How many tetras in a 150L tank?

[Bluebubbles]

150liter sounds good for neon tetra, I have had very good luck with the glow light tetras, I have not lost one yet and they are good looking and hang well with the neon tetra. You should have a least 6 of each type of tetra, I try for 12-15. Neon have had health problems lately so I have not bought any for some months now. I really like their color but inbreeding has hurt them. I hope to find some wild neon tetra to replace the ones I lost. I do a 40-50% water change every week and use RO water to soften my hard water.

Where I live our water is quite soft so there is no need for me to do anything like that.

 

[Retired Viking]

Where I live our water is quite soft so there is no need for me to do anything like that.

Lucky you, I have to haul around several 5 gallon jugs of RO, I like tetras and want them healthy so I do it. I use 10 gallons of RO and 10 of tap water when I do my weekly water changes. 10 gallons of RO cost me a little over 3 USD with tax so it is not bad just the extra running and carrying I have to do can be a pain sometimes

 

[Bluebubbles]

Beneficial filter bacteria takes about 4-6 weeks to established. If you are replacing filter pads every 2 weeks, you will be removing the beneficial bacteria and messing up the filter cycle.

Sorry, I must not explain that well. There are two filters (which both need to be changed monthly) so I every 2 weeks I change one and I alternate.

so...

week 1- None
week 2- Filter 1
week 3- None
week 4- Filter 2
week 5- None
week 6- Filter 1
week 7- None
week 8- Filter 2

and so on

Some times they get clogged up and I need to change the smaller sponge more often.
In this case, I have another 4 filters from other tanks I can use media out of.

 

[Bluebubbles]

Lucky you, I have to haul around several 5 gallon jugs of RO, I like tetras and want them healthy so I do it. I use 10 gallons of RO and 10 of tap water when I do my weekly water changes. 10 gallons of RO cost me a little over 3 USD with tax so it is not bad just the extra running and carrying I have to do can be a pain sometimes

Damn, that's rough. I'm so glad to hear that you love your fish that much.
I too would do anything for my babies.

 

[Byron]

I only do it every month because this is when the nitrate begins to move toward 10.
I don't let it pass 10 if I can help it.

Now, this is a serious mistake. Water changes must be regular, and once a week covers that. And they must be significant; you will find most of us here do 50-70% every week (at one go). This is the only assurance of good health for fish. There is muych more to water changes than nitrates. And if you see nitrates rising at all, that is a certain sign that something is wrong. Nitrate should be consistent, from week to week, for years. My tanks have tested in the 0-5 ppm range for over ten years now. That is what you want.

Nitrates are toxic to fish; ammonia and nitrite act more rapidly, but fish exposed to nitrates are still being affected. The species, the level of nitrate, and the exposure time all factor in; some fish can struggle on, others cannot. Keeping nitrate as low as possible, and certainly never above 20 ppm, is key to good fish health.

But there is much more to water changes. Fish continually assimilate water via osmosis through every cell; it is flushed out. In a very short time, fish are swimming in their own urine. Then there are the pheromones and allomones, chemical signals that fish communicate with, and these can only be removed with water changes. If left, it can be sever stress, depending upon the species and the signals. Then there is the liquid resulting from the breakdown of solid waste; it remains until it is removed via water changes.

No fish ever got sick from clean water.

 

[Byron]

This is a very common misconception.
Thank you for your concern but she does great as well as the other fish that live with her.

[/QUOTE]

I think BarryTetra was thinking male Betta when he posted. That makes a big difference.

 

[Retired Viking]

Another thing about neon and most tetra is they come from South American Jungle Streams, So they like shade and feel less stressed with lower lights. I have several floating plants which I also plant in their tank. They also seem to like leafy plants. Their water is dark like tea colored which is also why they like lower light or shade. Anacharis, water sprite, hornwort and moneywort are a few of the floating plants that are easy to take care of and work well with tetra.

 

[Bluebubbles]

group of 9-12 neon tetras will always be less stressed and thus healthier than a group of six.

I don't really choose how many I take in because all of them come from people who don't want them and are getting rid of them. As I said I can swap them over with my local pet shop when they get too big. (I usually just choose some plants or food if I need it and filter media if I need it) They all also get quarantined for 4 weeks when I take them in because I'm getting them from other people who don't want them I make sure they are not sick.

 

[Bluebubbles]

Sponges and other filter media get cleaned by squeezing or washing in a bucket of tank water and the media is re-used.

My large sponge I do this with but the small one just falls apart when you squeeze it out so I replace that one.

 

[Bluebubbles]

Carbon isn't necessary in an aquarium unless you have heavy metals or chemicals in the tap water.

Thank you I didn't know this as this is what the filter came with. I will look into what I can change it out for

Thanks again

 

[Bluebubbles]

Fish should get a varied diet and not fed on one type of food.

They get brine shrimp or bloodworms cut up once a month before I clean the tank as a treat. I also have two different types of flakes as I found some liked one more then others and vise versa.

 

[Bluebubbles]

Now, this is a serious mistake. Water changes must be regular, and once a week covers that. And they must be significant; you will find most of us here do 50-70% every week (at one go). This is the only assurance of good health for fish. There is muych more to water changes than nitrates. And if you see nitrates rising at all, that is a certain sign that something is wrong. Nitrate should be consistent, from week to week, for years. My tanks have tested in the 0-5 ppm range for over ten years now. That is what you want.

By doing every month it doesn't exceed 0-5. when I first got my tank I made the mistake of not cleaning it for close to 7 weeks by this stage it into the 5-10 range. All the fish are still alive today and there was no physical change to the fish or water at the time. It was just lucky I tested the tank because I obviously needed a clean because of the nitrates. Since then I have never got anything above 0-5.

 

[Byron]

By doing every month it doesn't exceed 0-5. when I first got my tank I made the mistake of not cleaning it for close to 7 weeks by this stage it into the 5-10 range. All the fish are still alive today and there was no physical change to the fish or water at the time. It was just lucky I tested the tank because I obviously needed a clean because of the nitrates. Since then I have never got anything above 0-5.

That's good. Just recognize that it is only one small part of the issue. The one part we can measure, whereas the other parts cannot be measured as they do affect the fish over time.

You have another issue making this even more critical, and that is what you explained as the acquisition of various fish to save them, but they are (and very likely had been previously elsewhere) in less than ideal conditions respecting the numbers, etc. This too is weakening the fish bit by bit, and more frequent and substantial water changes go a long way to helping the fish. No fish can overcome these problems; the fish are programmed to "expect" this and that, and they are stressed when their expectations cannot be met. Things only worsen with time.

 

[Bluebubbles]

That's good. Just recognize that it is only one small part of the issue. The one part we can measure, whereas the other parts cannot be measured as they do affect the fish over time.

You have another issue making this even more critical, and that is what you explained as the acquisition of various fish to save them, but they are (and very likely had been previously elsewhere) in less than ideal conditions respecting the numbers, etc. This too is weakening the fish bit by bit, and more frequent and substantial water changes go a long way to helping the fish. No fish can overcome these problems; the fish are programmed to "expect" this and that, and they are stressed when their expectations cannot be met. Things only worsen with time.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I really appreciate it. I am moving around my timetable so I have time to do it more often as I want my babies to thrive.

 

[Retired Viking]

When my daughters were in college I was like you, they would bring fish home that other students were getting rid of. I had 6 tanks going at the time but for a few years I had all sorts of fish being brought home. It was not easy to always find a safe place for them with my other fish.