Neons Dying

[thenightgoddess]

I also posted this in the fish emergency forum but havent got any replys yet.
 
I have a ten gallon that had a school of 7 neons in it since last friday ive lost all but two of the neons. This is the first time ive owned neons and they have been doing fine since I got them a few months ago I didnt lose any. I did not have any problems with the tank in a long time until a few weeks ago when one of my julii cories got caught upside down behind a breeder net I had in the tank and he died. Then last week I got a new one and a few days later he was dead everyone else in the tank seemed fine. I returned the dead one and got another then my neons started dying the last dead one was dead when I went to work this morning. The new julii also died yesterday and I returned him just for a refund till I can figure out what is going on. It has been hot the last week so the tank has been between 80F-83F I just realized that might be the problem yesterday so I have been trying to cool down the tank by keeping the hood off and putting ice in a bag in the tank its at about 80F right now. Im also not sure if maybe the new julii was sick and infected my tank but the neons didnt seem to have anything wrong with them before they died.
Tank size:10 gal
pH:7
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:80
tank temp:80

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):Nothing seems wrong with them and then there dead the next day

Volume and Frequency of water changes:I try to do a 25%-50% water change once a week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:I use stress coat and stress zyme when I do water changes and I have a fluval c2 filter that goes up to 30 gallons

Tank inhabitants:currently I only have 2 neons, 2 julii cories, a male halfmoon betta, an african dwarf frog, and a black kuhli loach in the tank right now because my 5 other neons and my one other julii died.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):The juliis that keep dying

I know my nitrates are high im planning on doing a water change today my last one was a week ago and I think its only that high because the dead fish were probably in the tank for around 5-12 hours before they got taken out and that happened a couple times.

 

[Zante]

26 to 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit) is a bit high for neons. They are more subtropical than tropical and shouldn't be kept above 24 Celsius. The stress of the high temperature might have weakened them and the dead corys sent them over the edge.

 

[thenightgoddess]

26 to 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit) is a bit high for neons. They are more subtropical than tropical and shouldn't be kept above 24 Celsius. The stress of the high temperature might have weakened them and the dead corys sent them over the edge.

What can I do to get it down I cant seem to get it lower then 80F. Also where are you getting that from I just looked online at a bunch of places and most said that they can be kept at upwards of 80F and 81F. I would like to get the tank down to 78F and I dont think the cory dying had anything to do with the neons dying unless the cory was sick because the first died about a month before the neons died and the second died four days before the neons started dying and the third died in the middle of the neons dying.

 

[Zante]

Let me put it this way: discus can be kept up to 32 celsius, but normally people keep them at 28-29, wild ones even less. That is because we are talking top limit. A human can be kept at 50 celsius, but he won't be happy.
 
The highter temperature will have stressed the fish lowering their defences and making them weaker. The death of the cory and sudden rise in nitrates would have been perfectly bearable for a healthy fish, but in their weakened state that might have been enough to kill them. The survivors might be a little bit stroner than the others and managed to pull through.
 
Don't forget that a higher heat accelerates the metabolism of a fish. Also warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen.
 
To get it lower than 80 you can get some of those little fans they sell for marine to blow air over the surface and increase evaporation, that should do the trick.

 

[thenightgoddess]

Let me put it this way: discus can be kept up to 32 celsius, but normally people keep them at 28-29, wild ones even less. That is because we are talking top limit. A human can be kept at 50 celsius, but he won't be happy.
 
The highter temperature will have stressed the fish lowering their defences and making them weaker. The death of the cory and sudden rise in nitrates would have been perfectly bearable for a healthy fish, but in their weakened state that might have been enough to kill them. The survivors might be a little bit stroner than the others and managed to pull through.
 
Don't forget that a higher heat accelerates the metabolism of a fish. Also warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen.
 
To get it lower than 80 you can get some of those little fans they sell for marine to blow air over the surface and increase evaporation, that should do the trick.

I cant afford to buy anything it would have to be something that doesnt cost any money. I already have the top off and the fan for our ac which is right behind it blowing on the top of the tank. I was only able to get the temp lower then 80F when I had the ac on and I can only run that for 10-15 mins at most so I cant use that to help. Also 32 celsius is 89F and 28-29 celsius is 82-84F. Im trying to get my tank down to 25 C its at about 26 C right now.

 

[Zante]

In that case my suggestion is to get some cardinals instead of neons. They will happily live up to 30 Celsius.

 

[thenightgoddess]

In that case my suggestion is to get some cardinals instead of neons. They will happily live up to 30 Celsius.

Again my tank is only at between 26-28 celsius the last couple days ive been able to keep it at 26 and cardinals are even more sensetive then neons they would be much more likely to die.

 

[Zante]

Actually my experience is that cardinals are hardier than neons.

 

[snazy]

It sounds to me like you've introduced sick fish if the issue started after you bought fish.

 

[Cichlidrich]

Cardinals are hardier then neons .

 

[the_lock_man]

I have removed the thread from emergencies, as it still has had no replys. If the OP would like this thread moved to emergencies, please PM me.