# Lamp Eye Tetra question



## Don Ruslo (Aug 31, 2010)

-I have a 36 gallon freshwater tank that has been filled and running for 2 weeks
-The tank "idled" without fish for one week after filling to ensure chemical levels etc. were stable
-I have 5 Zebra Danios that have been in the tank for 1 week, they are very happy/active

In the pictures, note the Lamp Eyes hiding by the filter on the top left corner...

I added 3 Lamp Eye Tetra to my tank about 3 days ago.
I am concerned because my Lamp Eye Tetras seem very skitish and tend to hide up in the top corner of the tank by the filter and tend to only move around occasionally. 
Yesterday I put in 2 more Lamp Eye Tetra (for a total of 5) in the tank.
They seem to move around the tank a little more with a school of 5 but they all seem to spend most of their time in the corner.

I want to say that they move around better when I am not near the tank or when the tank's lights are off. I have some moderate cover in the tank. 
The Zebra Danios are VERY active but I don't feel like they bother/chase the Lamp Eyes.


<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/B3LEyvQnyy1Y_sEyaY3dYw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_gAMEOLRiLJQ/TIkbbH9uOpI/AAAAAAAABMA/w9VEZ2qTpF4/s144/DSCN4841.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ewellrussell/FishTank?feat=embedwebsite">Fish Tank</a></td></tr></table>


<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-hZKaV93tzWExSqn4w-Mag?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_gAMEOLRiLJQ/TIkbaeOgqiI/AAAAAAAABL4/eF0pjlUAJFM/s144/DSCN4844.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ewellrussell/FishTank?feat=embedwebsite">Fish Tank</a></td></tr></table>

My questions:

Is this normal for Lamp Eye Tetra to be skitish?
Or should I just be more patient and wait for the fish to acclimate to the tank?
Should I add more cover since Lamp Eye Tetra like dense cover?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

lol, I can't see any fish in that tank. Good looking tank though.

Never had tetras before recently, although they are cardinals and neons (13 total). The first few days they scattered whenever I came close. It took them realizing that when I get close they usually get fed to start loosening up after about 5 days.

A few more may help, but has your tank completed cycling? My guess is no. Have you been testing for ammonia and nitrite?


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## Northern Hawk (Sep 1, 2010)

Zebra dinos are insanely active in large groups.... i've got 6 with my 4 glowlight tetras and my glowlights are a bottom half of the tank fish and they seldom move too far away from my plant or the cave i have in my tank... zebras can outswim tetras enough were that can happen, were they find a ideal spot to hover around and stay there.... they won't hurt them but they are way more active then lamp eyes... wait a bit... they'll loosen up


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## Don Ruslo (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks for your replies!!

To view the larger version of my pictures in my first post, I think you can just click on em.

So Northern Hawk....your Zebra Danios are crazy active too? almost to the post where your other fish tend to chill/hide in one spot?

I just did a check on my pH with my API kit and I think I am WAY high....
So I did a 10% water change...I will check the pH tomorrow...


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## Northern Hawk (Sep 1, 2010)

Don Ruslo said:


> Thanks for your replies!!
> 
> To view the larger version of my pictures in my first post, I think you can just click on em.
> 
> So Northern Hawk....your Zebra Danios are crazy active too? almost to the post where your other fish tend to chill/hide in one spot?


lol it's funny the zebras won't go at the first very bottom or bottom middle so my glowlights tend to hide there at the back of the tank unless feeding i noticed... 6 zebras together will never stop swimming at a high speed or in random directions in a playful manner.. there nuts but enjoyable to watch.. my other fish just deal with them i believe... kinda the way it goes sometimes


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Don Ruslo said:


> Thanks for your replies!!
> I just did a check on my pH with my API kit and I think I am WAY high....
> So I did a 10% water change...I will check the pH tomorrow...


Unless your water change was with distilled or RO water, a typical water change will not affect ph unless you had something going on in your tank causing your ph to raise/lower. What is your ph?


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## Don Ruslo (Aug 31, 2010)

I think my pH is pretty HIGH. Please see the image below, click on the thumbnail to make it bigger...

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/prik2UbGNl7plEGWeomwOw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_gAMEOLRiLJQ/TIpVUnsauXI/AAAAAAAABMU/AtBFegBfEE0/s144/DSCN4847.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ewellrussell/FishTank?feat=embedwebsite">Fish Tank</a></td></tr></table>

What does that look like? Just below an 8.4?

What can I do to SAFELY reduce my pH if I need to?


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## Don Ruslo (Aug 31, 2010)

I had left a small sample of my tap water out to test. I tested it after letting it sit for 12 hours. The pH is almost EXACTLY the same! Somewhere around 8.4

I will let my other sample set out for 24 hours and test it....


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You can put peat in your filter. One way of safely reducing your ph.


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## Northern Hawk (Sep 1, 2010)

and to add on to that... don't ever rely on chemicals. There are stuff like PH down/Ph up and Ph 7 , PH buddies... etc that isn't going to help down the road as i found out recently.. drift wood and peat will do it... drift wood takes a bit though but it does gradually drop it a little bit


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## ambere (Sep 30, 2011)

i have 4 lamp eye tetras and alot of my other fish have been geting fin niped im just wondering if anyone else has had this problem with them??


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