Neon tetras are one of the world’s most popular aquarium fish. Fish collector Auguste Rabaut discovered them in 1936 and sent some to a fish breeder in France, who subsequently exported them to aquarists around the world. Within a year, the first neons arrived in the United States — shipped aboard the luxurious zeppelin airship Hindenburg!
In the decades that followed, neons quickly established themselves as classic community fish. Cardinal tetras appeared a couple of decades later, and there aren’t many aquarists who haven’t kept one or the other at some point in their hobby careers.
However, familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed success, and many aquarists continue to find these fish frustratingly difficult to maintain for any length of time. So, we’ll look at what these lovely fish need to succeed and how best to keep them in your community tank.
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