Should I try again?

**Abbeys_Mom** · 04-03-2007, 02:10 AM

I have never been able to keep tetras. There have always been PH issues in my tank. I recently found that I had a 3 inch screw in one of my pieces of driftwood to hold it onto a piece of slate. Since removing the screw, I seem to be having few water issues. My sparkling gourami (who was on Deaths Door) is now healthy and thriving. I am wondering now if that has been the problem all along. Do you think I should try buying some tetras again? Do they get along with danios?

**cocoa_pleco** · 04-03-2007, 02:11 AM

why not? just buy 4 and see how they do.

Or, in drastic situations, you can do what i do for my salt fish to get them acclimated to my salt level. Put the fish into a 2g tank, and slowly drip your tanks water into the bagged water over a 1 hour course. Your neons should gradually get used to your PH just like my salt fish and salt levels

**Chrona** · 04-03-2007, 02:23 AM

What was the screw made out of? Tetras should be no problem if you have a sparkling gourami. Heck, the buenos aires tetras I had were bulletproof (though very nippy)

**Drumachine09** · 04-03-2007, 02:24 AM

Would the removed screw change the hardness of your water? They need softwater right?

**Drumachine09** · 04-03-2007, 02:24 AM

Originally Posted by Chrona

What was the screw made out of? Tetras should be no problem if you have a sparkling gourami. Heck, the buenos aires tetras I had were bulletproof (though very nippy)

Most are zinc plated.

**Chrona** · 04-03-2007, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by Drumachine09

Most are zinc plated.

The zinc plating wears off though. Not sure what zinc does to fish, though you'd think carbon would remove it.

**Drumachine09** · 04-03-2007, 02:27 AM

They are electroplated correct? I didnt think that would wear of.

**Chrona** · 04-03-2007, 02:32 AM

Originally Posted by Drumachine09

They are electroplated correct? I didnt think that would wear of.

Tell that to the screws in my 3 year old deck lol. The plating can take a beating, but they aren't made for submersion. Whether or not they actually leech a large amount of zinc I'll never know, but it's a theory for sure, hehe.

Plus, driftwood...slightly acidic.....dunno, I'm reaching at this point :P

**Abbeys_Mom** · 04-03-2007, 02:41 AM

I think the main problem was the insane amount of rust it was producing. I have no idea what the composition of the screw was, but it was not suitable for an aquarium.