Paranoid fish owner

[Maryanne1986]

Hello

I have 5 neon tetras in with 3 leopard guppies and 2 honey gourami and just need to check on the tetras behaviour. In one of my previous threads I was having trouble with one gourami seeming to bully the other but my tetras seem to be congregating in one area and not swimming about very much. Please see video. Am I a paranoid fish owner or is something wrong?

 

[GaryE]

First, let's establish if you have honey gouramis, or if the store sold you a more aggressive species under that name. Honey gouramis are T. chuna, and are sweethearts. But more and more, kind of rough and nasty T labiosa are being marketed under that name, and they can intimidate tankmates.

It isn't bullying, it's their territorial behaviour in set ups they shouldn't be in. It's easy to say that, but stores often don't help in that regard.

Can we see a photo of the "honeys"?

 

[Maryanne1986]

Hey please find attached

 

[Innesfan]

Your store has a talent for misidentifying fish. They mislabeled your gouramis "Moonlight" and those are not neons either. They appear to be glowlight tetras, Hemigrammus erythrozonus. Their color is faded which, along with the huddled behavior, usually indicates stress. Have you checked water parameters? Is the flow from the filter too high? Temperature? Normally a larger school than 5 is recommended.

 

[GaryE]

That looks like the real thing - a good fish to keep.

Your glowlight tetras like a little shade, and they'll adjust. As just appeared above from @Innesfan , they like larger groups. But how long have you had them? How often and how much water do you change?

 

[Magnum Man]

also, don't the tetras like softer water than the guppies... I'd be curious about your water hardness

 

[Maryanne1986]

Hello

Our water Is in a soft area.
Did a water change yesterday. Had them about 2 to 3 weeks now. Water PH is fine according to the grid on the tub .
Temperature is between 24 and 25degrees c.
I'm worried if I lower the current on the filter it will be not enough for the size of the tank.

Should I get more tetras then ?

 

[GaryE]

A couple of things.

An aquarium filter flow won't bother glowlight tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus). It might be hard on guppies with their overbred tails, but they will find quiet spots.

if you get more tetras go by species. Tetras are a huge group with many species, and they really don't care about each other for company. They want to be in a shoal of their own species. It makes sense - we're close relatives of chimps, but you wouldn't want to be thrown into a group of five of them forever to live without other humans.

So adding 3 or 5 more glowlights would liven things up. But you are still in the quarantine period,when experienced fishkeepers will be on disease watch and will expect their new fish to be pale and shy. You won't know how healthy they are til about a month to 6 weeks, although at 2-3 you are probably good.

If you an put a dark backing on the tank, that will calm them.

 

[Innesfan]

How is the other honey gourami doing--the one that was huddled in the corner?