# Planted Tanks > Beginners' Corner >  Neon Tetra's not coming to surface to eat

## cookiez

Hello, I have a tank with bettas and neon tetras.
The problem is that whenever I put food onto the water (freeze dried bloodworms), only the betta will come to the surface to eat, the neon's do nothing but eat only the little morsel of leftover bits floating around, how do i make sure that the neons are well fed?

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## Shadow

in thie neon tetra a new fish in your tank? Normally take time for them to build up the courage  :Laughing: . Different fish have different time to adapt. Try some granulate fish food.

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## Aquanoob

It is quite normal for the smaller fish to be timid with much bigger fish as neighbour. I have glowlight tetras performing the same as your neon tetras.
They will school at mid or ground level and will not go to the top where the Zebra Danio and White cloud swim. I am feeding sinking flakes, so the tetra will still get their share of the food. But I got two mollies behaving timid at first, then they get used to the environment, and now they even school with the zebra, it is so interesting to see them together.  :Grin:

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## xaine

My neons living with guppies don't really like the surface too, they should be mid water swimmers. I have utilised crushed pellets with success. Part of the pellets float while another slowly sinks down. The neons will grab those that sink. You can utilise this method.

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## Wilfred

Yap, neon are like that, like the rest have say, they need to get use to it, my neon act the same at start so just give them time and maybe try feeding them food that sink slow, this will keep them fed, don't worry cookiez  :Grin:  we all have the same problem as you at start lol..  :Angel:

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## dawn

I will crush my granulated fish food into smaller pcs (almost powder form) and then when i throw it into the water, it will spread out to a greater area (covering a wider area) and I think it helps to entics the neon tetra to start eating.

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## jeffL

My tetras have never been surface dwellers too, they stay close to the bottom most of the time even during feeding time, usually i'll feed them crush pellets too, and they'll eat when its sinking down. Once the food reach the bottom, very seldom will they pick it up. Mollies will clean up the bottom nicely.

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## Tamama

I think you have bought the wrong fish food. Usually I think for tetra the fish food should be the sinking type.

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## PKB

Get some sinking pellet (Small bits type) , feed in small amount, let them finish and them feed again. This will keep them excited and interested.

If u sink too much pellets at one go, the tetra will most likely leave the pellet alone once it hits the botton of the tank. 

Try holding the pallets with your fingers, submerge the pellet under the water surface for a few seconds and them release them, this way the pallet will sink nicely.




> Hello, I have a tank with bettas and neon tetras.
> The problem is that whenever I put food onto the water (freeze dried bloodworms), only the betta will come to the surface to eat, the neon's do nothing but eat only the little morsel of leftover bits floating around, how do i make sure that the neons are well fed?

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## kucita

I realised this problem (cardinarl tetra don't swim to the surface and eat food) after I have about 16 cherry barb, they eat more and now their size bigger than tetra, make my tetra timid

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## s43145

My cardinal tetra and runny nose too, they never come to surface to eat, just eat the food sinking to the floor. but my guppy would come to surface to eat. So I have to prepare two type of foods for them. one sinking and one floating...

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## Limy

It's quite normal. Just need more time for they to familiarize and before you know it, they will be there waiting for the food.

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## shoei

try sinking food?

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## nohomeleave

When feeding sinking pellets, I break it up into a few smaller pieces so that my Neon Tetras don't fight over it. Tried flake food but they don't come to the surface. Tried worms and they rush to the top! Every time!

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## kucita

can anyone tell me what is the quicker way to grow some small leaf or small plant all over my soil area without co2? thank you

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## biscuit

use seachem excel?

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## seanang168

I feed my neon with a pinch of flakes by putting my finger into the water and allowing the flakes to sink.

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## skytan

Necro abit..

I have some problems, feeding flakes i jus put the flakes on surface and let it slowly sinks itself. Usually either they eat a bit then some will sink to the soil or on the plants after one day or so it turns hairy or sluggish.

Do i remove the extras after feeding? What type of worms?

I saw bros mentioned Molly, will it fight with tetra?

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## Wilfred

No it will not fight with tetra, but I think don't getting Molly in a good choice, your Neon already not eating much, as Molly will go to the surface to feed and your Neon will be waiting down below for sinking food..

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## skytan

yah..true

My Black Tetra more aggressive, i used the long tweezer to move the food infront of them the black will dash over take a bite, my neons wait for the flakes to reach the ground and feed from there abit...

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## solidone

i'm using mirco pallet to feed my cardinal thru a funnel with the end partially submerge in the water. this will prevent the food from spreading over the water surface and the food will slowly sink down.

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## anothermix

u can try sinking pellets for ur tetras i the problem still persist. if u wanna make sure they are well fed. my tetras had the same problem with my zebra danios terrorizing the surface. so i'll usually drop 1 or 2 sinking pellets in and the tetras will start feasting good luck!

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## assirac

Had the same problem with our batch of tetras. We mixed our semi-floating fish feed with water. This way the feeds will quickly sink to the bottom for the neon-tetras.

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## MumuPipet

i dont have that much problem, 
as i am using a HOB filter, the water stream will force 
the crushed fish food underwater, and this they'll eat.

As for the floating one, the mollies job to finish em up.

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