Just started

[Kiwarra]

We were given the tank and it had been running already.

The sponges inn the filter are new.

Thanks for the advice about distances for fish to swim. Where is the source for this info?

Those red dots look like snail eggs to me. I wonder if the colour comes from the decoration they're on. If the big snail is dead you should remove it It will foul the water very quickly. If you're not sure whether or not it's dead pop it in a glass dish with a little tank water and watch it for 15 minutes to see if it moves or latches onto the glass.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your tank is too small for fish in the long term. Using back of the envelope calculations it's currently at about 226% stock. The neons need about 50cm of tank length in order to get up to speed and they are a reasonably active fish. You should be looking to get a 60 (or if you can afford it and have space 90) litre tank as soon as costs allow.

When you say you accepted the tank, has this tank been up and running for some time or is it new (specifically I'm asking if the filter has been running in a tank with fish in for more than a month or not).

[Kiwarra]

The store did not sell us the tank. Please be kind. They have very carefully advised and encouraged us.

Another voice saying you are not getting good advice AT ALL from your store! 12L is half the size of my first nano tank that was pretty much overstocked when it had 8 white cloud mountain minnows in it.

[black ghost]

The store did not sell us the tank. Please be kind. They have very carefully advised and encouraged us.

Another voice saying you are not getting good advice AT ALL from your store! 12L is half the size of my first nano tank that was pretty much overstocked when it had 8 white cloud mountain minnows in it.

We’re trying to be kind, but there’s no getting away from the fact that your store has been giving you terrible advice.

[Kiwarra]

Could you please point me to the specific guidance about sizes of tanks? I can see references in the legislation guidance thread about size (generally) but no specifics.

Greetings & welcome to

Also regarding the snail, take it out and sniff it, You'll soon know!

...and if doesn't stink, you must return the Nerite snail upright to the aquarium. Nerite snails are not very good at right themselves and will die.



Nerite snails are known for not moving for days sometimes, so not unusual with this snail species.


Image courtesy from Pro Shrimp

These are Nerite snail eggs covered in algae. I suspect it's brown diatom algae. My Nerite snail eggs are often covered in algae, brown, sometimes green or even yellow green colour. These won't produce any snail larvae as they require brackish water to reliably hatch. I wouldn't worry about these eggs, in time they will deteriorate and fall off. Nerite snails a very good for algae control.



The smaller snails are Bladder Snails, they will become a bit of a breeding nuisance as they are hermaphroditic and this species will very quickly overwhelm the tank.

To control and remove the Bladder Snails (when your little one is looking) hang a small piece of lettuce, kale or cabbage in your aquarium preferably in the evening, remove leaf covered in snails in the morning.

Seeing as your new to the hobby and your newly enquired aquarium is tad small for current stock do look at the forum guides on fishkeeping here: Aquarium Forums UK Guides

[black ghost]

Seriously Fish is one of the best guides. Just google eg “Neon Tetra seriously fish”

[Martinspuddle]

A 55 litre, 60 x 30 cm aquarium would be best for your current stock.

Post on online social media your looking for one. Plenty of these aquariums are found on sites like aquarist-classifieds, eBay, Facebook market place, Preloved. Others you might find thrown out around your local area or sometimes on this forum, many going for nout.

[SPACKlick]

We were given the tank and it had been running already.

The sponges inn the filter are new.

Thanks for the advice about distances for fish to swim. Where is the source for this info?

Hi Kiwara, if the sponges are new, your tank is also likely lacking some of the bacteria it needs to run healthily. So it is important to monitor for ammonia and nitrite regularly. There will be some bacteria in the gravel but when the filter sponges were removed a lot of the bacteria were likely removed with them. Despite what filter manufacturers say, sponges only really need to be replaced when they're falling apart and never more than half the sponges at a time.

I agree with Blackghost about SeriouslyFish being a great guide. But in general I find it's best to look at a range of sources to get a sense of the average. With Neon Tetra I was speaking from experience. I've had them in several tanks and they definitely thrive once they've got the swimming space you'll find in a 50-60cm long tank.

[Kiwarra]

Also regarding the snail, take it out and sniff it, You'll soon know!

What should it smell like?

[fr499y]

Rotting corpse if it’s dead. It will be a very bad, strong smell.

[Kiwarra]

It smells ever so slighly fishy. Nothing like cadaverine or putrescine.