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Moving five Black Neon Tetras - should I get more before moving?


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Hi, everyone! I am moving in mid-August (12 hour drive over two days) and I had 6 black neon tetras in a 20 gallon, but I lost one this morning. So now there are 5. I know that the minimum number suggested to be kept together is 6 and my question is - will the current 5 be okay until I move or should I add more ASAP before moving, to minimize the stress? I know getting new fish and then moving them less than a month later is also not ideal, but I guess I'm just looking for some advice on the best way to go here. 

On a side note, while reseraching the best way to move fish, many suggest rehoming inexpensive or easy to replace fish, but I really don't want to do that - I love these tetras, they've been with me for years, and I would be devastated to get rid of them (which sounds dramatic, I know). 

Also, this is my first time posting on the forum, but I've perused it for years and have gleaned so much good info from it! Thank you in advance to anyone who has advice to offer. 

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On 7/22/2024 at 7:14 AM, J Reed said:

Hi, everyone! I am moving in mid-August (12 hour drive over two days) and I had 6 black neon tetras in a 20 gallon, but I lost one this morning. So now there are 5. I know that the minimum number suggested to be kept together is 6 and my question is - will the current 5 be okay until I move or should I add more ASAP before moving, to minimize the stress? I know getting new fish and then moving them less than a month later is also not ideal, but I guess I'm just looking for some advice on the best way to go here. 

On a side note, while reseraching the best way to move fish, many suggest rehoming inexpensive or easy to replace fish, but I really don't want to do that - I love these tetras, they've been with me for years, and I would be devastated to get rid of them (which sounds dramatic, I know). 

Also, this is my first time posting on the forum, but I've perused it for years and have gleaned so much good info from it! Thank you in advance to anyone who has advice to offer. 

Welcome to the forum 

I agree with @Pepere. I also suggest quarantine your new black neons before adding to the aquarium. @J Reed

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On 7/22/2024 at 7:40 AM, Tlindsey said:

Welcome to the forum 

I agree with @Pepere. I also suggest quarantine your new black neons before adding to the aquarium. @J Reed

Thank you so much! And I have a 10 gallon specifically for quaratine purposes! 

On 7/22/2024 at 7:30 AM, Pepere said:

I would wait until moved before getting a replacement.

Excellent, thank you! 

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5 fish in a school is good temporarily. That's really more of an arbitrary number anyway. Fish can't count. So, get the move done. re-establish the tank and get it settled. Then when everything has calmed down, add more in. No point in stressing new fish out at this point.

If you have the space to go higher in numbers, do that. You'll see more natural behavior. Really, the 6 is a guess at the minimum. Slightly less makes no difference and more is always better.

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