I am relatively new to the hobby, 8 months. I have recently had to move my tank to another house whilst I had building work done, this went without a hitch. When I brought the tank home I decided to give it a revamp, a clean and New substrate, because of massive alge buildup. New water was added, treated for clorine and I also added more bacteria. This was 2 weeks ago, all original fish are fine, but I added a new black neon 2 days ago and found it dead this morning, could this be a form of new tank syndrome? Should I wait a few days more before adding anything new?
Could this be new tank syndrome?
- Thread starter Ursula
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It's more likely to be losing a fish to the stress of moving it, or to a problem from the store. It isn't uncommon to lose fish when you have recently bought them, in what we all wish could be the quarantine period.
They been scooped on the farm, shipped in a bag, put in a wholesaler's tank, shipped to the store... it's a high stress process often involving days in less than ideal conditions.
They been scooped on the farm, shipped in a bag, put in a wholesaler's tank, shipped to the store... it's a high stress process often involving days in less than ideal conditions.
Adding individual shoalers if you don't already have a group is a stress for them. One black neon is like an amputated limb - they live as groups of 6, 10, 600....
If you aren't far from the store, go there a few times before you buy. Take a long look at the fish every time and see if there are any problems. Sometimes, you can use the store as a quarantine.
If you aren't far from the store, go there a few times before you buy. Take a long look at the fish every time and see if there are any problems. Sometimes, you can use the store as a quarantine.
The results show some anomia but not off the scale I did a water change 2 days ago, 10% and I'm going to do another 20% today. Iv not used any other additives apart from the dechlorinator and bacteria. Usually I do a 10% water change every week or at least I have been.
Up your water changes. Any amount of ammonia or nitrite is dangerous. Do a 75% water change any day that ammonia or nitrite are not zero. You may have to do this for a number of weeks until the tank cycles (when there are sufficient beneficial bacteria to process the fish waste) but it's the only way to protect the fish.
Reduce feeding to a small amount 2 or 3 times a week to reduce fish waste. Add live plants, especially fast growers or floating plants, as they will use some of the ammonia. Don't clean the filter so that the beneficial bacteria can develop.
Once cycled, I recommend 50%+ water change each week.
Reduce feeding to a small amount 2 or 3 times a week to reduce fish waste. Add live plants, especially fast growers or floating plants, as they will use some of the ammonia. Don't clean the filter so that the beneficial bacteria can develop.
Once cycled, I recommend 50%+ water change each week.
Thanks for the advise, Iv only been doing 10% as that was what was recommended when I got the tank. Going forward I'll do 50. Just done a change now, after losing another fish. It's sad really the guys were doing so well untill I moved them. As the fish iv lost are sholing an I now have less than the recommended 6 for the Raspora and Black tetras, will this couse stress for them? I don't want to add anyone else to the tank yet just incase.
Yes, they will be stressed from a small group but it would be counterproductive to add more whilst the tank is cycling.
In a few weeks, once the test consistently show zero ammonia and nitrite you can up the shoals. When the tank is ready increase one species to the full amount - 10 is minimum recommended - then the other species. Doing both species at once could overload the beneficial bacteria and cause a temporary cycling crash. But adding fish of the same species in ones/twos/threes is detrimental as they cannot shoal comfortably with fewer than ten and they take longer to establish a hierarchy.
Keep doing the water changes and the ammonia will stay at safer levels, hopefully the remaining fish will pull through.
In a few weeks, once the test consistently show zero ammonia and nitrite you can up the shoals. When the tank is ready increase one species to the full amount - 10 is minimum recommended - then the other species. Doing both species at once could overload the beneficial bacteria and cause a temporary cycling crash. But adding fish of the same species in ones/twos/threes is detrimental as they cannot shoal comfortably with fewer than ten and they take longer to establish a hierarchy.
Keep doing the water changes and the ammonia will stay at safer levels, hopefully the remaining fish will pull through.
Well since my last post, iv followed the advise and also added extra bacteria from a bottle. And thus far only one death but that was 2 days ago. Tank has been near decimated but hopefully the guys will be ok now. I'm left with 2 harlequins, 3 black tetra some snails and a sucking loach. But at least iv learned.
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