Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => General Fishkeeping advice => Topic started by: barneyadi on March 23, 2018, 02:35:15 PM

Title: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: barneyadi on March 23, 2018, 02:35:15 PM
As you know I have two tanks. In one tank I have penguin tetras, XL Rosy Tetras and neons. The penguins and rosys are happily swimming around but the neons seem a little shy. Had them for a couple of weeks now.

Could the other fish be causing this shyness as they are larger? Would they be better off in my other tanks with ember tetras, lemon tetras and corys?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: Littlefish on March 23, 2018, 04:14:02 PM
That could be a possibility.
From my experience, I've had penguin tetras in a tank with glass bloodfin tetras and hatchets. Since moving the glass bloodfins to a different tank, with lemon tetras, gold stripe corys, and a BN plec, they are much more outgoing and spend a lot more time in the mid-water areas and at the front of the tank.
My pengiun tetras can be a bit boisterous, but the black neon tetras that are currently in the tank with them seem to be taking it in their stride, but there are a lot more black neons than penguins in that tank, so perhaps that helps.
The hatchets remain fine in with the penguins, black neons, and my other BN.

How are your neons at feeding time? Do they hide away until the penguins have finished, or do they feed at the same time?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: Hampalong on March 23, 2018, 04:43:36 PM
Neons aren't as 'outgoing' as a lot of tetras and naturally tend to stay near the bottom and near the security of plants. They may just be showing normal behaviour?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: fcmf on March 23, 2018, 06:31:41 PM
How many neons do you have, and how many rosy tetras and penguin tetras do you have in that tank? It might be that increasing the shoal size (and especially .v. the rosy and penguins) gives them more confidence.
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: barneyadi on March 23, 2018, 07:06:24 PM
Thanks for replies all.

I have 7 penguins, 6 Rosy Tetras and 11 neons. They come out at food time, and they shoot around after the food like the others, then congregate at the back right of the tank and only come out occasionally.
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: Hampalong on March 23, 2018, 11:07:00 PM
Do the other fish use the open area of the tank or is it pretty empty? I imagine the penguins stay in the top half?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: Helen on March 24, 2018, 07:38:49 AM
I have found that shy species (my fiveband barbs) can take a while to settle - more than two weeks.

Where is your tank and what is the activity outside the tank like? The door to my kids' toy room is at the left end of my tank, so any new fish have to get used to the passing of small people. While they do this, they also hide at the back right corner.

Is the back right corner the most sheltered part of your tank?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: fcmf on March 24, 2018, 08:19:00 AM
Another factor to take into consideration, in my experience, is the water flow. I've been changing filters around recently and where the fish hang out is entirely dependent on water outflow, with some species less bothered by being buffeted around and others preferring to be in the area of least flow.
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: Sue on March 24, 2018, 09:01:39 AM
My Espei's rasboras hid in the back corner until I got floating plants, then as the plants covered more of the surface, the fish came out more and more.
I can't remember if you have floating plants?
Title: Re: Are neons in right tank?
Post by: barneyadi on March 28, 2018, 12:38:25 PM
Thanks for all the replies. Apologies for not replying sooner.
The neons seem to be coming out a little more. I don't have floating plants, but will take a look into again. The flow from the filter is at its most, could possibly turn it down slightly.
I do notice when lights are off the Rosys and Neons are always in the right hand corner under the filter. When lights are on the Rosys swim around the whole tank.
Both my tanks are in the corner of a bedroom, door on one wall, window on other and no kids, just a dog.