Missing & Dead Neon Tetras - New Tank

R

Ren127

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Aug 30, 2010
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My 15 gal has been up and running for about 1 month. I bought the aquarium and gravel from a fish store going out of business so it was started with established media. I put three live plants in it and petco (I know first mistake) sold me three minnows to start the cycle. That night one two of the three died.

A week later I went to a LFS and brought him a water sample and he tested it and suggested I add 4 neon tetras. The remaining minnow was returned to petco because it wouldn't leave the tetras alone. Water continued to test okay. Two weeks later I went to another LFS and he suggested adding 2 more tetras for a total of 6 and adding 4 cory cats. This was added on Friday and I did a water change on Saturday of about 10%. The levels were testing fine. Yesterday I put my male betta who has been in a 1 gal bowl in the tank and other than flaring -everyone seemed fine. While I was watching him I noticed there are only 5 tetras in the tank. I looked everywhere and no dead body in sight - just gone. I was concerned and tested water again- readings consistent with what they've been. I went to bed and woke up this morning now there are only 3 tetras. I found one body and can't find the other at all.

I took the betta out and put him back in his bowl (I left the water in case he wasn't happy in the tank)

I tested the water again this morning and am continuing to get:
Nitrate:30ppm
Nitrite:0
Hardness: 300 (GH)ppm (Both LFS said normal for this area)
Chlorine:0
Total Alkalinity:140 (KH)ppm
pH: 8.0 (LFS #1 said this was normal for this area and he wouldn't suggest trying to lower)

Please help- I don't know what I should do or where the missing tetras are going.

Thanks,
Lauren
 
did your betta look fatter? I put new neons and a betta in my tank and the betta ate all my neons. just a thought
 
Neons, IMO, aren't a good cycling fish. For one, they are a lot more sensitive to water conditions (they like a lower pH and hardness), and more often than not, the ones from big LFS's and some smaller LFS's have a lot of neons with neon tetra disease. I have always kept my school at 6, but I had to replace 2 or 3 with my first tank, I put them in there day 1 *not good*. Anyway, good fish to cycle with are zebra danios, white cloud mountain minnows, some species of barbs. Those fish are all very tolerant and would be happier and probably breed in your water conditions. Hope that helped :D
 
Wow you have super hard water. Try using Seachem's neutral regulator it helps lower hardness, ph, and alkalinity. I agree with the above posts, neon tetra's are not good fish to start a cycle at all. They only become hardy once established. Try using zebra danios which are notoriously known as cycling fish.
 
okay just got home from work and now I have 4 neon tetras- though one looks like it will be dead any minute- don't know where it was this morning. It was up at the surface for 10 min or so after I got home now it's laying on it's side on the bottom and I have a cory cat that's breathing heavy and not moving unless provoked. What do I do now so everything doesn't end up dead???

Thankfully the Betta looks fine now that he's back in his old home. (And no, he doesn't/didnt' look fat enough to have a tetra in his belly)

It is so frustrating trying to do the right thing and trying to trust the local fish store only to end up with a mess.
 
In the future go for a fish less cycle..

And at this point...just from what I read, your LFS has not explained this very well to you...can you get a hold of some live bacteria to do an emergency cycle?

The only two products I have had success with are Dr. Tims and Seachem Stability.

Perhaps you should do a water change to get your parameters down and attempt to save that tetra.
 
this should have been an established tank- the fish store going out of business drained most of the water out of the tank and sent me home with everything including the gravel and under gravel filter- gravel stayed wet and came home and went straight back in the tank. Waited a week before I put anything in it other than water.

I have another friend that has a tank - so I might be able to get something from him but with an undergravel filter in my tank what would I do with it? I'll run by the fish store in the morning and try to find either the Dr. Tims or Seachem Stability.
Tetra is dead and I think the cory cat will be gone before the morning. This sucks.
 
Waiting a week could have killed off much of your bacteria in the rocks and media..

I am sure some bacteria was left, but not enough to handle several fish. If you added a fish a week you probably would have had better luck.

I hate undergravel filters :)

Cory cats can be very sensitive, but they are pretty hardy...please try a water change.

edit to add...and do a good vacuum to bring those nitrates down
 
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