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 L# Tetra Talk
  L# Red Phantom and Green Neon Tetras
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SubscribeRed Phantom and Green Neon Tetras
zeketaz
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I am interested in getting a school of each of these fish and was wondering if they were a little hardier than Glow Light Tetras or are they always sick. Any input is helpful.
Post InfoPosted 05-Jan-2010 15:27Profile PM Edit Report 
superlion
 
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AFAIK, glowlight tetras are one of the hardier species. Green neons are usually wild-caught, so not likely to be hardier than glowlights. I don't know about red phantoms.

If you're having trouble keeping glowlights alive, and losing them shortly after acquiring them, review your acclimation procedures (I recommend drip acclimation) and take a close look at the shop where you're getting them.

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Post InfoPosted 05-Jan-2010 16:33Profile Homepage PM Edit Delete Report 
zeketaz
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I don't have a problem with acclimation I can't seem to keep them alive. The ones I have now get white patches that come and go as it pleases. I recently noticed one of the tetras had a fuzzy white spot behind it's head which has dissapeared without treatment.

Yeah I got them from petsmart I think so not the best choice on my part, but I have found an actual lfs that carries the fish I'm interested in. Aside from their ugly patches and red gills their color is great they're active and eat like pigs.
Post InfoPosted 05-Jan-2010 17:53Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Shinigami
 
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Red phantoms may be hardier or about as hardy as glowlights. The deep-bodied tetras tend to be pretty hardy IME.

If you can't keep glowlights, I don't think you'll have better luck with green neons. Green neons are becoming more available recently; when I started, green neons were unheard of, but now one of my LFSes has a constant supply. However, I have only seen them come in really tiny, which doesn't bode well for hardiness.

I'd be tempted to tear your tank down and restart if these white patch problems continue like you describe. Glowlights are actually quite hardy. I've pretty much ignored the glowlights that I've saved from an aquarist who didn't want them anymore, and they're doing a-okay.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Post InfoPosted 05-Jan-2010 21:09Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
lowlight
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If you buy fish from a chain pet store you should look at all of the fish. The tanks all share the same filtration as do some at the LFS. What are the water parameters and temp in your tank?
Post InfoPosted 05-Jan-2010 22:07Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
zeketaz
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EditedEdited 06-Jan-2010 01:02
Yeah, I bouht the fish on a whim cause they were cute. Bad idea on my part cause there were a bunch of dead fish. Then after I bought them I did research on fish.
Ph 7.4
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
Ammonia 0
KH 3-4
Temp 77-78
Post InfoPosted 06-Jan-2010 00:57Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
hca
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You said they have red gills???

Ok, how long do new fish live before dying, and have all these fish came from the same store??

How often do you do water changes, and how do you do it?

How do you maintain your filter, and how often??

I've got a couple theories
1) fish are sick when you buy them, then die off at your house
2) Improper tank maintance/ or filter maintance- causing tank to mini cycle off and on- stressing fish, and causing disease and deaths You mentioned red gills... makes me think of ammonia poisoning....


Personally- I'd get to the bottom of the problem, before getting any more fish. It could mean like already suggested, tearing down tank, sterilizing EVERYTHING, and restarting...Or maybe waiting it out, and making sure the tank is maintained properly.....



Post InfoPosted 06-Jan-2010 20:28Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
zeketaz
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The tetras only live about a week or two befor they die. I try and do 2 wc a week I change out 5 gallons each time. I also do gravel vacs each time. When I add water back in I do it very slow because the water temps are different. I rinse my sponges and fillter media in old tank water about once every 3 months.

I used amquel plus in all new water and let it sit 24-48 hours before using. I never have any readings of ammonia in the tank and I took a sample of water to my lfs and ammonia was 0.

Could my guppies be harboring some sort of disease as they were feeder guppies?
Post InfoPosted 07-Jan-2010 14:29Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
FRANK
 
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Hi,
White patches on the fish bodies or around the vicinity of
the head are indications of a fungus.

Take a look at this site:

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/information/Diseases.htm#Diagnostic

Look for the symptom(s) and then click on the problem.
It also offers solutions to the problem.

Because these large pet stores run all of the tanks through
one large filter, all the tanks have the same water and
problems. They are supposed to have a UV Filter in series
with their pool filter, but to conserve electricity, and
money, they may have turned it off, or have not done any
maintenance on it.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Post InfoPosted 08-Jan-2010 15:04Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
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