What Do Neon Tetra Eggs Look Like & Where To Find Them

Neon tetras are popular because they are hardy, pretty to look at, and easy to take care of. Many aquarists would like them a lot because they have pretty colors and are easy to care for. Once you’re used to having one neon tetra in your aquarium, you might want to have more and decide to breed them. And to have more of them, you’ll need to take care of them and their eggs the right way. The good news is that it’s easy, and this article will tell you what you need to know to take care of neon tetra eggs.

Do Neon Tetra Lay Eggs?

Neon Tetras are a cool and fun freshwater fish that many aquarists keep in their tanks. They are beautiful, fairly active, and easy to take care of, and they make your fish tank look peaceful. It is a must-have fish, and you might want more of them in your tank.

Neon Tetras do, in fact, lay eggs, just like any other fish would. In fact, many aquarists think they are one of the easiest types of fish to breed. The male and female neon tetras mate, and soon after, the pregnant neon tetras lay their eggs for about 2 to 4 weeks on any flat surface like the leaves of plants.

But keep in mind that Neon Tetras are well-known for eating their own eggs and fry. So, if you want to care for the eggs, you might want to put them in a separate tank from the rest of the fish. Also, the eggs are fragile, so they may need extra care and attention to make sure they hatch.

What Do Neon Tetra Eggs Look Like?

There are many steps that must be taken in order to successfully breed more neon tetras in an aquarium. However, learning about neon tetra eggs is the most crucial step after setting up the breeding tank. So, you probably want to know what they appear to be like.

To start, Tetra eggs are one of the hardest eggs to find. You have to pay close attention because most aquarists wash these eggs away, thinking they are trash. They are small, round, white, or yellow, and you can often find them stuck to moss as well as plant leaves or on the bottom of the tank.

Neon Tetra eggs are fragile, so you may want to be extra careful when you take care of them. Having a lot of plants in your aquarium is helpful so the eggs will have something to stick to. Also, keep in mind that the eggs will die if there is too much light, so keep your tank with the eggs in the dark to avoid killing them by accident.

How Long Do Neon Tetra Eggs Take to Hatch?

Neon tetra could be the right fish for your aquarium if you want one that grows quickly and can have babies quickly. They are easy to take care of and beautiful, active fish that are fun to have in an aquarium. They can also grow up fast and lay a lot of eggs that hatch quickly.

One female tetra can produce anywhere between 60 to 130 eggs, and they hatch in about 24 hours. However, this is not always the case, especially if the water is too low. It may take up to 72 hours for an egg to hatch if it is not in its ideal water temperature.

Taking care of the eggs is also usually easy because you don’t have to do much besides separate them from their parents. But the eggs themselves are fragile, so to keep them alive, you should keep the water steady and the light low. After 48 hours, any eggs that haven’t hatched should be taken out so they don’t go bad and make the water dirty.

Where Do Neon Tetras Lay Their Eggs?

Neon Tetras don’t lay all of their eggs in one place. They tend to be all over the place, which makes them hard to find. If you want to find out where your neon tetras’ eggs have been laid, these are the most likely places.

1. Plant Leaves

If you can’t find the neon tetras’ eggs, you might want to look at the plant leaves. Tetras usually lay their eggs in places that are hard to find. When you look through the aquarium’s leaves, be careful not to hurt the egg.

2. Moss

Eggs tend to stick well to moss, just like plant leaves do. They also give the eggs a safe place to lay while they are getting ready to hatch. But the eggs are harder to find in moss than in plant leaves.

3. Substrate

Neon tetras are egg scatterers, which means they just throw their eggs into the water without much care. The egg then falls to the bottom of the tank, where the male neon tetras can fertilize it.

4. Ceiling of a Driftwood Gap

If you still can’t find the neon tetra eggs, try looking in the ceiling of a hole in your driftwood. Neon tetras are shy fish, so it’s possible that they are hiding their eggs in the gap.

5. Aquarium Filter

Neon tetras have been known to lay their eggs almost anywhere. So it’s not surprising that some of them might end up in the filter of your aquarium. If you’re expecting neon tetras, make sure your filter’s flow rate isn’t too strong, or it could hurt the eggs.

How Do You Take Care of Neon Tetra Eggs?

Neon tetra fish eggs are easy to take care of, and you don’t have to do much as long as the right conditions are met. But the eggs are fragile and would need more care if they were not in their ideal environment. Here are a few ways to care for neon tetra eggs.

1. Turn Off the Lightings

If you are raising neon tetra eggs, don’t turn on the aquarium lights in the tank at all. The eggs and fry are so light-sensitive that the light will actually kill them. It is a must to keep the fish tank as dark as possible until the fry are a few weeks old.

2. Steady Temperature

The optimal water temperature for neon tetra eggs ranges from 73° to 76° Fahrenheit. This will keep the eggs healthy. Also, make sure the temperature stays the same, so you don’t kill the eggs.

3. Maintain pH balance

In addition to the temperature, you must also make sure that they live in water that is soft and has few minerals. The pH level of the water should be somewhere between 5 and 6. That is the ideal water softness the neon tetra eggs and fry can handle.

4. Isolate The Eggs 

Neon tetras have a bad reputation for eating their own eggs and young. When you see neon tetra eggs in your aquarium, take the eggs away from the parents. It’s also a good idea to have a separate tank where you can put a couple of fish, so they have a place to mate and lay eggs.

5. Install a Filter

People whose aquariums have neon tetra eggs should have a filter. When they grow up, the fry or baby fish will need a place to live that has good filtration. This will help get rid of the waste and bacteria in the aquarium so that the baby neon tetra fish can stay healthy.

6. Provide Hideaways in Your Aquarium

The female neon tetra needs a place to hide, so be sure to furnish the aquarium with plants, moss, and rocks. The female becomes extremely timid just before she lays her eggs. If she can find places to conceal her eggs, she will feel more at ease doing so. 

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Why Are Neon Tetra Eggs White?

Neon Tetra eggs are usually clear white or yellowish, like tiny pieces of tapioca jelly. But if it doesn’t look like that, it might be because the egg is bad and has turned white. Here are a few things that could have caused your neon tetra eggs to turn white.

1. Unfertilized

The eggs of neon tetras are usually clear white or pale yellow. If it’s all white and hasn’t started to get a black dot in the middle, it’s probably not fertilized. Unfertilized fish eggs should be taken out of the tank because they can make the tank dirty.

2. Infected with White Fungus

A white substance may develop around the eggs if the aquarium water is not regularly cleaned. This fungus has the potential to infect an egg and cause its death. If you want to keep the tank free of mold and bacteria, a good filtration system is essential.

3. Too Much Light

When the aquarium lights are too bright, it can cause the eggs to turn white. As mentioned before, neon tetra eggs are quite light-sensitive and should be kept in a dark environment. So make sure your aquarium lights are dimmed or shut off completely while raising neon tetras. 

4. Too Much Flow Rate

The filter’s flow rate should also not be too strong, as this can damage the eggs. It is important to find a balance between providing enough oxygen for the fish and keeping the water from getting too turbulent. Don’t let the filter’s flow rate get too strong, or it could hurt the eggs. 

5. Poor Water Quality

If the water is not clean and well-oxygenated, it can stress out the fish and cause their eggs to turn white. To achieve a good level of water quality, make sure you are doing regular tank maintenance, such as changing the water, cleaning the filter media, and adjusting the pH balance. 

Should You Move Neon Tetra Eggs on Your Filter?

If you’re wondering if you should move the fish eggs away from the filter or just let it be, the answer is, “It depends.” If your filter has a strong flow, you should try to move the fish eggs away from it because it could pull the eggs up into the filter, which would kill them. It could also get broken by the water flow that the filter makes.

FAQ

Do Neon Tetras Eat Their Eggs?

Neon tetras are known to consume their own fry and eggs. It is best for the eggs if their parents don’t stay with them.

Do Neon Tetras Guard Their Eggs?

Neon tetras don’t tend to their eggs, but they are good at hiding them. But they have been known to eat their eggs and young, so it’s not a good idea to put them in the same tank.

How Many Eggs Does a Neon Tetra Lay?

When a neon tetra is able to reproduce, she can lay anywhere from sixty to one hundred and twenty eggs at a time. Even though it looks like a lot, very few of those eggs will actually make it.

Do Black Neon Tetras Lay Eggs?

Black neon tetras spread their eggs. Most of the time, they lay a lot of eggs early in the morning.

Do Neon Tetras Lay Unfertilized Eggs?

Female neon tetras lay an egg that hasn’t been fertilized even when the males aren’t around. To be more specific, they just throw the eggs into the water.

Recap

Neon Tetras are a great fish to keep in your aquarium. And it’s not hard to see why so many fish keepers want to try to breed them and get more of them. Taking care of the fish eggs isn’t too hard, as long as you keep the temperature and pH of the water stable. Also, make sure the water is clean and kept somewhere dark, away from any light source. Also, keep in mind that the fish can lay their eggs anywhere in the tank, so you can pick them up and put them somewhere safe. If you take care of the basics, it’s highly probable that your neon tetras will be alright and do well in your aquarium.

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About the author

Hey there! I'm Antonio, the passionate owner and chief editor of Betta Care Fish Guide. With over half a decade of hands-on experience, I've become your go-to expert for all things betta and tropical fish.

Over the past 5 years, I've not only kept bettas and other tropical fish but also connected with a diverse network of hobbyists, seasoned fishkeepers, and even veterinarians.

Now, I want to help other beginner fish keepers who had the same questions as me when they were just starting out! So they can save themselves a ton of time and keep their fish happy and healthy!

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