I have some questions about neon tetras :)

[myfrint]

Hoo... this is the first article that i'm posting since i've signed up for this site.

I'm trying to buy neon or cardinal tetras this week.

I have no experience at all about tropical fish.

I was looking around local pet shops and they are selling those tetras like dollar per one fish, which seemed expensive.

Anyway, here are my questions

1. I have about 20 inch x 10 inch x 10inch tank. How many tetras (with the fish that cleans up the bottom... i forgot the name will be good?

2. Isn't there thing that covers the top of the tank and has light and filter system together? is that better than the filter that filters from bottom?

3. I know that i should buy all the equipments except fish first, set up all of the equipments, and just run the fishless tank for a few days. Well, how many days will be enough so that my fish will not die in several hours?

4. Is heater necessary for tetras? ( In my sense, don't i need heater only for winter? or does heater not only raises temperature but actuallly contols temperature? i don't get it..)

That's all of my questions. Sorry for asking a lot, but if u guys can answer, it'll be very helpful D

 

[Arashi]

Hiya, myfrint! First off welcome to the forum!

Now to answer your questions to the best of my ability:

1. I have no clue what size tank you have so I can't tell you how many tetras you can put in there...I'm really bad at maths. But I can tell you that if the bottom feeder that you have is a plecostomus...he's gonna outgrow that tank. If he's a common or gibbiceps/sailfin type species he's going to get at least 20 inches.

2. I have no clue. I have 5 tanks: one uses an undergravel filter (I'm assuming thats what you have), three use external filters, and one has both undergravel and external filters. I've never heard of one that is incorporated in the hood...anyone else know about this?

3. Set up the tank, and let it run for at least a day, but DO NOT add Neons or Cardinals first! They are rather sensitive fish to water changes and with the ammonia cycle that your tank is going to go through, they will die within a few days. If you are going to do an ammonia cycle with fish, I suggest zebra danios...they are hardy and will 99% of the time survive the ammonia stage. Otherwise you can do a fishless cycle, which is recommended by most of us here, and this will take at least a week or two. It's a longer process, but it's worth the wait, and your not harming any fishes in the process.

4. Yes, get a heater. Unless your house is a constant 75-79 degrees at all times, your tanks temperature is going to fluctuate...and that is really bad for fish. Tetras are not coldwater fish (no tropical fish are) and will not be happy and will probably die if the water is too cold. And yes, the heater will keep the tank at a constant temperature (usually)...the tank gets too cold, the heater kicks in, the tank heats up to your preferred temperature or gets too hot, the heater shuts off.

Anyone got anything else to add? I hope so...my answers kinda suck. Hope some of this helps ya out myfrint, and good luck with your new tank!

 

[myfrint]

Wow.. thx a lot Arashi. That was really helpful

P.S

The name of the fish that cleans up the bottom is Cory, and according to my calculation, my tank is 10 gal. So, how many tetras with the Cory will be enough for my tank?

And... about the fishless cycle. Does fishless cycle take THAT long? ( one or two weeks?) You said put Zebra Danios first and it will take less time for the water cycle. Then, with how many Zebra Danios, how long will it take to get the water cycle?

Thanx a lot. I hope there will be no more questions.

 

[luxum]

2. Isn't there thing that covers the top of the tank and has light and filter system together? is that better than the filter that filters from bottom?

I think you mean the Eclipse hoods. I own one, the Eclipse3 i think. I hate many things about it. First, the filtration is crappy. If you are only going to keep very small bodied tetras, then it should be ok. But if you have bigger fish (even slightly bigger) with more bioload, the mechanical filtration is totally inadequate. In addition the lights are poorly placed, to the front and center. If you are not going to grow plants it will be fine, but if you are you will be limited to low light tolerant plants. In my experience, the only thing the bigger Eclipse hoods have going for them is that they are very stylish.

 

[parker313]

The name of the fish that cleans up the bottom is Cory, and according to my calculation, my tank is 10 gal. So, how many tetras with the Cory will be enough for my tank?

Cories are very social fish - I'd keep at least 3 of them together. How many gallons is the tank? I know you gave the dimensions, but I'm lazy and don't feel like doing the maths

 

[myfrint]

thx a lot again.

Oh.. my tank volume is 10 gallon according to my calculation.

By the way, when i saw tank in LFS, there were like 30 cardinal tetras in tank that has almost same size as mine. Is that okay? because i want to have at least 15 tetras together in my tank.

 

[parker313]

thx a lot again.

Oh.. my tank volume is 10 gallon according to my calculation.

By the way, when i saw tank in LFS, there were like 30 cardinal tetras in tank that has almost same size as mine. Is that okay? because i want to have at least 15 tetras together in my tank.

Nope, sorry.... 30, even 15 is going to be way too much bioload for a 10 gallon tank In the fish stores, even though it looks like a tank that's the same size, MOST of the time, they have all their tanks on one big water filtration system and it's high powered to really keep the water clean. Plus, it's short term.

In a 10 gallon tank, I wouldn't put more than 8, MAYBE 10 cardinals (or other tetras of the same size) in there. ...and that's if you want just them, no cories.

10 gallons can be hard to stock. In your case, if you were dilligent about water changes, the most I'd put in there would be 5 cardinals and 3 cories - make sure you get some of the smaller varieties of cories, not the bigger ones!

 

[paulioo]

I have the same problem, i have a 12 gallon tank and once i complete the fishless cycle i was hoping to have;

3 zebra danios and
6 neon tetras

Would this be too much for a 12 gallon tank?

Paul

 

[parker313]

I have the same problem, i have a 12 gallon tank and once i complete the fishless cycle i was hoping to have;

3 zebra danios and
6 neon tetras

Would this be too much for a 12 gallon tank?

Paul

Should be just fine.

 

[Lateral Line]

The problem with tanks that small is that when you want shoaling fish like Neons or Zebras, you rapidly run out of space. 6 Neons is fine, but you'd really want at least 6 Zebras as well, They can be quite aggressive in small numbers. Now 6 Zebras and 6 Neons, you're over stocked.

As an aside, I don't think you should put Neons into a recently cycled tank. They are too sensitive to Nitrogen pollution, and newly cycled tanks are often unstable for a few months.

 

[paulioo]

So if i do have 6 neons and only 3 zebra danios, will the danios actually attack the neons? I thought Zebra Danios were not aggressive. I know they are really energetic but i didnt think they were aggressive.

What would you suggest to put in?


I was hoping the danios would lively the tank up and help to make the neons school around alot.

p.s i was only going to put the danios in once the cycle was complete, then add neons after a few weeks.

 

[gingerbread27]

I have 2 neon tetras 2 glolight tetras and 2 zebra danios in a 10 gallon and they are fine but however the danios are fin nippers, and they aggravate the algea eater until he hates them now, I am cycling him a new home. and daniaos get larger then tetras, so be careful in the ratio of each