dlmckay

OK, well, I found a fish that fit the requirements - pretty, active and all seems to be well. I've got myself an orange Swordtail and his lovely female companion, who is orange and white. He is still quite "jumpy", moving to the back of the tank whenever he seems me come near, so I think I'll get some more plants for him to hide behind. They are quite lovely, he has a beautiful flowing dorsal fin and they regularly swim up and down together. Neither of them have bothered the neons. Thanks for all the help and assistance, I'm really loving my tank now

Just an update for all those lovely people who freely gave their advice. The water levels did eventually settle down and I have a nifty PH and Ammonia alert doo-dahs on the side of my tank now to warn me. I added 6 more neons to the remaining survivor and two weeks after that another 6. So far, the levels have remained at safe levels and the only issue has been the death of one of the new neons... the others were busy eating it before I even noticed it was poorly (if indeed that it was). Now, I did have my heart set on a male betta to go into this tank, but am now rethinking this. Is there any similar looking fish that will live happily with a shoal of 12 neons? Just wanted a "pretty" fish to be a display piece.

OK, everyone's saying stay clear of additives... does that also mean the Water Ager that I'm adding to the tap water I'm putting in? Good news for the neon, the gasping has almost stopped, he's swimming around happily and he's eating

That's very kind of you! Thanks! I think I will give that store a go, Mt Roskill's not too far from here. On the neon front, we have one left. He's in the tank, still gasping a little, but not as badly and he's survived the night, so I guess he's going to make it. 20% change was made this morning.

Was Lincoln Centre branch - West Auckland

I'll have to go back and ask - they were quite extraordinary. Although I only had my SFF three days, the neons did leave him alone. It was the four Bleeding Hearts that took to him. I've seen Animates keep neons and single male SFFs in their tanks.

OK, so you reckon 20% changes daily should be good? I've got heaps of plants in there. So, someone tell me - when I finally get this water under control... what works well with an SFF? I have always wanted one and was devastated when this one died after just three days with me I'm hoping a shoal of neons and then the SFF and that's it? There was a lovely tank in Animates with a shoal of Cardinals, an SFF and two really strange thin sucker-type fish, the name of which I'd forgotten.

Complete cleanout was done on Sunday, 16th... 6 Neons added later that day. SFF was purchased on Thursday, 20th along with five new plants. Bleeding Hearts all dead on Monday morning and everything else died today. Just two Neons left now. Been to Animates, they've told me my pH is 6 and I have high nitrate levels. I thought I had a bottle of StressZyme at home, but there's only 10ml in it (which has been added), so I'll go back tomorrow and buy the balancing fluid stuff she wanted to sell me. Trying to decide what to do with the two remaining Neons that are currently in a bucket of dechlorinated tap water... leave them or put them back in the tank?

hi BikBok, yes, I'm one and the same - Now, when people come to me with dog training issues, they always miss out some vital information that is the essence of their problem and it seems I've done the same here with you guys. *shuffles feet and looks at the floor* seems it's not a good idea to completely clean out the tank... *cough* Looks like that's why I've killed my fish I've been told that I can take a sample of my water to Animates and they'll test it for me and I can go from there. I've only two neons left now I'll be taking a sample up after these kids have gone home at 4:30pm today.

I acquired a tropical fish tank complete with five neons and four bleeding heart tetras. I had dreadful trouble with green algae, so was advised to add plants to the tank, which I did and was just amazed by the results. The plants even brought a hitch-hiker in the form of snail, which impresses my kids on its speed across the glass. The tank is only small - 55l (30cm x 30cm x 60cm). There is a heater that keeps the temp at 22'C and a small under gravel filter. Now, we had this tank for about six months and then a neon "disappeared". Just wasn't there one day when the kids did a headcount. Maybe I sucked it up when I changed the water? So I thought, maybe it's time to add a few more fish. I got six more neons from Animates and gleefully threw them in. Fine. Then I saw a Siamese Fighter Fish a few days later - gorgeous thing he was. Double crowned, red and blue. I bought him from another pet store along with five more plants and popped them in too. This was on Thursday afternoon. The Bleeding Hearts took umbridge and he had to be segregated as they tried to munch him. Seems he was more of a lover than a fighter. Three days later, my Bleeding Hearts are all dead. All four belly up on Monday morning. Now today, I have lost my SFF and the neons aren't looking good. There are just three left. I did a 50/50 water change first thing this morning and still one is struggling. What have I done? I'm so unhappy.