Blue Eye - Red Neon (Pseudomugil luminatus)

Best kept in a densely-planted aquarium and an excellent choice for the carefully-aquascaped set-up.

The addition of some floating plants and driftwood roots or branches to diffuse the light also seems to be appreciated and adds a more natural feel.

If you wish to raise fry alongside the adults the addition of fine-leaved aquatic moss such as a Taxiphylum sp. is advisable (see ‘Reproduction’).

The water should be well-oxygenated and a degree of flow is advisable. Do not add this fish to a biologically immature aquarium as it can be susceptible to swings in water chemistry.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 18 – 26 °C

pH: 6.5 – 7.5

Hardness: 36 – 215 ppm

Diet

Likely to feed on floating or suspended zooplankton, phytoplankton, and invertebrates in nature, and in the aquarium must be offered items of a suitable size.

Ideally much of the diet should comprise live foods such as Daphnia, Moina, Artemia nauplii, micro worm, etc., although small/crushed floating dried foods are also accepted.

Behaviour and Compatibility

Peaceful but unsuitable for the general community aquarium since it’s easily outcompeted.

It’s best maintained alone or alongside fishes of comparable size, disposition, and requirements and freshwater shrimp of the genera Caridina and Neocaridina but in all cases be sure to research your choices thoroughly prior to purchase.

It’s a shoaling species and should be kept in a group of at least 8-10 specimens, ideally more.

Maintaining it in such numbers will not only make the fish less nervous but result in a more effective, natural-looking display.