Neon Tetras - another day...another way to die...WTH

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JackLantern

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Dec 16, 2012
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so far the black neons just fall over

but neon tetas (down to 3 of 11)

1. one had a heart attack while doing a water change, i mean it fell onto the sand and when motionless, but that one came back 5 mins later..weird
2. 2 of them...there stomachs split open, looked fine in the AM, but even...pop
3. this AM the light turned on, a neon start swimming around the tank like a kite spinning in the sky with the string wrapped around the tail...it died
4. while putting in plants, removed fish so they would not be stressed, wrong again, 2 neons died, 1 black died

the only thing that i notice from all my notes is the behavior took turn for worse when i added 2 dose of salt. they started hiding from light and staying low in tank, losing color and being stressed
the salt level is backed off, temp lowering, time will tell for the last three.

i've never seen fish die like this.
 

FreshyFresh

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Jan 11, 2013
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They were probably stressed, weak and possibly diseased when you got them. Pretty common they way neons are bred, distributed, stored, etc.. If you can nurse them back to health in a good environment, they'll live a long time.

If you read-up on them, it's said Neons prefer cooler water in the high 60F to low 70F range.

Cardinal tetras on the other hand, do well in warmer water temps. I'd always go for Cardinals over Neons if you can get them.

What's your water params? Do you do weekly water changes?
 

JackLantern

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Dec 16, 2012
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in full disclosure. i overestimated the gallons in the tank, so when i did the 2nd salt dose it was about 2.8 tsp/gallon.
which was a mistake. when it got it back down to 2 tsp/gallon they didn't act much different

they came from 2 different places (the jumbos were from one place, in hindsight one of the jumbos has a swollen belly when bought) the regular neons and the black were from petco. when i went back to petco, over 1/2 their tanks had dead and dying fish. the neon tank had 2 or 3 in there.

water parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrate was between 20 and 80. i was checking it daily. was doing lots of water changes too as i was treating for ich.

i haven't found cardinals, but i may buy them online after i manage to keep some fish alive for a while.
 

JackLantern

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Dec 16, 2012
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salt was for ICH.
others on board helped with that protocol. in the past i used a chemical, though in 12 years of keeping fish, only had ich once.
figured i'd try the salt procedure, ICH did seem to respond.
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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IME, when it comes to neons..sometimes you get a good batch.. sometimes ..not so much...there are too many unknowns that are out of your control. so much of the issue rests with the breeders, wholesalers and then the retail outlet..
they are relatively sensitive fish so I'd venture a guess.. they were sick when you got them.
 

JackLantern

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Dec 16, 2012
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thanks for replies

i've "rebooted" with some different fish, will see how it goes.

maybe the only solution is to build a 180 or 250 gallon amazon/discus tank : )
 
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