Help!!! neons going nuts

**scotchbonneteater** · 11-16-2012, 01:41 PM

My Opaline Gourami died this morning :-( So I rushed to the shop and bought 30 neons and 6 Harley rasbora as I wanted to add some colour to the tank and increase the Harleys, Drip acclimatised them for 2 hours

Then added them, wow the neons have spent the last ten minutes going nuts at the bottom of the tank! Is this normal for these little fellas or do the need psychiatric evaluation ?

**imma24** · 11-16-2012, 01:43 PM

Fish in a new tank will usually be either skittish (nervous) or shy & hide - that's normal - they need to get used to their new surroundings\

Forgot to ask - are they in your QT or a tank with other fish?

**scotchbonneteater** · 11-16-2012, 01:48 PM

QT, with the U2 filter from the main tank

There are 2 1" pleco's in there already.

**imma24** · 11-16-2012, 01:51 PM

When I put new fish into my QT, they start off darting from side to side (I almost think they will bang into the glass sometimes) and then they eventually hide somewhere and then they start venturing out even while I"m standing there LOL

**Lady Hobbs** · 11-16-2012, 03:12 PM

Turn your lights off. They are scared and stressed out. Always shut your lights off when adding new fish.

**imma24** · 11-16-2012, 03:30 PM

+1 - shoulda added that - a LFS near me always shuts off lights when they get a new shipment of fish.

**~firefly~** · 11-16-2012, 03:33 PM

Have you tested your water? What are your water parameters for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/pH? When did you last do a water change?

Do you know why your gourami died? I'd be wary about immediately restocking if it was an unexplained death.

**scotchbonneteater** · 11-17-2012, 05:34 PM

The Gourami was very old, I inherited it from a friend who had it for at least 5 years.
I did turn the lights off but they still went mad, my QT has nothing in it for them to hide behind !
They have settled down now but it took them about 50 minutes to get comfy and they have really come alive on the colour front compared to when I first put them in the tank,
Water parameters are good Am 0 , Nitrite 0 , Nitrate 5 , Ph 7 I will check them daily for a few days as I had a small filter running for the plecs and added the U2 from my main to help out,

Thanks everyone for your advice and maybe next time I wont panic

**~firefly~** · 11-17-2012, 05:39 PM

Glad to hear they're a bit calmer now. It's better to check and ask questions about strange behaviour than to be apathetic when you should really be worried about them.