dlmckay Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 Check Nitrate and Ammonia levels. Small tanks are harder to keep stable, extra fish means more poo, perhaps the kiddies have been over feeding because of the new fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 I would check the water parameters first, but you may have introduced something nasty with the new fish.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 24, 2011 Report Share Posted January 24, 2011 hi and welcome dlmckay - glad you found your way to the forums , I think you know who I am from the ol EZYchat days. Sorry to hear about your tank troubles - everyone here is really helpful and friendly and will do their best to help sort things out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 let us know how you get on and keep an eye out for the annual animates aqua days (later in the year) -- they have awesome specials on testkits which are always handy to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Was the complete clean out just recent, or when you got the tank, it should have been cycled after six months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 i wouldnt bother buying the balancing fluid or whatevea(sounds like a product called proper ph) , a ph of 6 is fine for those fish but likley you will find with regular smaller water changes your ph will go up slightly as a low ph with high nitrates indicates overfeeding and excess fish waste(could also be from dead fish (unless they were removed quickly) fish waste is acidic so will lower the ph nitrates can be removed via plants using them as fertiliser although in a case of high nitrates you are better off doing a water change quickly posiibly 20% everyday until it comes down then go to 20% each week, remember the more fish, more often you will have to do water changes. a good thing to remember is "if in doubt do a water change" a lot of on here dont use any of the potions the pet shops try to sell us as messing around with chemistry of the water often has worse effects than leaving it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Ottos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 maybe they were whiptails or twig catfish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 I've not had neons before so can't comment on whether they'd be ok with a SFF , but i vaguely remember that they might be fin nippers and bettas (SFF) are slow with long flowy fins. Maybe someone else can confirm that. How much current is in your tank?, they do prefer a slower current but plants and hdiey places can help offset it. But some even like playing in the filter outlet - mine did. I kept my male betta with platy and a whiptail without problems. Me female betta is in the community tank with all sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 What Animates was this? (you can add your location via the user control panel). Apart from that, do some water changes. Don't add any water additives that will attempt to alter your pH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Was Lincoln Centre branch - West Auckland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hi, i agree with the no additives theory, small water changes daily are the best thing. Sorry to hear of the losses but if you ever get out to south Auckland (Weymouth) let me know via PM, i've got a pair of GBA's here that you can have that should put a smile back on your face :happy2: . They'll be a good clean up crew for your tank. You may also want to check out Hollywood Fishfarm in Mt Roskill ,IMO better quality fish ( & definetly cheaper) than animates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 You may also want to check out Hollywood Fishfarm in Mt Roskill ,IMO better quality fish ( & definetly cheaper) than animates. definitely! but you might buy more than you intended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hi, i agree with the no additives theory, small water changes daily are the best thing. Sorry to hear of the losses but if you ever get out to south Auckland (Weymouth) let me know via PM, i've got a pair of GBA's here that you can have that should put a smile back on your face :happy2: . They'll be a good clean up crew for your tank. You may also want to check out Hollywood Fishfarm in Mt Roskill ,IMO better quality fish ( & definetly cheaper) than animates. 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 I would stay clear of the additives as well. Neons are not a particularly hardy fish when it comes to cycling tanks, but keep up the waterchanges, it may pull through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikBok Posted January 26, 2011 Report Share Posted January 26, 2011 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 water ager/conditioner is perfectly fine - and advisable. It's the additives that adjust the ph etc that should be avoided "pH proper" "ph Up" , and "pH down" etc.. You don't want to mess around with pH by using chemicals or you'll forever be chasing your tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted March 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlmckay Posted March 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Neons and siamese fighters make good tank mates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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