the perfect size tank for how big neon tetras grow

So today I’m writing about a typical subject that comes up often. What size fish tank or aquarium do you need for the size of fish you will be keeping? 

Wow I know that’s a multifaceted question as it depends on lots of variables. What type of fish will you be keeping are those fish schooling fish will you be keeping algae eaters? Or any other fish with your fish and so on the list is endless.

So I’ve narrowed this down to the perfect tank size for tiny neon fish. I’ll be using neon tetra size to determine the neon tetra tank size. How big neon tetra get when fully grown neon tetra length to equate to the neon tetra minimum tank size?

That being said let’s start with the obvious what’s the minimum sized tank for our neon tetra fish tank and how big do neon tetra fish get?

Perfect Sized Tank For Full Grown Neon Tetras

20-gallon tank is perfect for 8 fully grown neon tetra fish as neon tetra grow to be 1.5 inches long. 12 gallons of water at an inch per gallon. 8 gallons for tank mates substrate and room for schooling.

How did I come to this understanding let’s take a deeper look together as I explain my theory the above is great for 8 neon tetra also 20 gallons is the minimum tank size id recommend for neon tetra. As all tetras are schooling fish meaning they like to swim in packs and the minimum pack or school size is 6 fish.

With that in mind, 6 fish is the minimum that’s already 10 gallons of water needed. That’s without any tank mates or plants or even substrate. Plus there are no ornaments for hiding places and no room to school around.

As you can see even with smaller fish the amount of water we need to keep our fish happy soon adds up let’s have a look at the fish size.

Neon Tetra Size

 

How big do neon tetras get this needs to be taken into account. So there are quite a few neon tetra species out there here are a few listed below.

1. True Neon Tetras
2. Long Fins Neon Tetras
3. Gold Head Neon Tetras
4. Diamond Neon Tetras
5. Black Neon Tetra
6. Red Neon Tetra
7. Green Tetra

Now luckily all of these neon tetra are similar in shape and size none of them will grow past 2 inches.

This fact makes things so much easier when determining tank sizes which we will be talking about in a minute. When we talk about how big neon tetra gets and neon tetra size in general were talking in terms of neon tetra length.

As with all fish, its size is generally based on its length from nose to tail. Do fish even have noses click to find out.

Also speaking of tails can fish regrow fins and tails is a great read feel free to have a look. Anyway, our tiny neon fish is well very thin and slender it’s commonly called torpedo-shaped. So when you hear people say how big neon tetras get as with all fish it’s based on length.

Neon Tetra Minimum Tank Size

As you probably guessed from earlier in the article I believe the minimum tank size should be no smaller than 20 gallons. In fact the bigger the better as we all keep banging on about in the fish-keeping game bigger aquariums are actually easier to keep.

This is because if something goes wrong in a smaller tank it’s made exponentially worse and spreads quickly. Big tanks can and do resolve issues on their own and you have more time to access a problem and fix the issue before it causes any damage.

Also, neon tetras are indeed schooling fish and need to be kept together in groups. They love swimming in groups and need space to do this anything under 20 gallons leaves no room for them to have a good swim.

If they don’t have room for schooling they can get stressed leading to minor chasing and fighting behavior and the lack of room can make them ill over time starting with the loss of their beautiful color.

How Many Neon Tetras Should Be Kept Together

Ok, We have a great understanding of the minimum tank size and how big fully grown neon tetras get. Now we need to know how many neon tetras well as stated earlier 6 is the minimum amount of these little fish.

Any less than 6 of these tiny neon fish will become ill. Have a look here for how to prevent neon tetra dying. I know that seems a strange thing to say but trust me these fish need each other.

If the groups are too small they become stressed reluctant to swim they separate themselves hiding on their own. After only a short while they will refuse food and refuse to swim and become open to infection or diseases. As well as starting to lose their awesome colors.

So this obviously begs the question of how many neon tetras can be kept together the more the merrier I say.

Although this is a little vague so here are some general rule of thumb suggestions to whet your appetite.

How Many Neon Tetras Per Gallon 

This is going to be a two-fold answer so bear with me I’m not taking the mickey I want to be as helpful as humanly possible. You could just about get away with 1 neon tetra per gallon of water this is because this fish is so narrow thin and torpedo-shaped.

Remember earlier when I said we measure fish in length well some fish are really wide some are fat and some are tall if that makes sense. Although they may be considered the same size because they are between 1-2 inches long the same as our little neon.

This does not make them the same size we can clearly see the neon tetra is tiny in comparison also they swim in tight packs or groups. So there’s going to be some overlap of fish when looking at how many fish per gallon.

How Many Fish Per Gallon Maybe Start With One Fish Per Two Gallons Of Water.

Also, we have to bare in mind modern filtration plants and technical equipment that oxygenates and purifies our water. Plus these fish produce less waste so all in all one fish per gallon should be fine.

Although all that being said id air on the side of caution until you’re sure your tank can handle this amount of fish as you will no doubt have other fish too.

So in the beginning when starting a new tank. And everything has settled and cycled correctly and you have checked and double-checked all parameters and are ready to add fish. Let’s start by adding one fish every 2 gallons. 

How Many Neon Tetras In A 3 Gallon Tank

Something that crops up when dealing with all fish keeping is the whole idea of how many fish per gallon and how many neon tetras in a 3-gallon tank. And of course 5 gallons even how many neon tetras in a 10-gallon tank.

Although it is supposedly mathematically possible to have one fish in a 3-gallon tank and two in a 5-gallon and even five in a 10-gallon tank. It’s not healthy or safe for the fish as they need as said previously to be kept in groups of no less than six (6).

So to answer all the usual questions of 3-5-10 gallon tanks the answer is none zip zero they would not survive very well as these tanks are just too small.

Neon Tetra Size & Neon Tetra Tank Size 

Neon tetras when fully grown are between one and a half and two inches in length this is true of all types of neon tetra fish.

The tank size needs to be no smaller than twenty gallons in size to incorporate the fact that there will be other things inside this tank. And that these are indeed schooling fish that require lots of room to swim in groups together.

The Perfect Size Tank For How Big Neon Tetras Grow Conclusion

Now, this was a nice article to write as you know I happen to love neon tetras. We know how big they get once fully grown which some hobbyists forget to take into consideration when buying fish.

We know how much water per inch of fish we need around 2 gallons per inch to be super safe and to incorporate ornaments plants and any other objects in the water. Of course, we also need at least six (6) fish as they are schooling fish.

A minimum of 20 gallons is needed as said within this very article but is that my perfect size tank?

In conclusion, my perfect-sized tank in my opinion for myself would be double that at 40 gallons as I would have at least 12 neon tetras and 2 plecos to do some cleaning and a couple of other tank mates. That’s just me I have to double everything when it comes to fish what about you what’s your perfect-sized tank for neon tetras? (.)