I have only one gold neon tetra, and have on back order more. But both LFS's seem to be having difficulty obtaining any more. My question -- since the gold neon is just a color variant of regular neons, would it be okay if I get regular neons so that he can have his own shoal? Will they treat him differently because of his coloration? I just got 6 Porkchop Rasbora, and he seems to be sticking with them, not freaking out. He loves the 12g. So, should I wait out the weeks until more arrive, or get regular neons to go with him. I don't think I have room for 6 of each in the tank. I'm going to be adding another YoYo Loach as soon as it arrives, company for my one YoYo who is 3 inches. Also in the tank is one of my 3 inch male bristlenose and one remaining Norman's Lampeyes. The tank is sparsely planted at this point. PS, I'm not having great luck with my lampeyes. One choked on a micropellet, just slightly too large for him, and two got tangled in my floating hornwort. I think when my last one is gone, I won't get any more. They seem to be way too delicate, even though I am very gentle with the whole tank.

There was a question in some fish stores not long ago about the gold tetra having a disease or problem with them for some reason and I was not able to get a straight answer but for some reason they were dying off and the stores were hesitant to carry them. Perhaps a viral problem, I do not know but it has been difficult to find them and I do not know when it will end. I will try again and see if I can get more information but so far have just been stonewalled here. I think they are afraid they will scare potential buyers off later.

I think any other tetra as long as it is similar in size would work to school but this does not work with all fish. Some are very picky and will not even school with other fish of the same species easily. And some will not accept others of their own kind who are purchased at a later date, this I found out when I got my Dwarf Loaches. They would play with the ones they came with but any that came in a different shipment later had to form their own group. It was really strange but they seemed to know the difference.

Rose

Oh my, I'm so glad my little guy is doing well. If he won't appreciate more company and there are problems with the strain, I think I'll just let it go. I have the new little porkchop rasbora, so that will have to do. Thanks for the heads up.

P.S. This is a gold neon tetra, not a gold tetra. They have plenty of gold tetras in the tank. The gold neon tetra is a blue-eyed albino form of the neon tetra. So I wonder if this is the fish they were talking about with problems?

No the fish they were talking about at the time was Gold Tetra but I am wondering if the problem does not exist in other tetra strains as well. I have not seen any of the usual types in the one store here that still carries fish but I do not get in there too often. We will try to get there or I will call them again and see if they have gotten more in.

I will still do the rest of my investigating too on the net.

Rose

Thank you Rose. I have read as much as I can find on the web. It appears that the gold neon is subject to the Neon Tetra Disease that all neons and many other fish are subject to. For now, my fish appear to be healthy.