Neon Tetras are so frustrating!!!

[galben35]

I really love this fish, but their fragility drives me crazy.
I sometimes feel like this fish might die if I look at it the wrong way.
Now I'm not an expert fishkeeper, but for the last half a year I had them I slowly lost 6 out of the 11 I had (and one is not looking good recently)
The slightest nitrate spike and that's it, you will lose at least one (by nitrate spike I mean 50 ppm, which is not good, but also not that bad)
Besides them, In my year and.... as a fishkeeper (not counting the fact we had a proper fish tank since I remember myself), I only lost a platy to bloating.
Just felt like sharing after I discovered my tetra whose looking bad for the last few days has a sore and I should probably arrange his funeral.
And before you ask, yes I medicate them when needed, rarely helps...
frustrating...

 

[WRWAquarium]

Neons are often genetically weak unfortunately.

They will do better long term in soft water than hard.

 

[galben35]

This might be the reason. I assumed if I got them from a breeder who grew them in hard water they will be fine in it (I know this logic works with most fish). But no matter the reason, they still are very hard to keep

 

[WRWAquarium]

The water hardness probably isn't the issue. Tetras have been in the hobby so long they are very adaptable. Evolution of their species to soft water in theory will put pressure on internal organs like kidneys in hard water.

Reality of this I'm not sure, people will have different opinions.

With neons I think problems stem from increasingly unvaried gene pools leading to hereditary diseases and weak immune systems.

I have rummy nose tetras in PH 8. 9DKH, 12DGH and they are just fine. Maybe try a few different species of tetras and see how they go?

 

[TClare]

They have been very hardy for me, I have soft water and have never had nitrates that high though. Also I think mine might have been wild ones,