Tetras + Water Changes---Help!

[BlackberryBetta]

I have a 10 gallon tank with a betta, 2 swordtails, and 6 neon tetras (please don't start freaking out that it is overcrowded, it's not believe me). Anyways, I have been cautious about my water changes because I have learned the hard way that they need the tank to be cycled for tetras, they are delicate little things! So I have been doing about 25% water changes every 4 or 5 days. I finally decided that I was going to use the syphon (gravel vacuum? I don't know exactly what they are called) to do a 50% water change. I didnt want to suck those tiny fish up so I emptied some water from the tank into a bowl and got the other fish out then got 1 tetra in but he went belly-up as soon as he got in there! The others did the same! They weren't out of the water long. BUT, as soon as I put them back in their regular thank, they came back to life! Weird eh? So my questions is- How do I do a water change? I need to vacuum and clean the gravel really bad! Sorry for the novel and thanks for the help! I need it pretty urgently!

[Oldfishlady]

When you vacuum...just be careful...keep the tube low to the substrate and shoo them away if they come too close and keep your free hand/thumb over the end and use as a control valve and when they come close-stop the flow and shoo them away....

I wouldn't recommend removing the Neon for water changes-the stress alone from chasing, netting and moving them can-shock and/or kill them

And you do know that swordfish get 6 inches and the smallest tank size they should be kept is 30gal......keeping a swordfish in a 10gal is kinda like keeping a Betta in 2 cups of water......short term its fine...but for long term it is not recommended....