My neon tetras keep dying and i dont know why

[Hammerpgh]

The other thing of course is that I know from what I’ve read that the Tetra’s are supposed to be in groups of no less than six so will the fact there are only two remaining be a problem.

 

[kiko]

Many thanks for the swift response. I did actually a product to reduce the ph level and it’s lowered it some but maybe I need to look at this as well.

well if you're a coffee/tea drinker you can just look at your coffee maker and look at the buildup inside the reservoir
or the drain in your kitchen sink / or your shower/tub drain
it also affects your skin and your scalp
even though you can clean a kettle or coffee maker by simply using vinegar...you might as well get at the problem
as hardness like this can eventually clog your pipes and cause skin irritation or dryness and scaling

 

[kiko]

The other thing of course is that I know from what I’ve read that the Tetra’s are supposed to be in groups of no less than six so will the fact there are only two remaining be a problem.

well think of neon tetras as a "very" scared fish..they'll be hiding in plant root or at the bottom somewhere...but if there's enough of them they'll swim around in a school
it's the.."safety in numbers" instinct in fish
so until you see them swimming around all together...you don't have enough of them I suggest about 20-30 of them

 

[Byron]

I did actually a product to reduce the ph level and it’s lowered it some but maybe I need to look at this as well.

Do not ever use products to "adjust" parameters like pH. The pH is tied to the GH and KH, and you need to address all three or the result will be fluctuating pH and dead fish.

 

[sharkweek178]

I have tried keeping neon tetras but over time they all died. I attribute it to my GH of 175 and PH of 7.6. I have one surviving neon survivor that is doing great..he has lived through ick, a broken thermometer, hard water, and a tank change. My guess is your water is too hard to keep neons successfully.
Get your water hardness level from your water suppier's site and report it here. Also, is your tank cycled?

Also add some oak leaves or India Almond leaves to help decrease PH.

I recommend 50% water changes every week.

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According to Seriously Fish, neons are good at 18-215 ppm. https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-innesi/

 

[sharkweek178]

well think of neon tetras as a "very" scared fish..they'll be hiding in plant root or at the bottom somewhere...but if there's enough of them they'll swim around in a school
it's the.."safety in numbers" instinct in fish
so until you see them swimming around all together...you don't have enough of them I suggest about 20-30 of them

Schooling is a defense behavior against predators. A fish that isn't in a sufficiently sized school or shoal is living in fear of being eaten.

 

[Hammerpgh]

According to Seriously Fish, neons are good at 18-215 ppm. https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-innesi/

Oh well my numbers are well outside that range so I’ll have to try to do something about that before I look to get any more.

 

[Byron]

Reading through this thread again, there are some observations. While it is certainly true that too many chemical substances are/were being added, too few water changes (I think that was noted, ignore if not), and unsuitable parameters, none of these should have caused the rapid deaths reported with the symptoms. My thought would be the fish themselves. It is often instructive to visit the store and see if there remaining neons are in difficulty--or have all since died. They may give you a credit.

You must keep in mind that any substance you add to the water has the probability of getting into the fish's bloodstream and internal organs. Fish "drink" by continually taking in water via osmosis, and any substance dissolved in the water that is able to diffuse across the cell membrane will get into the fish, and at the very least this causes stress and often far worse in time if not immediately. Therefore, do not use any additives except what is absolutely necessary. A good conditioner that does not include questionable substances, and maybe plant fertilizer, is it. Neon tetras are apparently in bad shape these days, due to the inbreeding and certain facilities, and any negative factor like chemicals can have serious repercussions. Tetras are characins, and this family of fish has a chemical warning system (a pheromone called schreckstoff) which may explain their heightened sensitivity to medications and fluctuating water conditions in the aquarium.

 

[Hammerpgh]

Well I lost one more of the Tetras there but the final one is surviving fine so far. I am wondering whether there was something wrong with them as it just seems odd that they’ve died but this one has not. Surely if it was the water they would just all have gone.
I do also have a couple of female Beta’s in the tank that have been fine up to now.

Edit: spoke too soon.. literally less than an hour after posting this I found the final Tetra floating at the top of the tank. It had been swimming around without problem when I posted so I’m even more confused now