old tank/killing fish

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micheline905

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Jun 28, 2003
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Hey there: I have an existing tank in which lived two very large Jag cichlids. Wanting to start up a community tank and not finding a new owner for the cichlids, I euthanized them in a very humane way. I did a quarter water change and put in my Stresszyme. Five days later I added four neons. Within one week three have died. I don't want to give up on a community tank; figured the neons would make it as I've been told they're pretty hardy. This tank is over one year old; only cichlids survived. I don't want to return to cichlids. Please give some suggestions as to what I might need to do next. Duh...perhaps purchasing a ph kit just MIGHT be in order here. I have kept all kinds of aquaria for the last 40 plus years, but not with the water here in this city:confused: I had a salt water-55 gal-with absolutely no problems. We've lived here in the Carolina mountains now for 5 years. Any suggestions will be welcome.:D
 
It has been my experience that neons aren't all that hardy... Tell us a little about your water. If you don't have water tests most fish stores will test it for you. You should get tests for ph, kh, gh, ammonia, nitrites, nitrate.. Does stresszyme declorinate? The nitrate test on the tank will show how well your tank cleanings have kept up with the cichlids. Large fish leave a lot more waste and neons like a nice clean tank. I've actually had better luck with my Cardinals than I ever had with Neons but I think that may have more to do with the Neons not being healthy to start with. I bought Cardinals that had been in our city's water for a while and survived.. The water here is kind of harder than the usual recommendation.
 
I agree that there must have been some alternative to euthanizing your cichlids...

Now that we're done flaming you:

Neons are notorious for being very picky about their water. If you want a community tank, there are a lot of other suitable fish that are much easier to keep.

But then, you might be able to keep the buggers alive once you get your water right (my bane fish are neons and angels... can't keep them alive for anything... I think everyone has a few species that just don't like them).

At any rate, if you have your water parameters posted, we might be able to direct you towards the fish that suit your water best....

Incidentally, it's hard to switch from cichlids to any other type of fish. I tried, and I can't help coming back to them every time :D It's all that personality, I think... other fish just aren't as personable, IMO.

Good luck!
 
serpae tetras

Just a little note. My one neon is still very much alive swimming along with five serpae tetras who have been in the tank two weeks at this writing. Everyone is doing very well. Will test H20 tomorrow; most interested in the nitrates. Could someone post the dangers of high nitrates, please? In my dementia, I've missed the boat somewhere along the way!!! Thanks. Micheline
 
High nitrates have a tendency to destroy a fish's immune system. Neons, since they are riverine and blackwater in nature, have weakened immune systems due to their non-contact with most pathogens...

Did you kill the fish in tank with chemicals? If so, I might have hit on your problem...
 
NitrItes kill fish, nitrAtes do not. They are one method of determining if other, non-testable toxins may be getting high, but nitrAtes are not harmful to fish in and of themselves.
 
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