Neon Tetras dying off one by one

[the_elvish_misfit]

I just stocked 5 Neon Tetras in my 10g today and for 4 hours they were fine and getting on well with my other fish (2 guppies, 2 black mollies, a beta, and a pleco). All the water conditions are perfect as well. But 4 hours after getting them one of them started doing that straight up swimming (which happens, bad fish oh well) so I put him in a quarantine tank where he almost instantly died. So I went back to check the status of my other fish to find that another of the neons swam into my foxglove plant and died. The other 3 Neons are still schooling and swimming fine and my other fish are acting normally also. Could these two fish just be bad from the store? I thought if I got them from Petco they would be healthier than a family pet store. Is suddenly dieing normal in Neons? They were both acting fine literally minutes before they died. Should I remove all the Neons?

[the_elvish_misfit]

I'm starting to notice the filter is giving the little tetras quite a knock-a-round. Could they just be getting stunned to death?

[the_elvish_misfit]

A third one seemed to be stunned and was then sucked into the filter column, I got him out but his tail fin was mangled. This is turning out to be just a horror, I should have just stuck to bigger fish X(

[mr86mister]

I think the addition of the 5 to the tank at once knocked around the parameters. Plus Neon Tetra's are super sensitive fish and have a lower survival rate than many other fish. I can not give you an exact answer but I hope those two answers helped.

[joy13]

I don't know how long you have had your tank but neons are very sensitive. It could be something as simple as the ph being different. Drip acclimating is the best way to handle sensitive fish.

[the_elvish_misfit]

Originally Posted by joy13

I don't know how long you have had your tank but neons are very sensitive. It could be something as simple as the ph being different. Drip acclimating is the best way to handle sensitive fish.

That would firstly be petco's fault. The girl took water from another tank (containing comet goldfish) asked which fish I would like and then netted the tetras. So they were sitting in someone else's water for an hour or so (drive home, floating the bag, etc)

not to mention a few of them were jumpers and the girl peeled them off the splash guard above the tank XP. It did make me squirm a bit to see her disregard for something I'd be paying money for. But I didn't realize how sensitive these fish really were.

[krap101]

I think neons are relatively hardy, but they take abrupt changes a little harder. Even though I bought mine from petland (1 day warantee) the conditions there are significantly better than at other places (plus they were on sale and owned the other guys' prices).

[the_elvish_misfit]

I'm starting to think it's just bad petco fish. I've had neons before and they lived forever in a goldfish bowl. Now I have a super deluxe tank and they're dying off. I'm not sure if petco has a warantee on fish, I suppose it's ok seeing as they were only 2$ each.

[the_elvish_misfit]

I've stuck the remaining 2 in a breeder (took out the fry filter) so they can remain in the tank without being bothered by the filter or the other fish. One is definitely showing signs of being on the way out.

[joy13]

Petco does have a policy where you bring back the receipt, a sample of water and the dead fish. If your water doesn't check out they usually won't refund or exchange.

There is a disease that is called neon tetra disease it can effect other fish but is usually mostly found in neons. That could explain why your neons are dieing.

[the_elvish_misfit]

Hmm thats good to know for next time. (I've flushed the dead ones). Also being ultra convenient I threw away the receipt after I got water all over it. But yeah like I said they were only 2$ each so it's no big deal. If it were a more expensive fish I'd be digging through the garbage for the saturated remains of the receipt. My tank water is perfect, the pH, ammonia, temp are all well in the safe zones.

[FastFly67]

it's all petcos fault i'm sure. nevermind the fact that you threw them into an overstocked tank...

[krap101]

Overstocked is a matter of opinion in about probably 90% of cases. Overstocked can be because of aggression, bacteria, or just space, but I'm sure that wasn't a flame.

[FastFly67]

Originally Posted by krap101

Overstocked is a matter of opinion in about probably 90% of cases. Overstocked can be because of aggression, bacteria, or just space, but I'm sure that wasn't a flame.

if her pleco is a common pleco, it's overstocked to begin with. add in the fact that nothing in that tank belongs together OR what she added in belongs... wasn't flameish at all...

[krap101]

Okay, lets see, common plecos are born 12" long and therefore are NEVER suitable for being in a 10 gallon. And that people are born aware of these things and never make mistakes..

And can you tell me how this was productive for the op?

[crb530]

petco return is 15 day with receit and a sample of your water it says it on the little paper they give you


trust me i work there

[mr86mister]

Overstock would have come into play a few days later when the ammonia levels went up. Within 4 hours they began to die most likely has nothing to do with overstocking. Though I see how it would become an issue in the long run. But mistakes happen and luckily these were cheap fish.

Try buying a saltwater fish for $80 and have that happen...eeek!

[the_elvish_misfit]

Originally Posted by krap101

Okay, lets see, common plecos are born 12" long and therefore are NEVER suitable for being in a 10 gallon. And that people are born aware of these things and never make mistakes..

And can you tell me how this was productive for the op?

My pleco is less than 3 inches long. The kind they sell in pet stores. I've never seen a pleco 12 inches long.

[the_elvish_misfit]

Originally Posted by FastFly67

it's all petcos fault i'm sure. nevermind the fact that you threw them into an overstocked tank...

How is 6 tiny fish an overstocked tank? It's 10 gallons! I thought the rule was that a few square inches per 1 inch fish. I'm not going to buy a 10 gallon tank and put two black mollies in it and call it a day.

[the_elvish_misfit]

Wow nevermind. I came here to ask some help about my aquarium and after the first couple good helpful responses all I got was flames. Don't make assumptions about my aquarium, if you saw it in real life you'd be impressed. I've raised and bred Guppies and Mollies for 10 years. I just needed help with Tetras, and it turns out it was the filter. Just because you work at a petco dosen't mean some teenager with a part time job at a completely different petco dosen't care about the wellbeing of the animals. You guys are some bitter people.