Do Neon Tetra Need Light? (All You Need To Know)

Neon tetras get a balance of light and dark periods in their natural habitat. But when placed in an artificial environment, do they need light? Let us find out.

Neon tetras require light to locate their food and safeguard themselves from predators. Tetras have poor iris functionality, making it a task for them to see in the dark. Consider adding a fluorescent light to your neon tetras tank, as it helps mimic the daylight condition for your fish.

The article below discusses the importance of lights for your neon tetras. In addition, we will also discuss the best light option for your neon tetras.

Do neon tetras need light in their tank?

Neon tetras require light in their tank to grow and develop adequately, and it also helps to enrich the color of your fish, making them look more attractive.

In their natural habitat, neon tetras get a balance of light and dark periods.

But, when placed in an artificial environment, you can add lights to their tank to mimic their natural habitat.

Lack of light in the tank can lead to severe stress in your fish, eventually weakening them and making them prone to several diseases and parasites.

Inadequate light in the tank can also affect the growth of live aquatic plants in the tank.

Therefore, providing adequate light in your tetra’s tank will be advisable to ensure your fish’s well-being and longer lifespan.

What are the benefits of adding light to my neon tetra tank?

Neon tetras cannot see in the dark, so adding lights to your tank is essential as it helps them to locate their food.

Aquarium lights also help to enrich your tetra’s color, making them look attractive in the tank.

In addition, aquarium lights also play a significant role in the development of the live aquatic plants in the tank.

Adding aquarium lights in the tank will make your neon tetras active.

Lack of light in the tank can make your tetras sluggish and suffer from significant stress, eventually weakening them and making them vulnerable to several diseases.

Also, read: 10 Signs of Stress In Neon Tetras

So, we recommend adding an aquarium light to your tetra tank to ensure the proper health of your fish.

Do neon tetras need light at night?

Neon tetras do not need light at night as they prefer to rest.

In the wild, tetras get a balance of the light and dark period, so when placed in an artificial environment, you should maintain the balance to mimic your fish’s natural habitat.

Keeping the aquarium lights on during the nighttime can lead to stress in your fish, eventually making them weak and prone to several diseases and parasites.

How long should we keep the lights on in our neon tetras tank?

You should keep the light on for 12 hours to maintain a proper circadian rhythm.

In their natural habitat, tetras get a balance of the light and dark periods.

It will be best to keep your tank lights on for at least 12 hours a day to ensure the well-being of your fish.

Lack of light in the tank can lead to stress and other health issues in your neon tetras, eventually making them weak and prone to several diseases and parasites.

However, you should not keep the light on for more than 12 hours as it can promote algae growth in the tank.

Consider keeping the lights off during the night to maintain the day-to-night cycle so that your neon tetras can rest comfortably during the nighttime.

Can neon tetras see in the dark?

Your neon tetras cannot see in the dark as they have weak iris functionality.

Iris is a part of the eye that determines the light absorption in your fish.

Poor iris functionality makes it a task for your tetra to see, so they depend on light to protect themselves from predators and locate their food.

So, it will be advisable to add light to the tank to ensure the well-being of your neon tetras.

However, it would be best to keep the lights off during the night to maintain the day-to-night cycle to make your fish rest comfortably during the nighttime.

Best light for your neon tetras tank

We advise you to add fluorescent lights to the neon tetras tank as it helps to mimic the daylight condition for your fish.

We advise adding All Glass Aquarium Fluorescent Strip Light to your neon tetras tank as it provides the light needed by your fish.

Therefore, you should always balance light and darkness in your tetra’s tank to provide a stress-free environment for your fish.

How to make sure that your neon tetra is getting adequate light?

You can add a timer to your aquarium lights to ensure your fish gets enough light.

Adding a timer to your tank’s light will help you set the duration and time you want the lights to get on and off.

In addition, an aquarium light timer helps ensure that your neon tetras are getting enough light required for their growth and development.

We recommend buying a Hygger auto-on-off LED aquarium light.

You can buy this product on amazon: Hygger auto on off LED aquarium light.

Conclusion:

1. Neon tetras require light in their tank to grow and develop adequately, and it also helps to enrich your fish’s colour.
2. Lack of light in the tank can lead to severe stress in your fish, eventually weakening them and making them prone to several diseases.
3. Neon tetras cannot see in the dark as they have weak iris functionality.
4. You should keep the light on for 12 hours to maintain a proper circadian rhythm.
5. You can add a timer to your aquarium lights to ensure your fish gets enough light.

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Reference: NCBI