neon tetra help

kerrid

kerrid

AC Members
Mar 10, 2007
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Boston
hi, i just joined today because i need help with some stuff, im pretty new at this. i set up a 20g tank and let the filter and heater run for about a week.i put in 4 neon tetras (i read through some posts and realized that wasnt a good idea). but the tank cycled and the fish were fine. about 3 weeks after i got 4 new fish: small pleco, dalmation molly, 2 mickey mouse patys.

i tend to just sit there and watch the fish for about an hour at night. everything was fine last night. i went to work this morning and didnt have time to check the tank, but when i got home i was in for a big surprise. 2 of the neon tetras were stuck to the filter. one was clearly there for a while but the other one was still alive.i shut the filter off and got them out, the tetra that was still alive was obviously on its way out. i checked the water: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, and temp were normal. i turned the filter down and checked the tank 2 hours later. another tetra was stuck to the filter. he just died a little while ago. now im down to one tetra.

the fish werent sick and im not sure but i dont think the other fish attacked it.

help please!
 
Fish like to just up and die for no reason far more often than most people seem to accept.

This is not to say that there isn't some pathogenic issue that might have found its way in with the new fish; but just to ensure you know that it's highly possible for fish to just up and die. Especially small schooling fish like tetras. In fact often when I buy such fish, I over-purchase slightly just to allow for the potential losses.

But one thing - a pleco really can't live in a 20g. They get enormous.
 
thanks! im saving up for a bigger tank, i just really wanted to get this one going.
its normal for three fish to die within the same day?
 
What do you mean by "fine"?
Can you post the numbers on your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/PH/temp?
What were you testing with?

Either your water parameters were off, there was some sort of disease, or the stress from cycling weakened your tetras and they just now died.

Most neons don't tolerate ammonia and nitrites well, if at all, so I'm surprised they made it through the cycling. The stress could have just gotten to them.
 
i bought "API freshwater master test kit"
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
ph 7.6 (is this ok?)
nitrate about 5 (should it be higher?)
temp is 74

i went to petco and asked the guy what type of fish i should have to get the tank cycled. he seemed pretty smart and said neon tetras were hardy fish and suggested i get 4. i dont know much about this so i just lestened to him.
 
Petco people don't always know what they're saying... Actually, I've run into people at serious fish places who did not quite know what they were talking about. Just because they work there doesn't mean they know everything.
I agree that stress from cycling is a very possible reason for your tetra losses, as they really aren't that hardy and quite sensitive. If you haven't already, start by reading about the nitrogen cycle - there's some info here on the forum -
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598
And do your research - google is your friend! (and so are many people here at ac).

Good luck!
 
Neons aren't very tough fish...so that guy was an idiot. The only fish I would ever allow someone to use in cycling a tank would be minnows (white clouds, danios) black tetras and maybe cherry barbs. So the cycling could have damaged the neons in a way that led to their death.

Still though...like I said - sometimes fish will just up and die. In fact I lost three white clouds out of five two weeks ago. The other two are fine, as is the rest of the tank and they have been for over a year since it was set up. It was just like that - 1 2 3 dead all in two days. And no issues since.
 
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