Quarantine advice needed.

[sharkweek178]

Last month, I bought a dozen neon tetras. Since these were the first fish (along with some pygmy corys) I was adding to my tank, I used the main tank as a quarantine tank. The corys are fine but all but 1 of the neons died.
I'm going to replace those neons and to that end, I have set up a separate quarantine tank. So here is my question. Is it more stressful to leave the surviving neon by itself while I wait out the quarantine period with the new ones; or should I add it to the group in the quarantine tank so that it can be in a shoal?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Hmmm, tricky one!
I'd examine the new ones closely in quarantine, and give it a few days of observing them first. Then if they still seem healthy, add the singleton and he can quarantine/go through treatment if something does crop up.

Do you know why the first batch of neons died? That might change my answer actually... especially if it's something like neon tetra disease, you don't want the singleton to potentially infect your new fish.

How many pygmies did you get? Just curious because I love my own pygmy cory colony so much! They just keep breeding though, spotted another couple of tiny fry during their last water change.

I honestly don't know how many are in there! I'd have to tear the tank down to catch them all, but there's a lot... now and then when the crowd gets big I sell a group of 6-8 youngsters, to try to keep it from being overstocked, but they're really a joy when they're swimming around in a group of 20 plus. I started off with seven!

 

[sharkweek178]

Hmmm, tricky one!
I'd examine the new ones closely in quarantine, and give it a few days of observing them first. Then if they still seem healthy, add the singleton and he can quarantine/go through treatment if something does crop up.

That's what I'm thinking of doing. Giving the new ones a week and then adding the lone neon.

Do you know why the first batch of neons died? That might change my answer actually... especially if it's something like neon tetra disease, you don't want the singleton to potentially infect your new fish.

How many pygmies did you get? Just curious because I love my own pygmy cory colony so much! They just keep breeding though, spotted another couple of tiny fry during their last water change.View attachment 312629View attachment 312627View attachment 312624

I honestly don't know how many are in there! I'd have to tear the tank down to catch them all, but there's a lot... now and then when the crowd gets big I sell a group of 6-8 youngsters, to try to keep it from being overstocked, but they're really a joy when they're swimming around in a group of 20 plus. I started off with seven!

I'm not sure what happened to the first neons. But it has been a few weeks and no deaths in the tank.
I got a dozen of the corys. They're still shy and hide a lot. They're more active later in the day. I like them a lot, even if they swim and hide when I approach the tank. If they don't breed, I'll probably add a few more.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That's what I'm thinking of doing. Giving the new ones a week and then adding the lone neon.

Great minds think alike!
Although I'm more leery now that the neon deaths are a mystery. How quickly did they all pass? It's only been a month since you bought them, so did they all die in the first week?

I usually quarantine for a full month now. If something crops up and needs treating, or a fish dies, then the clock resets. I want them free from problems for a month in QT before I'll risk adding them to the main tank.

Personally, I'd want a rough idea of what likely happened with the lost 11 neons before risking moving fish between tanks. Him being alone for a month isn't ideal, but it's not a disaster either, he'd be fine.

Can you describe the symptoms and how the neons looked when you bought them/added them/how soon they started dying off? Any chance there was an ammonia spike due to the sudden bioload increase? Did you cycle it first, or do a fish-in cycle?

The more I think on it, the more I think you should leave Single Neon Fella with the pygmies, keep new school in their own QT, and make sure not to share equipment between tanks, and wash your hands and arms thoroughly after touching one tank before touching the other. You'd essentially still be quarantining both tanks, so you're not passing a potentially deadly disease back and forth.

I'd trust @Byron or @Colin_T 's opinions on it, to be honest.

I'm not sure what happened to the first neons. But it has been a few weeks and no deaths in the tank.
I got a dozen of the corys. They're still shy and hide a lot. They're more active later in the day. I like them a lot, even if they swim and hide when I approach the tank. If they don't breed, I'll probably add a few more.

They are an easily spooked fish, but if there are lots of plants and decor to hide in, they feel safer and come out more. They also settle quickly, so I'll find all of mine panic and dart away when I approach the tank, but once I sit close by and just watch, they reappear quickly! I have a sand beach at the front of my pygmy tank where I feed them, so the pack all come out at dinner time, and it's fun to watch them dashing about in a group, especially when they start spawning.

I kind of lucked into mine colony breeding, but they've been breeding for almost three years now I think it is, feel free to hit me up anytime for tips to encourage spawning and fry raising themselves in the tank!

 

[sharkweek178]

Great minds think alike!
Although I'm more leery now that the neon deaths are a mystery. How quickly did they all pass? It's only been a month since you bought them, so did they all die in the first week?

It was within the first week.

I usually quarantine for a full month now. If something crops up and needs treating, or a fish dies, then the clock resets. I want them free from problems for a month in QT before I'll risk adding them to the main tank.

That's the plan. Nothing new until at least a month after the last death. A death resets the quarantine clock

Personally, I'd want a rough idea of what likely happened with the lost 11 neons before risking moving fish between tanks. Him being alone for a month isn't ideal, but it's not a disaster either, he'd be fine.

Can you describe the symptoms and how the neons looked when you bought them/added them/how soon they started dying off? Any chance there was an ammonia spike due to the sudden bioload increase? Did you cycle it first, or do a fish-in cycle?

First, I found one dead. And then over the next day, they would school but one would break off from the school, then it would start swimming erratically in circles then die.

The more I think on it, the more I think you should leave Single Neon Fella with the pygmies, keep new school in their own QT, and make sure not to share equipment between tanks, and wash your hands and arms thoroughly after touching one tank before touching the other. You'd essentially still be quarantining both tanks, so you're not passing a potentially deadly disease back and forth.

I'd trust @Byron or @Colin_T 's opinions on it, to be honest.

I bought separate equipment like a net and gravel vac for the quarantine tank. Also, I have separate buckets for it for water changes. And I always wash my hands before and after putting them in my tanks, quarantine or not. I just feel that's good practice for the fish's safety and my own.

They are an easily spooked fish, but if there are lots of plants and decor to hide in, they feel safer and come out more. They also settle quickly, so I'll find all of mine panic and dart away when I approach the tank, but once I sit close by and just watch, they reappear quickly! I have a sand beach at the front of my pygmy tank where I feed them, so the pack all come out at dinner time, and it's fun to watch them dashing about in a group, especially when they start spawning.

I kind of lucked into mine colony breeding, but they've been breeding for almost three years now I think it is, feel free to hit me up anytime for tips to encourage spawning and fry raising themselves in the tank!

They have lots of plants and driftwood to hide in. I sometimes worry because I will only see a few at a time. But then I'll see more. I've only seen all of them out at the same time once in the past couple of weeks. I sometimes wonder if losing the neons affected them too. One of my favorite behaviors of theirs was watching a few of them try to school with the neons.
I

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It was within the first week.
That's the plan. Nothing new until at least a month after the last death. A death resets the quarantine clock

Glad all the QT procedures sound sorted! Sorry for telling you stuff you're already on top of, just thinking aloud (kinda) and wanted to be on the safe side!

First, I found one dead. And then over the next day, they would school but one would break off from the school, then it would start swimming erratically in circles then die.

Hhmmm. The circling sounds like a brain thing, which makes me wonder about potentially a protozoan or similar parasite. Hope @Colin_T can chime in! Odd that it wiped out 11 of them so fast, but that there's a single survivor! And that the pygmies were unaffected.

They have lots of plants and driftwood to hide in. I sometimes worry because I will only see a few at a time. But then I'll see more. I've only seen all of them out at the same time once in the past couple of weeks. I sometimes wonder if losing the neons affected them too. One of my favorite behaviors of theirs was watching a few of them try to school with the neons.

It makes sense, they are a wary fish since they're so tiny and make an easy snack for many fish, and the middle section swimmers like neons act like dither fish. It's a good thing that they're acting calm and sitting around individuallyand not huddled together, means they're pretty comfortable and relaxed, otherwise they'd be sticking close together and possibly panic swimming. They do like to sit around on stuff! I'm sure once you have neons or other dither fish in there, you'll see them swimming about more. Water changes that are just a few degrees cooler than the tank encourages playful behaviour and spawning. Yours will still be juveniles too, so might be too early for spawning behaviour. But 12 is a great number for them, don't worry!

 

[sharkweek178]

Glad all the QT procedures sound sorted! Sorry for telling you stuff you're already on top of, just thinking aloud (kinda) and wanted to be on the safe side!

Hhmmm. The circling sounds like a brain thing, which makes me wonder about potentially a protozoan or similar parasite. Hope @Colin_T can chime in! Odd that it wiped out 11 of them so fast, but that there's a single survivor! And that the pygmies were unaffected.


It makes sense, they are a wary fish since they're so tiny and make an easy snack for many fish, and the middle section swimmers like neons act like dither fish. It's a good thing that they're acting calm and sitting around individuallyand not huddled together, means they're pretty comfortable and relaxed, otherwise they'd be sticking close together and possibly panic swimming. They do like to sit around on stuff! I'm sure once you have neons or other dither fish in there, you'll see them swimming about more. Water changes that are just a few degrees cooler than the tank encourages playful behaviour and spawning. Yours will still be juveniles too, so might be too early for spawning behaviour. But 12 is a great number for them, don't worry!

I'm getting the QT tank set up now. It will be a simpler version of the main tanks. There will be some decor for them to explore and hide in but not too much because the idea is to move them soon so I don't want that to be any more difficult than it has to be. So some plastic plants, a hideaway and a small piece of driftwood; all of which I can easily remove. I'll float some salvinia minima and anacharis for water quality, shade and more for them to explore and hide. I have a sponge filter that's been going in a mature tank for a few months now so I can just add that when I add the fish.
After I get the neons squared away, I'll get a few more pygmy corys and quarantine them too.

 

[sharkweek178]

Some of the pygmy corys have been schooling with the lone neon today.



I'll enjoy that more when the neon has a shoal of its own species.

 

[sharkweek178]

I'm getting the QT tank set up now. It will be a simpler version of the main tanks. There will be some decor for them to explore and hide in but not too much because the idea is to move them soon so I don't want that to be any more difficult than it has to be. So some plastic plants, a hideaway and a small piece of driftwood; all of which I can easily remove. I'll float some salvinia minima and anacharis for water quality, shade and more for them to explore and hide. I have a sponge filter that's been going in a mature tank for a few months now so I can just add that when I add the fish.
After I get the neons squared away, I'll get a few more pygmy corys and quarantine them too.

I made a change to this. Instead of the driftwood and ceramic hideaway, I put in a piece of PVC pipe. If there are any pathogens, wood and ceramic would hold them better than plastic.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Some of the pygmy corys have been schooling with the lone neon today.

View attachment 312770

I'll enjoy that more when the neon has a shoal of its own species.

Pygmies are great like that! Curious, but they act sort of friendly and polite, I don't know how else to put it, you know? I keep mine with otos and sometimes guppies, and the pygmies will often swim with the other species or follow and sit near them.

As long as the other fish are small and peaceful, they're very chill! One time when I was overloaded with a large bronze cory spawn, I tried putting some young ones in with the pygmies until I could sell them. Fine when the bronze fry were small, but as they got bigger, I definitely saw a change in the pygmy cories. Staying at the back more, not as active, didn't seem right.

Cories don't really understand the concept of territory, so the bronzes weren't deliberately bullying the pygmies. They just bumble around cluelessly, and out complete the pygmies when it comes to grabbing food. The larger cories take over all the ground level, and the pygmies can't just chill without a much larger cory bumbling into it, or stealing the food from it's mouth (have seen that happen!) Once I saw that, I set up a different arrangement for the bronze babies, and the pygmy colony went back to normal once the bronze babies were gone.

 

[sharkweek178]

Pygmies are great like that! Curious, but they act sort of friendly and polite, I don't know how else to put it, you know? I keep mine with otos and sometimes guppies, and the pygmies will often swim with the other species or follow and sit near them. View attachment 313062


As long as the other fish are small and peaceful, they're very chill! One time when I was overloaded with a large bronze cory spawn, I tried putting some young ones in with the pygmies until I could sell them. Fine when the bronze fry were small, but as they got bigger, I definitely saw a change in the pygmy cories. Staying at the back more, not as active, didn't seem right.

Cories don't really understand the concept of territory, so the bronzes weren't deliberately bullying the pygmies. They just bumble around cluelessly, and out complete the pygmies when it comes to grabbing food. The larger cories take over all the ground level, and the pygmies can't just chill without a much larger cory bumbling into it, or stealing the food from it's mouth (have seen that happen!) Once I saw that, I set up a different arrangement for the bronze babies, and the pygmy colony went back to normal once the bronze babies were gone.

Right now, I just have them with the lone neon and I added my honey gourami. They would school with the neons when I had more in there. I haven't seen any interaction with the honey gourami. Granted that he spends a lot of time in the upper portion of the tank. But he often explores the rest of the tank too. Honeys are so mild mannered that I wouldn't expect any problems from him.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I wouldn't expect any issues with the honey gourami either, they're the most chilled, and as you said, tend to occupy opposite areas in the tank anyway! Should be fine if the tank is big and planted enough. What size tank is it?

 

[Byron]

I'm not suggestion there is trouble here, but it pays to be cautious. Just keep an eye on the gourami--remember to sit without moving for 30+ minutes to see how fish are actually interacting. Pygmy cories browse the entire tank surfaces, and mine were frequently at the surface browsing floating plant leaves. The pygmies are not the possible issue, it is the naturally-territorial gourami who might decide these space invaders are not welcome.

 

[sharkweek178]

I'm not suggestion there is trouble here, but it pays to be cautious. Just keep an eye on the gourami--remember to sit without moving for 30+ minutes to see how fish are actually interacting. Pygmy cories browse the entire tank surfaces, and mine were frequently at the surface browsing floating plant leaves. The pygmies are not the possible issue, it is the naturally-territorial gourami who might decide these space invaders are not welcome.

I've been watching and there has been pretty much no interaction with the gourami and the corys. Granted, the corys spend a lot of time in hiding and maybe when the new tetras go in as a dither fish, that could change. I'll keep monitoring them.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the lone neon. I'm leaning more towards keeping it in the main tank. Moving him twice in a month or less might be a little too stressful. But keeping it by itself is stressful too.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

For me, I'd weigh moving him back and forth would be much more stressful for him than being alone for a few weeks. Imagine being netted and yanked out of the water in a net from the fish's perspective. They must feel like they've been grabbed by a predator. Being the only neon for a few weeks isn't the worst, and there are still other fish there since the cories are hanging out with him. Personally I'd leave him be, then really watch and enjoy his response when you add a load more new neons! He'll forget about that time alone quickly.