Neons not eating

I've noticed resently that 1 of my neons isn't eating at all, and the other 4 (I have 5 in total) aren't eating as much as they used to and just put some in their mouths and then spit it back out again. A couple of weeks ago one neon died (I did have 6), but I'm not sure how.  ??? Since then they have been acting quite sluggish, and hide a lot, and like I said before not eating very well. I don't think it helps that the danios usualy get the food before them (I have 8 danios in the tank), but they did used go up to the surface to get the food when they were quite hungary, but then just ate what sank when they couldn't get to it, or weren't hungary, but now they are not bothered by the food. Like I said 4 of them will eat a little, but not much, but one of them has not eaten anything, for a couple of days and has been hiding a lot behind the air stone the last couple of weeks since the other one died.

What is wrong?  ???
I have noticed also that the danios are not quite themselves any more either. They used to be quite active and play chased each other constantly around the tank, even at night. But now they too are acting a little sluggish. I'm quite confused as too what is wrong with my fish.  :-\ ???

Test results are normal :

Ammonia : 0
NitrAte : 10
NitrIte : 0
PH : 7.0

What do you think? Is there something wrong?

I have been thing for a while to maybe put in another neon to make their group back up to 6, but am worried as all the ones I see at my lfs' are much, much smaller than the ones I have, and don't wan't to put a smaller one in with the others and the danios in case it will get bullied or something by the others that are bigger than him.  :-\ Do you think I should get another neon? 

The ones I see at my lfs are about this big :           ........
And the ones I already have are about this big :     .................

What do you think?

Thanks

Gwenz :-\

 

Any ideas what might be wrong? ??? ???

I noticed that the 4 I said that were only eating a little ate quite a lot today when I got home from school, and got to the food faster than the danios. So I'm not so worried about them any more, but the other neon is just hiding behind the air stone and not eating. I don't know what to do. :-\ He was swimming with the others last night at about 10:00pm, after lights out (lights go off at 8:00pm), and seemed to be fine, but he never come out during the day, and I never see him and it gets me worried. What do you think is wrong?

Thanks

Gwenz

 

The only thing I can think of - since your water quality is good - is that if you have bought any of the fish you have right now quite recently, they could have had some disease of which the symptoms manifested themselves later on. And so, whatever the new fish was sick, it infected all the others. It's generally not a good sign when a fish doesn't eat for days. I suggest frequent water changes, and maybe try to lower that nitrate to at least 5? And certainly, keep observing the fish. Besides, what is the temperature of your tank and th pH of your tap water?

 

I have not bought any new fish resently for that tank since back in May, and they have all been very healthy. The temperature of the tank is 26 - 27 'C (78 - 80 'F). My Ph of tap water is 6.8, but is always 7.0 in all my tanks.

I will try more frquent water changes, but now I'm back to school, I have loads of homework and coursework to do, so I won't have much time, so I will only be able to do a water change twice a week, sometimes maybe 3. Should this be OK?

What I'm confused about is that when the lights are off in the morning and I'm feeding them, before I go to school, the one neon that hides is always swimming about with the others. But when the lights are on during the day, he is hiding. Could he be affraid of the light, like some people are afraid of the dark?  ??? 

Anyway, he ate a little this morning. YAY!  This has to mean he is getting a little better from whtever was wrong with him, doesn't it? What do you think? He didn't eat much, but it's got to be good that he ate something, hasn't it? 

Thanks for the reply Isabella.

Gwenz

 

I'm glad to hear the neon is doing better And since your water is very good, you don't "have to" perform that many water changes, UNLESS nitrate goes too high. Just do your weekly water changes of, say, 30%. You could do smaller water changes every 2-3 days as well - it's up to you. As long as nitrate stays low, all should be OK (hopefully). But since you had this strange incident, maybe try to make nitrate stay at most at 5.

Besides, fish CAN get scared of light IF it's relatively dark in your room and the tank lights suddenly go on. The transition from dark to light may be too quick and that is why it scares off the fish. The way I turn my tank lights on is this: if it is still dark outside in the morning, or if it's a cloudy morning, I turn my room lights on first for a few minutes. Then, I turn the tank lights on. This way the fish are not going from total darkness to total light. In nature, they have sun rise and sun set gradually, right?

 

My 3 cents worth.....Maybe your tank water is perfect but your neon became timid for some reason...Just a thought

 

Ok thanks. The tank lights come on at 10:00am - it is on a timer. I get up at 7:30am for school, and it is usualy quite dark, and my room light is quite bright. Could I or Should I put my small lamp on first then after 5-10 minutes put the room light on?

I leave the house at about 8:10am every day, so the light go off then, but it usualy quite light outside at about 10:00am so I should think they would be ok by then,also my room faces where the sun rises so my room gradualy lights up anyway (It's a bit of a pain when I'm trying to have a lie-in on the weekend and it wakes me up ) but like I sid I think by this time they should be fine.

Should I add another neon to the tank to make their group back up to 6 or maybe have 2 more to make seven? I read that they do best in groups of seven. ??? What do you think? They would be a lot smaller than the ones I already have, but should be OK if there are 2 that are smaller, right?

Thanks

Gwenz

 

Well today, I got home from school to find them all swimming together. The one that usualy hides is now swimming around with the others. YAY! He was also a very hungry fishy, and got to the food befroe them all. Hehe. ;D I'm so glad he's better. ;D

Gwenz

 

Monitor your fish carefully. Does there appear to be anything wrong with any of them?
I'm glad they seem to be better.

 

The one that was hiding seems much skinnier than the others, but I'm expecting that because he hasn't been eating. He is eating a bit more now, not always in the afternoon, but he is alwys eating in the morning, so I am not too woried. I think he is gradualy getting better.

Gwenz

 

36g tank
6x neon tetras
3x panda tetras
3x black phantom tetras
3x mollies
2x platies

I recently switched my fish from a 10 gallon to a 36g and added 4x neons (to make it 6), and added 2 mollies (thanks to my mom), and the 3 panda tetras. The panda tetras are kind of mean to the neons and the pandas stay at the top of the tank, while the neons hide out in the rocks I have.

Is there any way I can get food down to my neons? I'm thinking I might take the pandas back (even though they're cute) because they're little bullies.

I know that I have to complete my school of phantom tetras, but my LFS doesn't have anything but males in at the moment.

 

Some peas smooshed up and covered in garlic guard should get to them. The peas usually spread out very well top to bottom and the fish will have to chew on them for a bit. The neons should be able to wiggle through the mean fish and grab some chunks.

You don't have to add the garlic guard but it certainly aids in enticing the fish to eat.

 

You can use a turkey baster or take the tube off the end of your gravel vac to get the food down to them.
Having Platies and mollies together is not a good idea, unless you want cross breeding.
I had to look up the Panda tetras, always nice to see a fish I haven't seen before. I admit though, never did much with tetras though.
I would keep the Pandas and take back the neons

 

Some fresh peas? Do I need to cook them or anything?




Mollies and platies can cross breed? That's interesting. If they pop out babies I'll leave it to Darwin's "survival of the fittest"

 

Boil and take off the outer skin.

 

Some fresh peas? Do I need to cook them or anything?

There are multiple ways of preparing them. Personally I take about 30 (choose an amount) or so frozen peas, put them on a paper towel, microwave for 20-25 seconds. Take them out, pinch the shell and squeeze the inner pea into a container and smoosh them into a paste with a knife or spoon. You can add garlic guard while they are being smooshed up. They will usually stay good for a few days in the fridge if you don't use them all.

 

There are multiple ways of preparing them. Personally I take about 30 (choose an amount) or so frozen peas, put them on a paper towel, microwave for 20-25 seconds. Take them out, pinch the shell and squeeze the inner pea into a container and smoosh them into a paste with a knife or spoon. You can add garlic guard while they are being smooshed up. They will usually stay good for a few days in the fridge if you don't use them all.

Also works to put them in a tiny bit of tank water and microwave in (fish-designated) ceramic bowl. Takes 5-10 seconds to fully thaw. Lately I just take a week's worth of frozen peas, put them in the fridge to thaw then deshell and serve. I cut them up into quarters for the goldies.

+1 on the Garlic Guard. Not only does it work as an appetite stimulant, but it's also been said to prevent infection. My evening meals are always dosed with it along with VitaChem in the morning.

EDIT: Hah, okay, not MY evening meals personally. I actually hate garlic (which makes using the stuff difficult, it reeks) but it's just one of those things I do for my fishies My evening meals that I prepare for the fish

 

Thanks for the advice!

Where can I pick up garlic guard? I live in Canada if it makes a difference.

I feel like I should be feeding my fish some more variety of things... Right now I just feed them aqueon color enhancing flakes (I think that's the name- am currently at work) and feed them twice a day.

 

Thanks for the advice!

Where can I pick up garlic guard? I live in Canada if it makes a difference.

I feel like I should be feeding my fish some more variety of things... Right now I just feed them aqueon color enhancing flakes (I think that's the name- am currently at work) and feed them twice a day.

While I don't keep tetras, I do believe that this rules applies fish-wide: a varied and interesting diet is better for the fish both in terms of general health (making sure they get a variety of nutrients from multiple sources) and general happiness (I know I wouldn't be able to eat the same thing everyday). I ordered my Garlic Guard from Amazon. Maybe try calling your LFSs/pet stores and see if they carry it and/or can order it for you?

 

Thanks for the advice!

Where can I pick up garlic guard? I live in Canada if it makes a difference.

I feel like I should be feeding my fish some more variety of things... Right now I just feed them aqueon color enhancing flakes (I think that's the name- am currently at work) and feed them twice a day.

You're welcome, i'm not sure if Amazon delivers in Canada but I got mine on amazon.

I believe some members said you can crush up garlic cloves but I don't have any specifics on how to do so.

New Life Spectrum +A is a great food that was recommended to me by multiple members on here. It's got extra garlic in it and they are sinking pellets. If you feed your fish pellets then you can greatly reduce the chance of swim bladder disease since the fish don't need to grab their food from the water line.

also Petco has started carrying it in the U.S.A.

 

New Life Spectrum foods seconded. I use NLS as the staple pellet for all my fish right now. It's great stuff, even if you don't get the +A. They all contain garlic but +A has more, I think that's the principle difference. I like having the Garlic Guard still though so I can add it anything I want and not just in the pellets.

 

I'll definitely look into ordering it. Are the pellets too big for a tetras mouth? I feel like my fish won't eat anything after it touches the substrate/ground (don't blame them)

 

The Thera +A might be, but I know they have their formulations in a variety of different sizes, including little pellets. Not sure about the Thera +A specifically but you could just get the regular tropical pellets in a small size, which would already contain garlic, and dose the Garlic Guard on top of it.

 

I'll definitely look into ordering it. Are the pellets too big for a tetras mouth? I feel like my fish won't eat anything after it touches the substrate/ground (don't blame them)

Get the smallest variety available for neons. Even if it isn't the +A variety then your fish will still have garlic in their food.

 

How about this? I don't know what typical prices are and such.

 

.5mm should do just dandy. I believe those are the smallest that you can get. I have 1mm pellets for Tiger Barbs and a half that size sounds just right for neons.

 

Perfect. I'll order them ASAP. This morning I took a pinch of food and held it under water until it was water logged and let it go. A lot of it got down to my neons and they finally ate! It was a glorious day.