Lost 3 neons this weekend

[labnjab]

I did my water changes on our freshwater tanks as usual on friday. 50% using the python, which is how i always use. Saturday morning I noticed 3 neons not in the school as usual. After looking a few minuets I noticed them dead and stuck to the back of the filter intake. I imediatly removed them, and didn't notice anything wrong with them physically. I check the parameters and all were perfect.

My only guess is I didn't take into account that it has been getting below freezing lately at night and the water temperature is several degrees cooler then what it was last week and it probably dropped the tank temp down too much. Usually it only flucuates 1 degree, but it may have changed way more, and stupid me never checked. I'm gonna have to start adding a little warm to the cold when I do the changes now and get it as close to tank temp as possible.

I also started using a new conditioner which I'm sure didn't affect anything. Its sera aquatan water conditioner.

Any takes on why they would die, or does the temp thing sound like the culpret? This is the first time we've lost fish in a few months. I did notice the angel was pale for an hour after it, but didn't think much into it other then a little stress due to a water change because he ate and was acting normal.

[teach]

Do you always do a 50% change? I know when I did a verylarge water change last time I had a molly die. and temp could be the problem but tetras are so hardy I wouldnt think that a couple of degrees would kill them.

[Northernguy]

Get yourself a floating thermometer so you can get your w/c water to at least a degree or 2 of your tank.Don't add warm water too your tank ,it will shock your fish!Do you have a heater because constant fluxuation in temps will also shock and kill your fish. Try and keep your tank temp. the same all year round.78 would be great!
Good luck and iam sorry to hear about your fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!:11:
Sorry I do not know that conditioner!

[travie]

Do you always do a 50% change? I know when I did a verylarge water change last time I had a molly die. and temp could be the problem but tetras are so hardy I wouldnt think that a couple of degrees would kill them.

I wish I could find these hardy neons you speak of. Stress from the temp. change would be the most likely reason.

[Lady Hobbs]

I do 50% changes on all my tanks weekly whether they need it or not. Just a routine I got into long ago and have stuck with it. Keeping water temps the same when changing is vital or you throw them into shock. Do you have a python water changer? That's helpful to keep temps where they should be. I just hold my hand under the faucet until it feels lukewarm and can tell when the temp is about correct and add the dechlorinator as I fill the tank.

[teach]

I wish I could find these hardy neons you speak of. Stress from the temp. change would be the most likely reason.
Except for the crappyt ones I got from walmart.(suprise suprise lol) I rarely have a tetra die. I do agree neons are a lil less hardy than most other tetras.

[terrapin24h]

my buenos aires tetras are tough as nails. What's more, they don't take cr@p from anyone else in the tank, either :)

I try to match my water temps when i change too. When i remember, i actually use a thermometer to match the tap to the tank. Fish tank water heaters are good at keeping water within a given range, but are poor at increasing 50% of tank say 5 degrees. They really aren't meant for that. I'm betting temp shock got your little guys, sorry bout that.

--chris

[labnjab]

I have a floating thermometer and the temp is always 78 degrees. I've always done 50% water changes on all of our freshwater tanks with a python since i've had the tank (about 3 months or so). I've always use just cold tap water, which all summer long and since i had the tank was around the same temp of the tank, and never changed the temp more then 1 or 2 degrees.

This past week, nights have been colder then usual, and I didn't realize the cold water from the tap has gotten much colder until saturday night. When I did the change, i forgot to check the tank temp after the change, but I'm sure it was more then just 2 degrees colder.

When I found the fish dead it was at 78. I haven't has tropical tanks through colder months, but from now on I'm gonna use a little bit of warm water with the cold to match the temperature when I do a water change. I think their deaths are my fault due to the temperature change.

[Northernguy]

Good luck in the future!:19:
The water used for a water change should only and always be within 2 degrees of your tank.

Sorry to hear about your fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[labnjab]

Good luck in the future!:19:
The water used for a water change should only and always be within 2 degrees of your tank.

Sorry to hear about your fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, and thak you to all. I usually always try and keep it the same temp, but I guess I wasn't thinking this time and didn't take into account the changing season.

[Northernguy]

I have been watching my tanks as well as the weather has become COLDER!!!.

[Lady Hobbs]

I learned, some time ago, to check the water from the tap several times while filling. I learned the hard way a couple years ago when I was doing a water change on my angelfish tank. I had checked the water with my hand and it was the normal lukewarm so I proceeded to continue filling the tank.

Suddenly, I noticed my angelfish gasping. I checked the water real quick and darned if it had not changed to nearly HOT. Figured it out that it needs to run for longer than what I had expected to get the correct temp! I'm in an apartment complex and at the end of the water line and water needs to run quite a while before it's correct on my end.

[labnjab]

I'm gonna start checking it more carefully. I haven't had a problem up until now.

I'm gonna pick up some more neons today, I'm down to 5 and I've noticed some agression between them. I'm gonna some get rid of the guppies in the tank and give them to the lfs. Breeding them was a project I had before i started saltwater, but now I don't have the time of room to breed them. What would be a good number to add to the tank while saving room to add 4-6 more cories? They are in my 55 community and the stocking is in the sig. The angel fish pays no attention to them and is nowhere near large enough to eat them

[labnjab]

We ended up getting 11 neons for a total of 16. The tank doesn't look overcrowded and we have more then adequet filtration. The large school looks really nice and they are doing good so far.