Neon Tetras, And What Else?

[gosu-pk]

Before I get into it,


Last week, I bought 10 neon tetras from a private breeder all at the same time, about 2 days later, 1 died from getting nippde by the others
3 days later ( which is today ), I went to petco ( big mistake? ) to buy adult/large neons tetras, 3 ghost shrimps, and 3 fancy guppy males.
About 2 hours later, one of the neons I just bought at petco died ( It was breathing hard and was upside down on the gravel ).. But the rest are doing fine. Then about 2 more hours later, one of the fancy guppies died I don't know why, but it looked so nice. The first batch of neons i bought ( 9 now ) are very healthy and doing well.


Ok anyway
So I have 13 neon tetras, 2 fancy guppies, 1 female betta ( it disappeared! and its the biggest in the tank ), and 3 ghost shrimps inside my 10 gallon tank with many moss balls, a small bamboo stick, and a small drift wood. I know, its over stocked, but tomorrow I'm buying a 30 gallon tank thats especially meant for plants as i'm going to be buying many plants in hoping to breed my neons soon.


My question is.. what is a great combination for my soon to be 30 gallon tank? Its going to be a well planted tank, with strong plant fluorescent lights, plant substrate, ect. I don't think guppies look very well off inside the tank with my neons.
I don't know what would look good with my neons. Should I purchase different types of neons like black skirt tetras, or black neons, or minnows? What do you think would look nice in a well planted tank?
Money shouldn't be an issue

Leave me your thoughts please

Thanks

 

[orange shark]

Maybe a shoal of black skirt tetras and harlequin rasboras???

 

[Kay1123]

I can only throw out some ideas and that would be the fish I currently have.

Marble Hatchets are nice, Half beaks, Black neons might make a good contrast to the others.

You might also want to look at the different types of Danios. I've found a bright orange one in a local shop. Not sure of the name on it. Might have been Electric something.

If later you happen to lose your Ghost shrimp I would recommend Cherry Shrimp. They are much better seen in a well planted tank. Or since you're getting a bigger tank you could have both.

Oh and I've found that it's not unusual for one or two fish to die after getting them home from Petco.

 

[Biulu]

Ok anyway
So I have 13 neon tetras, 2 fancy guppies, 1 female betta ( it disappeared! and its the biggest in the tank ), and 3 ghost shrimps inside my 10 gallon tank with many moss balls, a small bamboo stick, and a small drift wood. I know, its over stocked, but tomorrow I'm buying a 30 gallon tank thats especially meant for plants as i'm going to be buying many plants in hoping to breed my neons soon.


My question is.. what is a great combination for my soon to be 30 gallon tank? Its going to be a well planted tank, with strong plant fluorescent lights, plant substrate, ect.
Thanks

If you are using that tank to be breeding neons, I wouldn't put anything else in, so your new fry won't fall prey to any of the other fish......

 

[clinton ><>]

i wouldnt go back to that shop for fish after some of the storys i have heard

 

[Rhea]

I'd add a group of cories to add some interest to the lower section of the tank, and possibly some otos as the beginnings of an algae crew

 

[doresy]

I would seriously consider doing a water check (API) before adding any further new stock to rule that out

 

[gosu-pk]

Maybe a shoal of black skirt tetras and harlequin rasboras???

I thought about the black skirt tetras, but I don't know about the harlequin, since my neons are part red, and I plan on getting cherry shrimps too

I can only throw out some ideas and that would be the fish I currently have.
Marble Hatchets are nice, Half beaks, Black neons might make a good contrast to the others.
You might also want to look at the different types of Danios. I've found a bright orange one in a local shop. Not sure of the name on it. Might have been Electric something.
If later you happen to lose your Ghost shrimp I would recommend Cherry Shrimp. They are much better seen in a well planted tank. Or since you're getting a bigger tank you could have both.
Oh and I've found that it's not unusual for one or two fish to die after getting them home from Petco

Marble hatchets look funny, haha. Half beaks i think would look great, but I'm not sure if they sell them at my local pet shops And they look pretty expensive, like a small version of an Arrowana. I think i will buy some black neons as well
As for the shrimps, I'm waiting on my local fish store to get some in as they ran out of cherry shrimps I wish I could have bought more ghost shrimps though, they were pretty expensive at 49 cents each! =/
Yeah, I don't think I want to buy fish at petco anymore, especially since they are so epxnsive.. I meant to buy female fancy guppies at $1.59 each there, but I accidently got male guppies and they costed $2.79 each when my local pet shops cost only $1-$1.29.. but it was late and local ones were closed
Sadly when I woke up an hour ago, I found another dead petco neon tetra

If you are using that tank to be breeding neons, I wouldn't put anything else in, so your new fry won't fall prey to any of the other fish......

I've done research on breeding neons, and when they have fry, I heard its best to have many plants so the fry can hide? Correct me if I'm wrong

i wouldnt go back to that shop for fish after some of the storys i have heard

I now know why I haven't had any luck buying fish at petco.. all bad quality But the quality from the private breeder seems unbelievable, out of all my years on and off buying neons, this is my most successful batch as of yet! I'm very happy

I'd add a group of cories to add some interest to the lower section of the tank, and possibly some otos as the beginnings of an algae crew

My thoughts exactly I added that to my buy fish list already

I would seriously consider doing a water check (API) before adding any further new stock to rule that out

I certainly will. I'm buying the 30 gallon plant tank from a person, he has everything included for me I'm happy I could find this guy because its very cheap, $75 for everything, when he spent well over $500 for everything, and I believe him, because the acessories for plant tanks are so expensive!

 

[gosu-pk]

I just got back from the pet shop

I bought 5 red skirt tetras, 2 more neons making me have 15 now, 3 chinese algae eaters, a very nice looking plant, and 18 ghost shrimps
These will all be in a 30 gallon tank by tonight

I was sad they didn't have any half beaks, cherry shrimps, ottos, corydoras ( they did have some, but they were 10 bucks each for such a small fish!), and java fern

But its all good, I'll look around locally for some

any thoughts?
Is this a good or bad combo? These are all community fish, so I think its good

 

[Chrispixx]

I just got back from the pet shop

I bought 5 red skirt tetras, 2 more neons making me have 15 now, 3 chinese algae eaters, a very nice looking plant, and 18 ghost shrimps
These will all be in a 30 gallon tank by tonight
any thoughts?

You didnt say if the 30 gal. is cycled yet or not.

If its not cycled yet... sounds like you will be doing an experiment called see how many fish and shrimp can be killed buy putting them in a 30 gal. uncycled tank.

If its not cycled i would just put the new fish in the 30 gal. to get the cycle going, and do water changes on your current tank to keep up with the overstock.

Or.. depending on how much filtration you have on your current tank you could use that on your 30 gal. with the water and it may be instantly cycled.

If you are using that tank to be breeding neons, I wouldn't put anything else in, so your new fry won't fall prey to any of the other fish......

I've done research on breeding neons, and when they have fry, I heard its best to have many plants so the fry can hide? Correct me if I'm wrong

You have a slim to none chance of getting neons to breed. If they do breed you will be lucky...(and fortunate) but dont bet on it.

 

[gosu-pk]

I just got back from the pet shop

I bought 5 red skirt tetras, 2 more neons making me have 15 now, 3 chinese algae eaters, a very nice looking plant, and 18 ghost shrimps
These will all be in a 30 gallon tank by tonight
any thoughts?

You didnt say if the 30 gal. is cycled yet or not.

If its not cycled yet... sounds like you will be doing an experiment called see how many fish and shrimp can be killed buy putting them in a 30 gal. uncycled tank.

If its not cycled i would just put the new fish in the 30 gal. to get the cycle going, and do water changes on your current tank to keep up with the overstock.

Or.. depending on how much filtration you have on your current tank you could use that on your 30 gal. with the water and it may be instantly cycled.

If you are using that tank to be breeding neons, I wouldn't put anything else in, so your new fry won't fall prey to any of the other fish......

I've done research on breeding neons, and when they have fry, I heard its best to have many plants so the fry can hide? Correct me if I'm wrong

You have a slim to none chance of getting neons to breed. If they do breed you will be lucky...(and fortunate) but dont bet on it.

Oh yes I know. I'm going to be adding the water from my 10 gallon tank into my 30 gallon tank, I'm going to fill the 30 gallon tank with 10 gallons of water with amquel mixed, so its basically doing a 50% change water, right?
And the 30 gallon tank was a plant tank and all the bacteria is still inside the tank

I heard that neons are almost impossible to breed, but right now I'm getting information from the breeder who bred neons and sold some to me
My intentions are to have a nice looking tank with many neons, and if they do breed, they'll have protection

 

[vinylman]

Adding water to the 30G from the 10G won't do a thing. You really should have done some research before starting the 30G. You say the bacteria is still in the 30G. How so?. Unless you haven't let the filter in the 30G dry out, there won't be any bacteria in there.

 

[gosu-pk]

Adding water to the 30G from the 10G won't do a thing. You really should have done some research before starting the 30G. You say the bacteria is still in the 30G. How so?. Unless you haven't let the filter in the 30G dry out, there won't be any bacteria in there.

I bought the 30g used from another person, half the water was still inside, and its still sitting here in my room, I haven't done anything to it as of yet.
If I add the water from the 10g to the 30g, won't the bacteria from the 10g be added on to the 30g? And the fish are used to the water in the 10 g

 

[Ben L]

the bacteria in the water is negligable its the filters that matter


it sounds like the fish you brought before may have suffered nitrate shock and died as a result it would be a good idea to test your water in the ten gal

 

[orange shark]

Whats a red skirt tetra??