They need black water of excellent quality with dark background and substrate and low lighting, and they have to be fed food with color enhancers (Cyclops and ground krill are good for that) and live food to be at their best. Also, there is a hypomelanistic strain around these days called a golden von rio that's a really attractive orange shading to red. They also do best in a tank where they are the only midwater fish, or at least the most active. To top it off, I've never had a flame tetra die of "Failure to Thrive", which I most certainly have had with neons.
That said, while neons are truly at their best in the same setting, they look very good in a large school over an iwagumi layout, and can show up better in a lighter tank. Further, neons are more inclined to hide than flames (in my experience), so I would tank them with a limited number of hiding places - shorter plants, more open water, and even less obtrusive tankmates than with Flames. I'd also make sure I quarantined for a full four weeks, and only added them to an aquarium that was well planted and long established after the same sort of drip acclimation I would give otos.
I agree, it's kind of difficult to compare certain things. Everything is good in it's place. I haven't seen shoals of Flames, just pictures of individuals, so I am a totally wrong person to give any answer. All the tetras are elegant and graceful.
I look at it this way: on the one hand, they're living creatures, and my guests. On they other, from an aesthetic standpoint, it's like painting or mosaic or sculpture or lapidiary. Picking the right number, shape, color, size, and activity level of fish to balance against the aquascape is as much an aesthetic choice as finding the right gems to put on a silver bracelet. The choice is different if the bracelet is gold or jade or wood. Do you want bold contrasts spread out a bit, then neons. Do you want a more muted, pastel effect, then flames. Are you looking for a warming effect - gold von rios (xanthic flames). Tight cluster of tiny bright red spots in constant motion? Rummies.
Frankly, neons AND flames look better together than either does separately. 10 or so neons and 15 each Flame and Gold von Rio would make a great show in a 55 over a medium grey substrate with sags in the foreground, swords in the back center, and stems in the back sides. Choosing black lava rocks for the hardscape, with long, branchy driftwoods providing structure to the plantings could really make this beautiful. Some otos (7 or 8) and kuhlis (6) round out an aquarium as artwork. (Stick a pair of german blue rams or double yellow cockatoos in there after 6 months and ooh nelly would that pop.)
/ BTW - married with kids. I just know how shape and color work, and can get fabulous when carried away.
You are an artist, tophat665! It is hard to disagree with you! :wink:
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