# Dying Neon Tetra



## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

My wife 55g has been cycling for a few weeks now with a Beta and couple guormis we got on sale for a dollar a piece. Been testing the water regularly and ammonia nitrate and nitrite have all been untraceable. Ph is around 7.2 same as LFS and temperature 77 degrees. I figured she was safe to start adding a few fish she wanted permanently. The plan was a small school of tetra first then slowly work ph down to 6 for aclimation of tetra since LFS water is around 7.2. Where the discus are coming from is going to be much lower. Anyway the guormi got fed to pirhanna and tetra floated and released. 2 hours later 5 of the 6 neons are basically paralyzed. Just floating with body straight up and down tail down on top of water. Fish looked healthy in LFS tank and its a very short car ride. Any ideas as to what would cause this in such a short period of time. Also there is no salt in aquarium. Thanx to all who respond.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Definitely a sign that tank is not fully cycled yet in my opinion. Since it is a larger tank, it's harder to get that bacteria set and going on a full cycle. What you can do though is take water from your 160g or really any of your other established tanks and put it into your new 55g.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

snyderguy said:


> Definitely a sign that tank is not fully cycled yet in my opinion. Since it is a larger tank, it's harder to get that bacteria set and going on a full cycle. What you can do though is take water from your 160g or really any of your other established tanks and put it into your new 55g.


I actually have been doing water changes with 10 gallons from 160 and 5 gallons from tap conditioned of course. Also took ceramic rings from filters to put in cycling 55. Just struck me as odd the guormi lasted till I fed them to pirhanna, Beta is fine and neons died almost instantly. Water tests 0 ammonia and nitrite and minimal nitrate. I'm baffled I was sure it was cycled but I guess its the only explanation????


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Quick dying sounds like shock. pH could be the same, but hardness different? IME, dropping fish into softer (or less salty or colder?) water can kill like this. Some of the chains heavily salt their systems to prevent ich. How did you transfer the fish? 

It could also be water quality (ammonia or nitrite poisoning) or a fast-acting disease. Ask the store how the rest of the neons in the batch did.


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## sm1ke (Jul 27, 2009)

Take the dead neons and a sample of your water back to the LFS, and have them test the water. Whenever this happened to me, I had my LFS test for ammonia, ph, nitrites and nitrates, and if everything was within spec they would give me a refund or store credit. Worth a shot.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

emc7 said:


> Quick dying sounds like shock. pH could be the same, but hardness different? IME, dropping fish into softer (or less salty or colder?) water can kill like this. Some of the chains heavily salt their systems to prevent ich. How did you transfer the fish?
> 
> It could also be water quality (ammonia or nitrite poisoning) or a fast-acting disease. Ask the store how the rest of the neons in the batch did.


As I posted there is no salt in my tanks and I'm sure petsmart tanks are salted. However research shows neons don't like salt so what would be proper method of fish transfer from salty water to salt free. I'm not adding salt to my tank so don't suggest that please if there is any other way. Water quality is perfect as I also posted so what could this fast acting disease be that didn't affect my other fish.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

sm1ke said:


> Take the dead neons and a sample of your water back to the LFS, and have them test the water. Whenever this happened to me, I had my LFS test for ammonia, ph, nitrites and nitrates, and if everything was within spec they would give me a refund or store credit. Worth a shot.


I'm hoping for raincheck on more fish. My water tests perfect. Need to figure this out. I'm stumped as its not water quality unless my test strips are bad. I doubt it though as I checked my other tanks and I have a smidge of ammonia in my pirhanna tank like always.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Even fish that like soft, salt-free water will croak if dropped into it from salty water. 

Dump the bag into a container. Cup, pitcher, whatever. Pour off water until the fish are just covered. Add a little bit of tank water at a time to the container. No more than a third of amount of water already in the container. Wait at least 5 minutes, longer if the fish look bad. Repeat. When the container is nearly full, pour water out and discard until fish are just covered. Repeat the procedure. 

If you have a TDS pen you can use it to find what the store fish are in and when they are ready for the tank. If you don't, aim for no more than 5% or 1 part in 20 store water before you tank them. If you don't want any store water in your tank (its still salty and may carry disease), pour the fish into a net and put them in the tank.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

Thanx emc7 I now know how to properly aclimate the fish for my tank. I will use this method from now on when I bring home new stock.


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

are the neons still alive


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Better would be to prepare a 5 gallon QT tank. Test the store water and match it, then switch it out with water changes over the QT period.


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## Hansolo (Sep 10, 2010)

Makes sense and neons all died


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## SGT Z (Jul 7, 2010)

I just got my old tank up and running in an attempt to breed some feeder neons and serpeas and this was the second time I've used Tetra's Bio Spira insta tank with complete success. You simply pour it in and add the fish.


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