Hello, folks. I'm planning what to do with a 15 gallons substrate planted tank once I get it going... it may take a while. My thought is to have a neon tetra based community tank. Would I be better off with black neons? What may make a good companion fish for both? I'd like to have at least 2 kinds of fish in the tank, 3 if it can be done in a way that will keep the fish happy. I've never kept tetras before, and my water tends to have a high pH, 7.6 or higher if it goes untreated. Thoughts?
You can browse the fish profiles for suitable fish for your water parameters; second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the screen takes you to the profiles. Tetra are under "characins." Info on how many to have, tank minimum size, water parameters, compatibility, etc.
I've had several species of schooling fish in a tank... Tetra's, danio's mostly without problems.
I think a great option for you though, if you can find them that is... your tetra's black or neon your call, with endler's livebearers. Both have lots of color and are active.
Hey guys! Seems I was accidentally unsubscribed from my own thread! So, I just discovered people had been responding . I really like cardinals. My new plan includes guppies, however, and I've heard cardinals can fin nip with them. I am willing to nix the guppies, however, for the right tetra combo that can handle a higher pH. I have been researching in various places, but there's so much conflicting info... one site says cardinals are compatible with guppies... another says they aren't because they nip. One site says neons are tolerant of pH, another says they require 7.0 or lower. I'm tryin to err on the side of caution, but that limits my options a great deal. I have a while yet, before I have to decide. I'm starting to substrate plant the tank now, and due to various and sundry things it will probably be a few months at least before I start thinking about stocking it. I would like two kinds of fish. However if it were a really fantastic tetra to watch all by itself that could stand out in a heavily planted tank...
That's encouraging. I really adore them, but I'd been hearing that they could be sensitive to high pH. I know they're "common," but I've never had fish before (aside from my new betta), so they're still novel to me. They're so bright and zippy!
If I was you, after your tank is cycled... buy just a couple of them and test them out. See how they fit. If they live buy 4 or so more wait, buy more etc. Always gradually add to your tank. Never all at once. We don't want the thank to flip out and have huge spikes in your levels.
Thanks. I'm doing my best to do my research, but advice is always welcome. Sometimes I need the obvious stated . I guess I had it fixed in my head that because neons needed 6-8 minimum to be happy that they all had to be added at once.
Use our Fish Profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar at the top. There are water parameter ranges for each species, with additional comments where there are issues within that range as there sometimes can be.
Use our Fish Profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar at the top. There are water parameter ranges for each species, with additional comments where there are issues within that range as there sometimes can be.
The profile says under 7.0 pH with soft water, but this is the same thing I've been running into. Literature/Info Pages say one thing, but fish owners seem to be saying they can live in higher pH. I probably won't go with them. I tend to try to cover all my bases, so why risk it if I have other options. Plus, my boyfriend is starting a tank and wants neon tetras, and his town has a different water supply than mine .
I have a group of 12 neons in my community tank I like them even though your right people call them common. I skipped the black ones though and I have 6 of the normal and 6 of the albino I would really suggest the albinos they are very nice.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Tropical Fish Keeping
597.8K posts
83.7K members
Since 2006
forum community dedicated to tropical fish owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about species,breeding, health, behavior, aquariums, adopting, care, classifieds, and more! Open to fish, plants and reptiles living in freshwater or saltwater environments.