Will Neon Tetras Eat Their Own Fry? Answered

Adult neon tetras will eat their eggs and fry if given the chance. They do not intentionally prey on their young, but will opportunistically eat eggs and newly hatched fry due to the small size.

Fry predation is common in fish, but separating fry is the best way to avoid losses and successfully breed neon tetras.

Do Neon Tetras Eat Their Eggs?

Neon tetras do not provide any parental care for their eggs. They are primarily egg scatterers and will not intentionally eat their own eggs.

The adults will scatter the eggs during spawning and show no further interest. The eggs are left to hatch on their own.

However, the eggs are very small and vulnerable once scattered in the tank.

Will Neon Tetras Actively Hunt Their Own Fry?

In most cases, adult neon tetras will not actively hunt and prey on their own free-swimming fry.

Neon tetras have small mouths not well-suited for fry predation. Also, they are not aggressive fish with a strong predatory drive.

However, adult neon tetras may still accidentally eat some of their own fry.

Newly hatched fry are extremely tiny and difficult to see in the tank. Adult neon tetras could inadvertently consume fry while foraging for food.

Will Neon Tetras Eat Fry of Other Fish Species?

While neon tetras do not actively hunt fry, their opportunistic feeding behavior still poses a threat to small fry tankmates like guppies.

The tiny size of newly born fry means some will likely get eaten by adult neon tetras.

However, this fry predation is not malicious in nature. The neon tetras simply see the minute fry as another food source.

Fry predation and cannibalism are fairly common among some fish species.

How to Prevent Neon Tetras from Eating Fry

If you want to successfully breed neon tetras, there are some steps you can take to save the vulnerable eggs and fry:

• Move adults to separate tanks before spawning occurs. This prevents the eggs from getting eaten.
• After hatching, leave fry in their own tank. Only combine with adults after 2-3 months when fry are bigger.
• Provide dense planting, rocks, and driftwood. This gives fry more hiding spots and improves survival chances.
• Try using a mesh breeder box to segregate a small number of fry. This keeps them safely separated.

If you want to successfully breed neon tetras, check out our guide on breeding neon tetras which cover setting up the best environment for mating and raising the fry.

Is Fry Predation Harmful for Neon Tetras?

Eating an occasional fry or two is not considered harmful for adult neon tetras.

Fry provide nutrients and some variation from standard fish food. However, fry should never make up the bulk of the diet.

Neon tetras still require high-quality prepared foods with balanced nutrition.

Conclusion

Neon tetras can and will eat eggs and fry if given the opportunity. But this is natural opportunistic feeding behavior, not active hunting.

Separating adults from eggs and fry is the best way to avoid losing offspring and successfully breed neon tetras.

With some careful management, neon tetra fry predation can be prevented.