Black Skirt and Neon Tetras together?

[Zander]

I am currently setting up a new 75 gallon tank. I've got 5 Black Skirt Tetras that are a couple years old already. I'm not really interested in getting more, because that would mean a longer commitment to them. I think I'm just going to keep them until they die off in a few more years.

I'm considering getting 20-25 Neon Tetras for my new tank. I'm wondering if the Black Skirts would be compatible. They're at least double the size, maybe triple. Plus they are known to be a little nippy, though mine have never shown any nippiness before. However I've never kept them with such small fish before either.

Has anyone kept these two kinds of tetra together before?

[-Alex-]

In tank that size it will be perfectly fine.

Black skirts are only really nippy with long finned fish in small tanks.

A large school of neons will look great!!

[Lady Hobbs]

My black skirts were favorites of mine and I never had a problem with nipping. But, I had 24 of them, too. But here we are today, 7 years later and about 7 of them still survive but still not nipping.

Neons are great hiders, tho. They generally remain huddled to the bottom of a tank when other species are in the tank with them. They know, I think, they are at the bottom of the food chain. Personally if you are going to have numerous other fish, I think I would go with rummynose that isn't so shy.

[imma24]

I have 5 black skirts & 6 neons and they don't bother each other at all - I have a little cave in my tank and they take turns hiding in it!

[Zander]

My black skirts were favorites of mine and I never had a problem with nipping. But, I had 24 of them, too. But here we are today, 7 years later and about 7 of them still survive but still not nipping.

Neons are great hiders, tho. They generally remain huddled to the bottom of a tank when other species are in the tank with them. They know, I think, they are at the bottom of the food chain. Personally if you are going to have numerous other fish, I think I would go with rummynose that isn't so shy.

I appreciate the feedback. I haven't kept Neon's before but in this case they'd pretty well dominate the tank. I was hoping they'd be less shy in larger numbers, but maybe that's wishful thinking.

Can you think of a similar schooling fish that is in the same size/color range? I liked the Neon Tetras because the blue/red will contrast the plants. I don't think the Rummy Nose will do the same.

Would Cardinal Tetras be less shy? Flame Tetras? Ember Tetras? I have not kept them before so I am not as aware of their level of shyness. This large school is going to be the centerpiece of the tank so I don't want anything overly shy.

[escamosa]

I've kept Black Skirts as well, and I've found them to be great with other tank mates. A bigger school the better though. Cardinals usually grow a lot bigger than Neons, so I suppose they could possibly be a bit less shy. Never kept Cardinals, so I'm only really guessing. Serpae Tetras are really nice in a big school too. I've had those mixed in with Black Skirts, and my son had some with his Neons, and they were fine.

[Cermet]

I keep Cardinal Tetra's with large Discus and I have zero issues and the Cardinals school all the time and are out in the open. I have had far better luck with Cardinals than I have with Neon's (others haven't had such issues.)

[Lady Hobbs]

Larger numbers always work. I'm about to invest in 20 more of them myself.