggs, it's important that you place her in a separate tank with the right environmental conditions. However, keep an eye out for when those eggs have been laid and fertilized. You'll want to move the adults back to their tanks before they eat the fertilized eggs.

Sources

https://aquariumsathome.com/can-neon-tetras-get-pregnant/
https://www.aquariumnexus.com/pregnant-neon-tetra/
https://www.wikihow.com/Breed-Neon-Tetras
https://tetra-fish-care.com/what-do-neon-tetra-eggs-look-like/
https://tetra-fish-care.com/how-to-tell-if-a-neon-tetra-is-going-to-lay-eggs/

How Do You Tell if a Neon Tetra Is Pregnant

Source: https://www.bettacarefishguide.com/is-your-neon-tetra-pregnant-every-question-answered/