Neon tetras need at least an aquarium that will hold at least 10 gallons (38L) of fresh water. This will provide enough space for hiding and swimming. Estimate about 10 gallons (38L) for every 24 fish you want to keep. Do this a few weeks before bring your tetras home. This will clean the aquarium and remove any harmful bacteria that could kill your fish. Buy a water testing kit at the pet store. Make sure the water reads 0 parts per million (ppm) of ammonia (NH3), nitrite (NO2-), and nitrate (NO3-) before adding your fish. To cycle your tank, fill the tank with fresh water and run the filter. Add enough NH3 to raise its measurement to 2 ppm. Test the water daily and keep track of how long it takes for the NH3 to break down into NO2-. As NO2- levels rise, add more NH3 to bring them down. Eventually, the process will encourage the growth of NO3-forming bacteria. This will cause the NO2- level to fall. Continue to test the water until all three compounds fall to 0 ppm. Neon tetras are small, delicate fish whose bodies can get sucked into a filter with deadly results. Use mesh or foam to cover the intake. This will protect your fish while allowing the filter to regulate the bacteria in the water. In the wild, neon tetras are used to waters rich in plant life. Install aquatic or semi-aquatic plants from the pet store. Leaf litter and driftwood will also replicate tetras' natural habitats. Plants and driftwood also provide tetras with the hiding places they enjoy in the wild. Tetras thrive in mildly acidic water, with a pH of about 5.5 to 6.8. Buy pH testing strips in your local pet supply store. Follow the instructions on the label to properly read the test results. Test the pH each time you change the water. If you want to breed your tetras, keep the pH slightly lower, between 5.0 and 6.0. Buy nylon pantyhose and a bag of organic peat (also known as sphagnum moss) from your local big box store. After washing your hands, stuff the peat into the foot of the panty hose. Tie off the hose after it's stuffed and cut off the foot. Lower the bag into the water and squeeze it to release some peat-filtered water. Then, drop it in the tank. Replace it every few months. Peat bags will also help to soften the water, which tetras require for survival. Peat may discolor the water slightly; however, this is not harmful, and regular partial water changes (which are required anyway) will make sure your water does not look like it came from a swamp. In the wild, tetras live in dark waters. Keep the aquarium in a relatively dark corner of the house. Buy low-wattage bulbs in your pet supply store to create a dim effect. The plants and other hiding places will also help to shade the inside of the aquarium. Generally, your tank should stay around 7080F (2127C). Purchase an adjustable aquarium heater that you can find in most pet supply stores. To monitor the temperature, buy an aquarium thermometer. For breeding, maintain the temperature at about 75F (24C). ank regularly. Neon tetras need clean water low in nitrates and phosphates to resist diseases. Replace 25-50 percent of the water in the tank at least every other week. Scrub out any algae growing on the tank, filter, or decor.
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One-sentence summary -- Buy a large aquarium. Cycle your tank without any fish. Cover the filter intake. Add organic matter. Monitor the pH. Make a peat bag to lower the pH if needed. Dim the lighting. Control the temperature. regularly.

Think of the stores you shop with the most and the stores you consider most reliable or inexpensive. The list of stores you come up with will likely vary depending on the type of product you are looking for. You may, for instance, check with various department stores when shopping for clothing, a mix of department and home goods stores when looking for small kitchen appliances, or a mix of department and home improvement stores if looking for large appliances or tools. If you do not know the store website address already, go to a search engine and type the store's name in. The store's website is usually the first hit to pop up. If you have difficulty, though, you could also try searching the store's name with "official website" typed after it. You can either locate the product by doing a search, using the store's search bar, or by browsing through the departments until you find what you are looking for. If you are looking for a specific product, doing a keyword search is the most efficient and practical means. If looking for a generic product, browsing through the departments might prove more useful. While a product may be cheaper at one store than it is at another, the difference in shipping costs can sometimes make the more expensive item cheaper to buy. Stores that offer free "in store pickup" are, understandably, the cheapest. As soon as you find the product you want on each store's website, jot down the name of the product as well as the price. If the product is currently on sale, make a note of that fact along with when the sale ends, since the price will likely go up after the sale finishes. Saving the product page from each store to your favorites list will make it easier to go back to the product you decide to buy later. After you visit all the websites on your list, compare which ones had the best prices. Since all of these stores are, theoretically, ones you feel comfortable shopping at, the only things you really need to take into account are the cost of the product and the cost of shipping. Return to the product page of the store that had the best price and make your purchase. Alternatively, if the product is marked "Available in stores," you can also drive to that store and purchase the product there.
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One-sentence summary --
Make a list of stores. Visit each store's website. Locate the desired product on each website. Check shipping policies. Mark down your findings as you go along. Add each product page to your favorites. Compare your findings. Buy the item.