Help !

[john flood]

Hi ya peeps just got a new tank set up installed about five plants water tap safe and something to start the filter off, waited two weeks and the added 5 neon tetra's and two yellow finned botias, ph level 8.5 ammonia 0.1 nitrite 0mg nitrate very little, after a few days we noticed some fins looked as if they had been nibbled and then some dead fish !!!!!!!!!!!
A few days later more dead fish " all neons" so we bought some more, nitrate went up quiet a bit so did a water change and water is all fine now all neons are dead and only left with these yellow fine botias.
we are wondering is the ph too high or are the botias killing the neons ??
cheers john

 

[riverman444]

Hi ya peeps just got a new tank set up installed about five plants water tap safe and something to start the filter off, waited two weeks and the added 5 neon tetra's and two yellow finned botias, ph level 8.5 ammonia 0.1 nitrite 0mg nitrate very little, after a few days we noticed some fins looked as if they had been nibbled and then some dead fish !!!!!!!!!!!
A few days later more dead fish " all neons" so we bought some more, nitrate went up quiet a bit so did a water change and water is all fine now all neons are dead and only left with these yellow fine botias.
we are wondering is the ph too high or are the botias killing the neons ??
cheers john

What size is the tank?
Did you cycle the tank before adding fish?

Neons are very fragile during a cycle.

 

[john flood]

What size is the tank?
Did you cycle the tank before adding fish?

Neons are very fragile during a cycle.
[/quote]

the tank is a under gravel filter 65lt tank, what does cycle mean cheers john

 

[drw32]

Two things...first, neons do not do well in a tank that is not VERY well established. Second, your PH is waaayyyy to high for neons. Neons like acidic (below 7.0) water. With a ph of 8.5, you might want some consider african cichlids. I have no experince with africans other than I know they like hard alkaline water. So inquire with other members as to what type and how many for your tnak size.