neon tetras?

Question

i have a tropical tank, and i have been reccomended neon tetras as good schooling fish, but i also hear they commonly die after purchase, what should i do cos i really want some.

Answer 1

yes thats true had a lots of neons they seems to live like only 3,4 days after bringing them home
they are very sensitive to water conditions
if u want a small community fish try cardinals thay are much like neons only a bit larger ( 2 inches)

Answer 2

Make sure your tank is properly cycled first as tetras, especially neons, are sensitive to water quality. Tetras also do best in large shoal so get a minimum of 8 in case you loose one or two (very common, even for experienced fish keeper). Acclimatise them to the tank very slowly by floating the bag in the water for half and hour to let the temperatures equalize. Once the bag is the same tamp as the water open it up and pour in one cup of tank water. Leave the bag for 1/2 - 1 hr then remove a cup of bag water and add a cup of tank water. Do this 4-5 times (I know it is a long process, but the slower the better) and then net out the fish and release them into the tank. Never pour the bag water in the tank as it generally has a very high ammonia concentration and will disrupt your tank's cycle. Keep the tank lights off or low for the first 2 days, and do not feed the first day as they will still be too stressed to eat. When you do offer them food the second day just offer a little and increase the amount daily until they are eating it all in about a minute or so. Make sure the food is small enough for them as they have tiny mouths. Other than that neons are great fish, and once they settle into an aquarium can be quite hardy. Good luck.

Answer 3

What size is your tank? I ask because neons are fairly sensitive to water conditions and as such a larger tank has more room for error and correction. If neons die it is usually within the first week or month of introducing them to the tank. This is usually caused by failing to setup your tank properly and lack of water quality do to poor filtration and not watching the cycle. Also neons suffer from a disease called Pleistophora hyphessobryconis or Neon Tetra Disease (NTD). Which is a particularly nasty disease with no cure.

Might I instead recommend the Cardinal Tetra. It is still as sensitive to water conditions as the Neon but in my opinion is a hardier fish. The Cardinal is also immune to NTD. It also looks almost like the Neon with the notable exception of no silver line and a longer red stripe. So it is more colorful. It also has a longer natural life span and is usually healthy as it's not as widely popular as the Neon. I say this because of the popularity of the Neon it has been inbred in some cases which has led to spinal curvature and other congenital defects.

I hope this helps you with your decisions and remember to get at least 5 of these fish to school in. Good luck with your new aquarium.

Answer 4

I have some neon tetras. But i think the people are right b/c i got 3 neon tetras to go in my tank and now only one is still in there b/c the others had died the first week!

The last one is doing fine now i think they just need to get used to the water but i don't think i'm going to get anymore

Answer 5

I keep neon tetras and have heard it is common to loose a few during the first week, however mine have always lived. Neons are sensitive to PH and ammonia and therefore should be introduced to a well cycled tank. You need to have at least 6-8 neons to have a school.

Answer 6

I have 3 tanks a 45 gallon, a30 gallon and a 20 gallon,the bigger has over 100 fish I have had for 12 plus years and the neons have bred like crazy I have easy 100 fish in the little tank I have not had dead ones for years. I combine mollys with the neons and they are happy and healthy. My friends call me the Breeder. Keep the water healthy and warm with real plants if you want them to reproduce. Hope this helps

Answer 7

Neon tetras are extremly sensitive, that's why they die so easily

If you follow the correct acclimatization procedure, they should be just fine
here is an article on how to do it properly
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/acclimating_you_new_fish.html
And get a school of at least 6




Hope that helps
Good luck



EB