Why are my Neon and Cardinal Tetras Dying?

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - between 0 and .25

pH - 7.6

The only thing i can think is my pH is high for them. I've read they do better in slightly acidic waters. I have had 5 neons and 6 cardinals. I have one cardinal left.

The tank is 10 gal with 2 Glofish 2 fancy guppies and 1 cardinal. I added the 5 neons first and within 3 days i was down to 2. so a few days later i went and got 6 cardinals(originally was going to get these but they were out) i lost about 1 cardinal every other day for about a week. I was then down to 2 cardinals and 2 neons which seemed from the beginning like the biggest and brightest colored. But about 3 weeks after getting the neons the last two died one day and a cardinal. Now I'm down to 1 cardinal and no neons.

Its also a planted tank btw with plenty of hiding places.

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Permalink Reply by Alex on September 29, 2012 at 4:30am

Yeah i just realized I actually have a bucket sized container. Maybe ill get one of these drip things. Sounds like the best idea.

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Permalink Reply by ŦůRbö ۰ Ҏяѻ ۰ on September 25, 2012 at 3:56pm

Agreed, Even with one of my 30g adding two fish has increased the filter cleaning dramaticlly.

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Permalink Reply by Marcus Wu on September 24, 2012 at 8:43pm

Keep your them in bigger schools! Neons do not like to be in smal schools, it stresses them out. They feel more comfortable in larger groups.

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Permalink Reply by jackson hutchison on September 26, 2012 at 8:03pm

Both neons and cardinals don't react well to anything, even nitrate levels. These aren't really hard to keep, but have problems getting used to things and,like most fish, don't react well to stress. Plus neons and cardinals like bigger schools than 5 or 6, so either try to get a bigger tank or remove other fish and keep 7-10 neons or cardinals. They also love plants!

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Permalink Reply by Alex on September 29, 2012 at 4:36am

my tank has quite a few plants in it. lots of hiding. when they were all in the tank together it was 6 cardinals and 2 neons 2 guppies and 2 glofish. i was expecting to loose at least 1 or two cardinals.

oh a bigger tank what a nice thought. the lady doesn't want me spending all my money on fish tanks. im looking at getting a 40 something gallon tank from Green Leaf Aquariums.(GLA) I need a bigger apartment before I get a bigger fish tank. ;)

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Permalink Reply by Robert Hernandez on September 26, 2012 at 10:09pm

I just got tetras and read the blog :( my ph is like at 7.6 too. It probelly the ph. Try to get it 7.0 or lower.

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Knowlton on September 29, 2012 at 12:01am

have you tried to slowly adjust them to the ph? this is what i have to do when i add feader fish at my work. i cut the top of the bag off i add 10 ml of stress coat to the bag, then shut the filter off on the tank while floating the bag add the proper amount of stress coat to the tank dosage on bottle leave the filter off so the stress coat gets all in the water then slowly add some water from tank to bag and wait 15 to 20 mins add some more water from tank to bag and wait another 15 to 20 mins then they should be ok to transition from bag to tank once added you can then turn the filter on

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Permalink Reply by Alex on September 29, 2012 at 4:01am

thats basically how i do it but i do it a few more times. i think maybe im doing it too long, like others have said the fish sitting in the bag for a long time could be what hurt them even though they are only in there for like an hour and a half with the top open. I have still have that one cardinal left. I came home from work tonight and I couldn't find him anywhere, when I did his colors were very pale and he wasn't looking so good.