My Neon Tetra is mental...

One of my Neon Tetra's goes absolutely insane when I turn off the lights in my tank. Just got him today and not sure why he doesn't like the dark. What to do?!?!?! Thanks!!

 

You say "one of your neon tetras" does this mean you have more than one? Neon tetras are a schooling fish, and it could be that the little guy is, for some reason, feeling defenseless in the dark. I have read that schooling fish without tank mates will act skittish.
It could also be that he's just feeling weirded out by his new surroundings and that turning the light out literally leaves him in the dark in a place he doesn't yet know.

 

I agree with sirdarksol, neons are most comfortable in a school of 6 or more. How many do you have?

 

One of my Neon Tetra's goes absolutely insane when I turn off the lights in my tank. Just got him today and not sure why he doesn't like the dark. What to do?!?!?! Thanks!!

hI gabby, welcome to fishlore, I don't think he is mental , I think he is scared :-X, put some more tetras.

 

I have 4 at the moment, getting 4 more soon, but they told me that's all I could have as its my first lot of fish in my first tropical aquarium. hopefully he'll feel more at home soon! thanks for the help!

 

I think it will help once there are more in there. He may just be scared and unwary of other potention tank mates that he doesn't feel comfortable with, especially if he's new.

 

lol my fish gets scared when I turn the light on, complete the opposite lol...he started freaking out when I turn on the lights....but its a cichilid though.

 

My fish are faded in color when I turn the light on in the morning but very slow and take a long time to get active.

Beeboy

 

My fish are faded in color when I turn the light on in the morning but very slow and take a long time to get active.

Beeboy

Same here. My 8 neons are all very sensitive to "lights-on".

 

hI gabby, welcome to fishlore, I don't think he is mental , I think he is scared :-X, put some more tetras.

LOL.....guess it's bit stressed in it's new home....will be okay in short....

 

fish can be jumpy at first
That's why u must gradually bring them to light when turning the light on to prevent them from getting too stressed out

 

My neons also get scared when I turn on the light. It makes me feel so bad.
How do you gradually bring them to light?
Lucy

 

My neons also get scared when I turn on the light. It makes me feel so bad.
How do you gradually bring them to light?
Lucy

Lucy, I have a lot of plants, so of course I also have a lot of lights. What I do is all of my lights are on separate timers so that only 1 comes on at first, a tiny moonlight LED for an hour, then a smaller 22 watt. After another hour one of the 65 watt lights comes on, 30 minutes later the other 65. This way the light gradually builds up and doesn't blind my fish all at once. Even if you don't have more than 1 light, they make all sorts of cool dI'm little LED "moonlight" lights. Yo could get 1 of these and switch it on first to wake up your fish before you turn on your main light.
FYI, a tank under a din twilight light looks VERY cool!

 

Thank you.
I have a 10 gal with 2 bulbs.
This morning, before turning on the lights, I loosened 1 bulb so that only 1 came on.
The fish were not startled at all.
I waited until most of the fish were out and about before tightening the other bulb.
My fishies seemed much happier being awakened slowly.
I know I hate being awakened with bright lights in my eyes lol.