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Last Login: 8/22/2008 2:39:53 PM
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We've just set up a new aquarium and have 5 neon tetras happily swimming around. We want to add another but aren't sure if it'll live contentedly with the others. Is it a bad idea to add one lone fish to an established shoal?
Also, someone at the petshop said we should only feed them (one fish flake each) every other day, is that right?
Thanks for any help,
Esther and Elliot
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| It should be fine. Just add the fish and keep an eye on the tank to make sure he's not spending time alone or hiding, as these could be signs of illness. Generally, with tetras, the more the merrier. You should feed your fish a balanced and varied diet every day. Some hobbyists, like myself, have the fish fast one or two days a week. It clears out their digestive systems and is more in line with what they'd experience in the wild. I don't think any fish should be fed a diet of flakes alone. Fish thrive off of variety, just like we do. And no flake, no matter how well-made or complete, is a substitute for a good variety of nutritional foods. Feed your fish as much as they will eat in just a few minutes, and do not overfeed. It's better to feed small meals several times a day than to feed one big meal once a day. Add live foods to their diet. "Live", in fishspeak, means foods that aren't processed the way pellets or flakes are. They can come freeze-dried, frozen, or even still alive. There is a section on feeding fish under the "Pinned Topics" thread.
In the Mountains Of the Mountains For the Mountains
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| The very indistinct pecking order of the neons (if they have one) might be disturbed if adding one lone neon. How big is your tank? Other fishes? I would suggest adding 3 more to prevent any "shocks" of the established shoal. Although adding one is ok... just watch it so that the other neons don't start being aggressive towards it. The feeding regime is not a very great one. True in the wild they get less food but, feeding them 5 times a week and two times each day with enough food to be consumed within half a minute is acceptable. Even our moderator and fish expert, David Lass does just this. As Nikita said, no fish should go on one type of food. The nutrition in a varied diet covers everything, unlike just flakes. You could feed flakes 2 times, and in the other 3 days this: First day: Flake morning and evening Second day: Flake morning and freeze-dried bloodworms in evening Third day: Fast the fishies... NO FOOD WHATSOEVER Fourth day: Flake morning and freeze-dried brine shrimp in evening Fifth day: Flake morning and evening Sixth day (most likely favorite day of the week to the fishies): Freeze-dried bloodworms/brine shrimp/tubifex worms in morning and freeze-dried bloodworms/brine shrimp/tubifex worms in evening; but different from morning Seventh day: Fast... NO FOOD
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cut Here If life gives you lemons, squeeze them into people's eyes and run away! }<(((0>
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Meh, forgot to take into account the size of the tank. A bigger tank will allow the fish more room to sort out their differences without feeling cramped. And if you've got other fish in the tank, the new neon could be harassed by larger tankmates as it finds its way into the pecking order.
In the Mountains Of the Mountains For the Mountains
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New Member
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Last Login: 8/22/2008 2:39:53 PM
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Wow! Thank you very much for the advice, we have a small 30L tank so I will add another tetra as soon as possible and wait to see if it fits in before adding another fish. (We just have tetra).
I'll also stock up on other food types as advised, I am a bit disappointed the staff in the shop didn't tell me to do this as well...
cheers.
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