New England newbie

[horsedogfish]

Hi, I just started my aquarium a few months ago and everything was going fine until this week. The nitrogen cycle was established pre-fish. Over time I got four platys, one cory, and four glofish. Monday I got five tiny neons and by Wednesday they were all dead. Before I bought them, I tested the water: 0, 0, and 5. That was Monday. Tuesday 2 died. I tested the water: same results. Yesterday the other three died, Tested the water. Same results. Took the dead fish back to the lfs and they said, "oh, you just added too many fish at once" (five little neons is too many in an established 26 gallon tank?) and then she said when you do that, the ammonia shoots up, but I handed her the water sample and she tested it: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates. So she gave me five replacement neons and said neons "stress themselves out. Sometimes even the ride home is too much." So I brought them home and added aquarium water to the bag a little tiny bit at a time and covered the aquarium glass with a heavy duty black bag and turned out the light and added some anti-stress stuff and now I'm dying to peek, but will restrain myself until tomorrow. All the other fish are fine (so far). Really need to get my quarantine tank off the kitchen counter and set up. Any thought about neons?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Welcome to AA!

Neons from my experience are not the hardiest fish. They die pretty easy, I've found to try extra slow drip acclimate to get them use to your water quality.

 

[horsedogfish]

Thanks, Andrew. How do you do extra slow drip and at the same time make sure there's enough oxygen in the water? Every time I buy fish, the make sure to tell me not to leave the fish in the bag for more than an hour.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thanks, Andrew. How do you do extra slow drip and at the same time make sure there's enough oxygen in the water? Every time I buy fish, the make sure to tell me not to leave the fish in the bag for more than an hour.

Here is an article about it and how to. There are also videos on YouTube if you just do a Google search.
http://www.myaquariumclub.com/the-drip-acclimation-method-78.html

Leaving them in the bag isn't going to hurt them, when the bag top is open and new water is going in. That will make the toxins in the water less and also add oxygen

 

[scuba dude]

There is a good thread on here about neons that I just read and it gives a nice profile about neons , in that they are not the easiest fish to start with. Maybe someone can post a link , I can't seem to find it.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

There is a good thread on here about neons that I just read and it gives a nice profile about neons , in that they are not the easiest fish to start with. Maybe someone can post a link , I can't seem to find it.

This one

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f29/neon-tetra-profile-206277.html

 

[scuba dude]

Thats the one , Thank you.

Don't know why I could not find that again. One of those days.

 

[Aquamandan]

Welcome to AA!