Neon Tetras & Lighting in new tank...

["the"Trinity]

(Hope this is the right place to post this...)

Hi all,

We have just set up a small 10 u.s. gal. tank in our home. The filter we had for it was waaay inadequate (designed for a fish bowl) and so we bought and installed a better quality, larger filter on Sunday. We used dechlorinated tapwater and used additives to remove the nitrites/nitrates to take away all of the "hurty stuff". We planted with artificial plants to start, and used a naturally colored gravel (browns/greys//whites/dark browns etc.).

I'd always dreamed of having shoaling Neon Tetras since I was a kid - so DF (Dear Fiance) bought six and stuck them in as the start to our new tank. The tank got very murky on Sunday - appeared to be cycling - and today when I was at home during lunch I noticed that it is now crystal clear (yay).

At first upon transplant into the tank the Neons were very skittish and swam very low, close to the gravel, sticking together, and didn't move very much. A few hours later and they were loosening up and swimming around just fine. They began to go after food when we fed them - and are eating just fine too. Then - THEN - we installed the fluorescent hood light. Then began our shoaling problems.

During the day when the light is ON (the light is on the right hand side of our tank), two of the Neons retreat to the left-rear corner of the tank beside the bubbles and filter, and they stay there as long as the light is on. The other four actually hang around close to the bottom of the tank IN the light beam!

Last night when we shut off the light for bedtime, I noticed that the Neons who were staying away from the light actually IMMEDIATELY came out of hiding and started to shoal with the other four - re-creating our original group of six.

Today, the same thing - four in the light, two outside of it hiding from it. None really swimming around looking thrilled to be there. I opened the hatch on the hood and placed some crushed flaked food in the water. The four Neons in the light went after the food just fine - the two who were hanging back in the shade did not. "If we carry on like this they'll starve to death" I thought - and so as a final test I switched the light off and put a miniscule amount of food in the tank again. ZOOM - yet again the two Neons from the shady side come right back out into the tank, join the other four, and feed like there's no tomorrow.

Mmmkay.

Anybody have any opinions/insight/questions/suggestions?? Or - just tell me I'm a dumb newbie who needs to go read a book on aquariums??

Thanks!

TT

[CAF]

Neons naturally come from areas where the water is darker. Try putting some floating plants such as water lettuce etc. at the top and see how they do then.

[gm72]

Depending on how long they have been in the tank, they are still getting used to their new surroundings. Also agreed with CAF, float some plants and add some hiding spaces, too. You can use artificial plants if you don't want real ones.

["the"Trinity]

Thanks guys for the advice! thumbs2:

We went to PetSmart last night to have them test a sample of our tank water, and I looked there at the artificial plants section. There wasn't a single one designed to float - so not quite sure where I'd go for those. I'd think personally I'd rather not have live plants right now - but DF doesn't really mind.

Anyways - I think that you're right - time is a virtue right now. We'll keep them on their own in the tank for now and just see if they settle in a bit more. They seemed to be OK this morning when I switched the light on - although fragmented going around in twos and threes, rather than in a big group. Of course we only have six of them.......

TT

[akatosh]

mmmmm you might try buying some of the bulb plants from wal-mart.... there cheap(about $3 for 4or5 bulbs) and they dont really take any kind of care just drop them in and they grow.... i have 2 bulbs in 10 gallon and they grow up to the surface and the leaves lay across the surface... my dwarf Gourami loves to hang out in there shade and swim between the plant stems(sp?)

["the"Trinity]

Hmmm.....still unsure about the live vs. artificial plant debate. Not convinced after doing loads of research. Live would be nice - but it's such a small tank and I don't want the whole thing planted out either as I like to have open/gravelly areas.

Here's another lighting question - not in relation to Neons but just in general. How do you guys "wake up" your fish in the morning? I mean - do you try and introduce light slowly to the tank externally by switching lamps etc. on, or do you just flick the switch on your hood and go from complete darkness to floodlit??? I know if it were ME I'd sure hate to have someone turn the bedroom ceiling fan's four lights on, blazing in my face when I was asleep! Are fish the same??..............right now I am trying to introduce light gradually from lamps in the living room to get them woken and warmed up, and then before I leave for work I switch the tank hood light on.

TT

[gm72]

Most of us just turn on the lights. The fish get used to it and don't mind.

As far as floating plants are concerned, you just buy fake plants such as club moss or anacharis, take the base off, and they float.

[lahlumdi]

I have 11 that I've had about 2 months and I'm a newbie to aquariums. My 11 were young when I got them, and seemed to fight a lot. 2 of them started hanging out in the dark corners of the aquarium and still do. Actually I have one that hangs out in the castle and one that regularily hangs out in the plants in a lower corner. The rest shoal near the top 1/3 of the tank in various groups. Sometimes 9, sometimes 7, sometimes 5. What's with the odd numbers?? Anyhow- it seems there are also personalities at work.

What others have said in books and I have found true too, is that when something frightens them, all 11 shoal. Whether I am adding a new fish, or cleaning it by wiping algea, or doing a water change, I can count all 11 hovering together. And when I feed them sometimes I can count 11, but I have discovered recently that the 2 who hang at the bottom, do indeed get food from the bottom. They daintily pick small pieces that have floated to the bottom off the bottom rocks. Or grab small pieces that are floating down.