Counting tetras

Discussion in 'Community Tanks' started by JJFury, Dec 20, 2013.

  1. JJFury

    JJFury

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    I encountered an interesting situation over the past few days. My tank was finished cycling about three weeks ago and I stocked it with quite a few fish over this past three weeks. Included in this list was 10 neon tetras, 10 glow-light tetras, 15 black skirt tetras, 5 silver dollars and 3 loaches.

    What I found interesting though, was that these tetras are incredibly difficult to count. So when I initially counted them, I was not surprised to count 11. I only bought 10... After counting them multiple times, I came to an average of 10.4, so I reckoned there must indeed be more than 10.

    Then two days ago my water started turning murky with a slight yellow tinge, obvious signs of bacterial bloom. With the tank only recently cycled, and the introduction of my new aquaponics sump filter, I thought it would clear up within a day or so, but it did not. I did a decent gravel vacuum, changed water, checked the filter, water tested perfectly, so I then started looking for a dead fish. Again, trying to count 15 black skirts, 10 neons and 11 glow-lights, only this time I came up with only 10 glow-lights. After counting then again, and again, and again, I called in the reinforcements (that'd be my wife and mother-in-law) and still came to an average of 10.

    So, I spent the day looking for glow-light no 11 without any luck. Now I start wondering if I am going crazy...

    But lo and behold, just now my son spotted the dead fish floating in the tank. I suspect it died and got stuck somewhere in the rock-work. So, at least there was a good reason for the bacterial bloom, and I am not going crazy...

    For now, please excuse me, I have some water to change....
     
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  3. iamdieter

    iamdieter

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    If your tank is quite bare, I find a good way to count fish is by feeding (to bring them into the open) and then taking a photo on which you then count them. Works well. The buggers are difficult to count while moving.
     
  4. adesh8028

    adesh8028

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    The simple method which i used to do when breeding discus and counting their fries is to click them and then count from photo.
     
  5. OP
    JJFury

    JJFury

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    Thanks guys, quite a simple and elegant solutipn. Not sure why I didn't think of this...
     

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