Just a few questions...

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Animallover😍

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Hi, I have a few questions.
1. I am getting Neon Tetras. I have a 10 gal tank. Would it be better to get a 15 gallon?
2. The pH in my aquarium is 8.2. Is peat moss recommended to lower the pH?
3. The air pump's bubbles keep popping at the top and making a wet mess on my tank cover and light. How do I prevent this?
4. I have a 12 watt light. As Neon Tetras like dim light, do I cover this with a cloth?
5. Is it necessary to test the GH and KH?
6. How do I prevent Neon Tetra disease?
7. Is it better to use gravel as substrate or sand?
8. Is API Melafix recommended?
 
Hi, I have a few questions.
1. I am getting Neon Tetras. I have a 10 gal tank. Would it be better to get a 15 gallon?
The bigger the tank, the better it is for the fish. Tanks that are long and wide are better than tall narrow tanks. The smallest tank for neon tetras and virtually any tetra or other fish, is 2 foot long.

2. The pH in my aquarium is 8.2. Is peat moss recommended to lower the pH?
You can use peat moss to lower the pH. Put some in a mesh bag and put that in the filter. However, if the GH & KH of your water is high (above 150ppm), peat moss probably won't drop the pH.

If you have hard water, then mixing it with some reverse osmosis (R/O) water will reduce the GH, KH and pH, and you won't need peat moss.

3. The air pump's bubbles keep popping at the top and making a wet mess on my tank cover and light. How do I prevent this?
Have a coverglass on top of the tank. Get glass that is 4mm thick because thinner glass (2mm and 3mm thick) chips and cracks easily.

4. I have a 12 watt light. As Neon Tetras like dim light, do I cover this with a cloth?
Do not cover light units with material because they can heat up and catch fire.

You can put floating plants in the tank and they will provide shade for the fish. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta) is one of the better floating plants and grows rapidly on the surface. It can also be planted in the gravel.

5. Is it necessary to test the GH and KH?
The GH and KH doesn't normally change much but it's still a good idea to check the GH and KH a couple of times a year to find out what it is. You don't need to buy test kits for this. Just take a sample of tap water to a pet shop twice a year and get them to test it for you. Some shops do it for free and others charge a small fee to cover the cost of the test. When they do test the water, write the results down in numbers and ask what the test is done in (ppm, dGH or something else).

If you are using mains water, contact the water supply company (via website or telephone) and ask them what the GH and KH are. Again write the numbers down at the time and find out what the tests are measured in (ppm, dGH).

6. How do I prevent Neon Tetra disease?
Avoid buying sick fish. Neon tetra disease is sometimes seen in newly imported fish but is rare in the home aquarium. When you are at a pet shop, look in all the tanks and see if there are dead fish, any fish rubbing on objects, fish with swollen or cloudy eyes, fish with a cream, white or grey film or patches on their body. These are all signs of diseases and fish that are not healthy.

With neon tetras, look for the above list of symptoms, and look for any fish that has a faded blue or red line. If any fish in the tank has a faded blue or red line, do not get any fish from that tank. Go home and come back a few weeks later or visit another pet shop. Part of the blue or red line (usually near the middle of the body by the dorsal fin) will fade and go white if the fish have neon disease.

At home, do big regular water changes and gravel clean the substrate, clean the filter regularly, and feed the fish a varied diet to reduce the chances of them developing diseases. Quarantine all new fish for at least 2 (preferably 4) weeks before adding them to an established display tank.

7. Is it better to use gravel as substrate or sand?
It doesn't make any difference for neon tetras. However, the substrate should be as dark as possible and not white or yellow. The light coloured substrate will reflect light and stress the fish causing them to fade.

8. Is API Melafix recommended?
No.
 
Thanks! I'll get a 2 foot tank. I have ordered peat moss already, and I'll get the glass. I already have some frogbit, so the light problem is solved. Going to call the main water supply company. oh no! I've got white rocks as substrate. I'll replace it.
 
I have decided to get a 73 gallon tank(someone sold it on mudah.my for RM100(24usd). It's definitely cheap price and the tank dimensions are 2.5ft x 2ft x 2ft. I'm going to get many neon tetras and cardinals and some tank mates(guppies and the like!)

UPDATE: Just found out seller has sold this already. Getting a 42 gallon tank instead. 2.5ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft
 
Last edited:
Hi again. Wanted to ask, because I know Neon Tetras can only live in an established aquarium, is the aquarium 'cycled' when I add nitrifying bacteria to the filter?
 
No, it’s cycled when you’ve grown enough bacteria to break down the ammonia into nitrites AND the nitrites into nitrates within 24 hours. Depending on what stock you are going to have depends on the level of ammonia that needs to be ‘neutralised’. My 25 ltr tank with one male Betta only needed to be able to clear 1ppm of ammonia. @Essjay talked me through cycling and she will be able to advise if you know what stock you will be having.
 
I'll be having 10 guppies, 10 Neon Tetras, and 6 Black Neon Tetras.
That looks like you may need to do the full cycle of 3ppm rather than 1ppm.

The cycle is clarified, with a walk-through, here

 
I'll be having 10 guppies, 10 Neon Tetras, and 6 Black Neon Tetras.
That's way too many fish for a 10 gallon tank. I would look at at minimum of 30 gallons for those fish.

Black neon tetras need a tank at least 80 cm/32 inches long, while neon tetras and guppies need 60cm/24 inches minimum.


is the aquarium 'cycled' when I add nitrifying bacteria to the filter?
Bottled bacteria speed up a cycle, they don't cycle a tank instantly. And they need ammonia in the water to feed them. If fish are put in the tank straight away, they ammonia they excrete will feed the bacteria but the bacteria will take a couple of weeks before they settle in so you would be doing a fish-in cycle with daily water changes.
The best way to prepare a tank for fish is a fishless cycle, and use bottled bacteria to make it go faster. Sunnyspots has given you a link for how to do a fishless cycle.
 
That's way too many fish for a 10 gallon tank. I would look at at minimum of 30 gallons for those fish.

Black neon tetras need a tank at least 80 cm/32 inches long, while neon tetras and guppies need 60cm/24 inches minimum.



Bottled bacteria speed up a cycle, they don't cycle a tank instantly. And they need ammonia in the water to feed them. If fish are put in the tank straight away, they ammonia they excrete will feed the bacteria but the bacteria will take a couple of weeks before they settle in so you would be doing a fish-in cycle with daily water changes.
The best way to prepare a tank for fish is a fishless cycle, and use bottled bacteria to make it go faster. Sunnyspots has given you a link for how to do a fishless cycle.
I did say I'm getting a 42 gallon tank. Thanks for the advice
 

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