Red neon tetras have accompanied me for almost my entire life – and they still enchant me with their beauty and elegance. When I got my hands on the book Neon Tetras by MUDr. Vladek Bydžovský, a world of not only practical advice and experiences opened up to me, but also a deeper understanding of these exceptional fish.
When I recently asked my uncle - an eighty-year-old aquarium enthusiast - about red neon fish, he immediately replied:
They have always been the most expensive and the most beautiful. In the eighties, they cost a whole 15 crowns!
It's true. Throughout my life, I have only managed to go a few years without at least a small school of these beautiful fish. Even today, they shimmer beautifully in my aquarium, enjoying the calm atmosphere of a partially overgrown and only gently lit tank. It may seem from today's perspective that they are rather ordinary fish given their availability and price, but in reality, they have never ceased to amaze me.
The combination of their colors is simply perfect. I completely understand that they are celebrated in their homeland, and at carnival, Brazilian beauties dress in the sparkling colors of these very fish.
Often in their articles, authors mention so-called neon water and that breeding neon fish is a high school of aquaristics. I asked myself whether I would be able to breed red neon fish and how I would manage with other types of neon fish. You cannot imagine my excitement when Dr. Vladko Bydžovský recently dedicated his book for neon fish lovers and small tetra fish with the simple title Neonky.
That very evening, I started reading and then returned to the individual pieces of information. They are arranged in such a way that the book serves not only as a basis for breeding but also as a tool for a deeper understanding of the connections and organizing my thoughts about aquaristics as such.
I joyfully read the detailed description of the discovery of red neon fish in the 1950s, examined the well-documented individuals, pairs, schools, and then I could compare all of this in later chapters with other types of neon fish that the author also included in the publication.
Just like with other living beings, and indeed with people, how the fish are fed from the very beginning of their existence plays an important role here. If anyone has any doubts about what food to use in different phases of development, they will find answers in the book Neonky .
The more I learn, the more I am also interested in fish diseases. One cannot avoid them over the years, even with the best efforts. The book mentions almost all the diseases that can affect neon fish, as well as how they can be treated. It is a practical guide that will be useful to any breeder.
The book is packed with facts and experiences, and the humility of the author is evident in the text, even despite the fact that he has bred more than 70,000 specimens.
Since this is not a newly published book, many aquarium breeders already have it, but if not, rest assured that the book is supplemented with a wealth of quality photographs and a bibliography, making it a useful guide for every aquarist, from beginners to advanced.
Thanks to the author's personal experiences and his professional approach, Neonky is a valuable source of information for everyone interested in breeding these fascinating fish, even despite the fact that more than twenty years have passed since its publication. The book Neonky is truly a timeless guide to breeding these beautiful fish!
The book is especially suitable for those interested in breeding and raising these types of neon fish:
Red neon fish Paracheirodon axelrodi
Blue neon fish Paracheirodon simulans
Black neon fish Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Green neon fish Hemigrammus hyanuary
Common neon fish Paracheirodon innesi and Paracheirodon Innesi "Gold"
Bydžovský, Vladko. Neonky. 1st ed. Brno: BEDE, 2002. 80 p. ISBN 80-902749-4-9.
