I have a 29 gallon balanced, planted aquarium with a sponge filter. 7.8 pH, very hard water, 80F
My current stock is 9 neon tetras, 1 hillstream loach, 3 adult platys, one mystery snail, 2 nerite snails.
I’m striving for a low maintenance, happy community tank. We recently had to return a beautiful betta who was getting along fine with everyone for 8 days and then all of the sudden the tetras started to nip at the betta’s fins. I tried separating the Betta with a breeding net, doing a water change, and reintroducing him a day later. The tetras almost immediately went for his fins again. They don’t seem to be nipping each other or the platys.
Trying to decide whether to try another centerpiece fish (dwarf gourami, honey gourami, bristlenose pleco) or say goodbye to the bully tetras in hopes of finding a happy community. All my water parameters are normal (0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrite, 10 ppm Nitrate). I do have high pH (7.8 ) and hard water but it’s consistent.