Dead Neons

[ADCISCO]

Are neons hard to keep? I bought 6 on friday and just of about 10 minutes ago the last one died. They acted perfectly normal right up until they killed over. At least I have 72 hrs to take them back in so I am going tomorrow morning and take them back in there little body bag! This is my 3rd try at them. I have 3 in my 29 gallon and so far( knock on wood) They are doing fine and I have had them for about 3 wks. They just seem so fragile to die so easy. I bought 2 dwarf gourami at the same time I hope and pray that nothing happens to them. I did a water change after they all died and Yes I did check the water today and it was perfect. I thought maybe it might be ammonia related but it showed no ammonia or nitrites. Any takers?

 

[Allivymar]

If you do a search thru the more recent posts (past month or 2) you'll find a big one about neon/cardinal tetras and the probs some of us have had. Trust me when I say you're not the only one. I am having success with my neons personally; but I wanted cardinals and when I bought them I was losing one a day. Then the surviving 2 came down with ich! Fortunately I managed to pull them thru with high temps, but I have no idea if it was ich that killed the others, and couldn't find anymore to replace them (hence my purchase of the neons).

 

[ferret]

I've read from a few people of a 'neon tetra' disease, though I don't know details. Try googling. They've never seemed very hardy to me, and cardinals (Near relative) even less so. Try looking at glow-light tetras though, I've had great success with them. THey're kinda the orange/gold version of neons, imo

 

[ADCISCO]

Well I dont think that I am going to get anymore neons. I had good luck with the second batch and just bought them because my huband wanted me too....We should know by now NOT to listen to him! But I think that I will get some other kind of tetra....something that I have had luck with or something that I HAVENT tried to keep. I really wanted them to live. I love their color and they look so pretty in the tank.

 

[LondonGman]

I have successfully kept cardinals for a while now but I lost a lot in the beginning due to adding too many at a time or too quickly. Simple.

The top reason would be that you did not introduce them to your tank sloooowly enough. When you get the fishes home, you put the bag of fishes into the tank so that water in the tank and bag are the same temperature.

Next you have to let your new fishes get used to the new water by adding a teacup of your tank water into the bagged fishes every five minutes. Do this sloooooowly for about an hour or more before introducing them to the tank.

Another reason for them dying could be due to a deterioration of your water conditions caused by too many fishes being introduced at the same time. This is more likely if your tank is still relatively new.

Otherwise it could have been a weak batch of neon’s that as been doing a lot of travelling recently. Take them back but try getting only 3 at a time.

Did you get two male dwarf gourami’s, if so watch out for them nipping at each other. The males are colourful but the females are very plain.

 

[ADCISCO]

Male and a female gourami. Already knew that they would be nippy if I didnt get one of each. I took my time with the neons. I always do what you said to do and I just think that I got some sick fish. I was really hopeful that they would make it like the other ones.Oh well just another trip to get some more I guess of some kind...not sure what.

 

[shawmutt]

I am convinced the secret to long-lived tetras is an aged tank, drift wood, as little stress as possible, and ro water mixed with electro-right and black water extract.

Just my two cents...

 

[Neuve]

Um I introduced i had a 1 month old tank with some flame and blood fin tetras. Bought a bigger one and left 7 neons, one CAE, 3 corys in there
They all went gooood
I introduced a betta last thursday and everything goes as planned. Theyre schooling preety cool and still eating and blending with betta
Nice!
BTW the tank has got some plants driftwood and regular gravel, no lightning

 

[TankGirl]

I also can't stress enough the benefit of having a quarrantine tank. I agree with Shawmutt that neons will do best in a mature tank with stable conditions and softer water. Depending upon the size of your tank, if you added a small school of neons along with the two gouramis you may see a spike in your ammonia and nitrite levels over the next week or two, since that is enough of a jump in bioload to max out the biological filtration present prior to the addition. I would quarrantine the new fish and then after about 3 weeks add the neons in 3's or 4's (if a school) over a couple of days, then add the pair of gourami, for example a week later. A Q-tank can be simply a bare-bottom 10gal with a heater and a small HOB filter or even a sponge filter or box filter as internal filtration for cheap. That is not much of an investment when you consider the fish that will be saved!

(Sorry, spouting off at the fingertips yet again....I should get out more... )

 

[rabbit]

Im gonna have to disagree there. I bought 13 neons and dumped them (literally) into a 5 gal tank. Theyve been in there for 2 months no probs. No deaths, and look as happy as can be.
Ive been warned about neons and how finicky they can be, but like I said. No casualties.
Ive checked the water and the only thing I can think of is that the water was SERIOUSLY acidic. (Like very). Read somewhere that Cardinals in particular like very acid water.
Maybe thats whats wrong with your tanks?

 

[ferret]

Just cause you had a group of neons that didn't get acclimated or anything and survive doesn't mean it should be general practice.

 

[TankGirl]

I bought 13 neons and dumped them (literally) into a 5 gal tank. Theyve been in there for 2 months no probs. No deaths, and look as happy as can be.

You must have the conditions very close to those that they were bred and kept in before you, and that is important, as is healthy stock to begin with. I certainly don't think folks ought to stay away from neons, but if you have had some fish deaths and are getting frustrated, they are probably not the best fish to go with. Many people keep them quite successfully, and that is why they remain so popular and readily available. Nothing like a school of them!

 

[rabbit]

Sorry. I was half asleep when I wrote that.
What I mean to say is that Ive read that neons and cardinals like acid water (which my tank has... by accident in all honesty), and also that Ive never acclimitized any of my fish. neon or otherwise. No deaths. Ive read some long time keepers say that they havent either and never suffered casualties, but on the other hand I know its standard practice. I meant only to give a suggestion. And believe me, my water is NOTHING like the lfs
(on re reading my prior post I find it came across a little harsh. Sorry)

 

[TankGirl]

I have to say that it is definitely recommended practice to acclimate fish to avoid stressing them. We should do what we can to prevent problems that we DO have control over, since there are so many things associated with fishkeeping that we DON'T have control over (breeding stock, unseen parasites or infection, etc.).