9 neons dead, 3 to go.

[Mihai Varban]

I got a dozen neon tetras the other day from lfs. As i was there, a young member of staff was doing maintenance on all tanks at once, including a 20% water change. As he bagged the neons for me, one went belly up and he replaced it. Should've stopped there but I was optimistic. For some reason I thought most tetras are hardy. One more died on the way home (less than 20) minutes. One more died before nightfall. 4 more had died by morning yesterday. Picked out 3 more corpses this morning. One corpse was lost to snails, shrimp etc.I only have peaceful fish right now, including some black neons that have been doing well for a long time. My pH is 7.6 and I have hard London water. 25-26C temp and rather high nitrates at about 60ppm (50out of the tap). Do you think they were shocked from the shop or is it also due to my water?

 

[Aqua360]

they were probably gubbed to begin with, I'd ask for them to be replaced or refunded

 

[tam]

I'd blame the shop, two keeling over before you even open the bag at home is not a good sign. I don't think I've ever lost a fish on the way home from my LFS.

 

[kadoxu]

Probably shop water change gone wrong... how did you acclimate them?

 

[Fiske]

they were probably gubbed to begin with, I'd ask for them to be replaced or refunded

I'd blame the shop, two keeling over before you even open the bag at home is not a good sign. I don't think I've ever lost a fish on the way home from my LFS.

This. I'd ask for a refund, and take my biz elsewhere in the future.

 

[Coys]

Possibly a net contaminated with disinfectant; that's what my local shop reckon killed the 15 neons I bought a short while back. All dead in the bag. Replacements all fine.

 

[techfool]

I don't consider tetras to be hardy. I have had zero luck keeping them in hard water (Essex). Our LFS cuts his display tank with 25% RO water. The tetras in there look like a different species to the ones that he sells kept in local tapwater. His display tetras are so big, hearty and vibrant.
I do okay with barbs, cories (I got through quite a few at the beginning though), danios, livebearers.

 

[Coys]

I don't consider tetras to be hardy. I have had zero luck keeping them in hard water (Essex). Our LFS cuts his display tank with 25% RO water. The tetras in there look like a different species to the ones that he sells kept in local tapwater. His display tetras are so big, hearty and vibrant.
I do okay with barbs, cories (I got through quite a few at the beginning though), danios, livebearers.

I'm from Essex too, but use RO rather than tap water. I only keep tetra species and have no major problems.

 

[Mihai Varban]

Probably shop water change gone wrong... how did you acclimate them?

I floated the bag for about an hour or more while pouring in some tank water in 10ml increments. I then scooped them all out with my own net and threw away the LFS water. Also, one of the 4 guppies I got that day has recently passed away as well. 2 neons are still alive.

 

[Keith GH]

Mihai Varban

Go back and ask for the Owner and ask for a full refund not a credit. Next step look for another LFS. Neons are very unstable these days, the reason I only bought Cardinals directly from the Importer.

Keith