Inactive Neon Tetras?

I have 8 neon tetras in a 40 tall with 2 young angels, and 6 peppered Corys. I have noticed that in videos with neon tetras, they are in the middle colum and active. Mine school and stay near the bottom. What is the problem? Tank is cycled and at 77f~. (My stick on strips are not to precise)
Here is a picture. (I know my tank looks gross, I will do maintenance today.)

 

When did you add them to the tank? It might be that they are just shy and getting used to the place. There could be many reasons, like the current being too strong in the middle or they are intimidated by the angels or just prefer the space at the bottom

 

Mine hang out a lot and don't do much when they're not shoaling with my Rummynose or Harlequin Rasbora.

Yours could be intimidated by the angels - angels eat neon Tetras.

 

It is either because they are new (less than a month or two in the tank) or the light may be too bright. Do they come out at night?

 

Do they have some coverage by floaters / plants?

 

They are established, the lights not too bright. But they are by a window. I will check them at night. I don’t have lots of plants. And no floating plants. A friend gave me some water lettuce and told me it would take over the tank in a week. It hasn’t. I have a spare 10 gallon I had planned for a cold water cray that I could convert for my neons and betta.

 

When I go to turn the lights on, they are sleeping.

 

My neons were very inactive when I had a Dwarf Gourami in the tank. They would stay in one corner of the tank, like a blob, just there.
The neons were wiped out by the NTD and only two remained. A month or so after I lost my DG to DGIV. I bought more neon tetras after the DG died and they are doing great now. The 2 survivors would stay in the same corner while the other 12 would swim all over the place. It took the 2 surviving NT about a month to gain confidence and follow the other 12, they are all now swimming all over the place, but mostly the lower half of the tank. I now only have small fish in there, so my theory is that they get intimidated by bigger fish, even if there was never any aggression involved. As mentioned before, angels eat neons, so they could just be scared.

 

Ok. Thanks for your insight. I will do a 100% water change on my 10 gallon and get warm water in the tank, then I will transfer the heater and filter media from my betta tank back to the 10. The residents will be, (until/if I’m allowed to get another 20 gallon) 1 male betta (peaceful), 4 ghost shrimp, and the 8 neon tetras.

Oh wait. Yours still swim in the bottom half of the tank? Mine stay near the gravel, about 2 inches off the bottom. They move about and follow each other in a single file line. Sometimes the school will break in half, then they group up.

 

Yes, they stay close to the bottom, I thinks that's their area in general, but mine are active, they move all over the tank. They are curious and check everything.
At feeding time they go up, at least half of them do.

 

At feeding time, if the lights aren’t on long enough, they are asleep and won’t eat.

 

At feeding time, if the lights aren’t on long enough, they are asleep and won’t eat.

Mine too.
They take a little bit to wake up and react. My lights turn on at 6:00 am, while I am getting ready to go to work. At 6:15 am as I am about to leave, they are already up and waiting for food.
If I turn on the lights and feed immediately, then won't eat that morning.
I have a timer.

 

Ok. I will try diverting the current, and be sure to turn lights on early.

 

Well, today I got up late. (6:47, leave at 7) so I scrambled down, turned on the lights and waited until I had to go. Little to no tetra movement. My angels are young so I will just feed twice daily. Usually then the tetras are up and hungry.