Odd Neon Tetra behavior

Blah4Life · 06-29-2012, 04:30 PM

Hi, fish folks!

I had a question about my fish that I was hoping someone here could answer.

I have a small school of 10 neons in a 55g planted tank with a colony of fire red shrimp. The shrimp recently started to breed, so there are babies everywhere. The neons may have gotten a few when they were newly hatched, but most are too big to be eaten at this point.

I noticed that around the time that the shrimp hatched a couple of my neons started doing something that I've never seen them do before. They will swim at a 45 degree angle, head down, tail up, and kind of puff quickly up and down as they swim forward and circle. I have heard that breeding in neons can be triggered by feeding live food to them. So, my question is, is this some sort of breeding/courting behavior, or is it simply the neons on the hunt for baby shrimp.

Thanks in advance for any info!

zdnet · 06-30-2012, 10:56 PM

When I poured live brine shrimps into a tank, neon tetras puffed up and down to feed. Therefore, I believe what you were seeing were hunting for baby shrimps.

LB79 · 07-01-2012, 02:40 AM

Watching fish actually hunt is totally awesome. One of the many reasons I breed convicts...

Ulupica · 07-01-2012, 04:34 AM

I love watching our dwarf puffers hunt snails!

06-29-2012, 04:30 PM	#1
Blah4Life Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York, NY Posts: 65	Odd Neon Tetra behavior Hi, fish folks! I had a question about my fish that I was hoping someone here could answer. I have a small school of 10 neons in a 55g planted tank with a colony of fire red shrimp. The shrimp recently started to breed, so there are babies everywhere. The neons may have gotten a few when they were newly hatched, but most are too big to be eaten at this point. I noticed that around the time that the shrimp hatched a couple of my neons started doing something that I've never seen them do before. They will swim at a 45 degree angle, head down, tail up, and kind of puff quickly up and down as they swim forward and circle. I have heard that breeding in neons can be triggered by feeding live food to them. So, my question is, is this some sort of breeding/courting behavior, or is it simply the neons on the hunt for baby shrimp. Thanks in advance for any info!

07-01-2012, 02:40 AM	#3
LB79 Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: South-central Washington State, USA Posts: 1,793	Watching fish actually hunt is totally awesome. One of the many reasons I breed convicts... __________________ "One day...one day, this path will lead us to the White City, and the tower guard will take up the call: the Lords of Gondor have returned!" *–Boromir, The Lord Of The Rings*

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06-30-2012, 10:56 PM	#2
zdnet Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 531	When I poured live brine shrimps into a tank, neon tetras puffed up and down to feed. Therefore, I believe what you were seeing were hunting for baby shrimps.

07-01-2012, 04:34 AM	#4
Ulupica Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sheboygan, WI Posts: 100	I love watching our dwarf puffers hunt snails!