Gemstone29

I got my very first fish about three days ago, 11 neon Tetras, strange number i know but the shop assistant gave me an extra one because one was missing an eye, up until this afternoon they all seemed to be ok, they are where all eating and swimming around. But this afternoon i saw one of them hovering near the top, it's breathing faster then normal and has a red spot just under its head. I looked through the all the different types of common diseases and thought it might be ammonia poisoning so i tested the water but the ammonia level is 0. So is the nitrite and the nitrate is just above 0. I don't know whats wrong with him.

The only other thing i have to add is that i'v been having a bit of trouble with the water temp, i want it on about 24, but it tends to go up to about 26 or 27 sometimes. I'v been putting frozen coller things in it and so far thats worked alright, but if anyone has a better suggestion for water temp i'd love to hear it. I can't move the tank out of the room its in, so any other suggestion would be good.

Oh also those tempuratures are in degrees celcius

Mike19

26 or 27 degrees dose not seem to hot for the fish, is their a curtain near the windows?

not sure if this would work or if it sounds stupid although thick cardboard covering where the sun hits may absorb some of the heat.

also are you using an air system (air bubbles) ? hotter temps need more air bubbles.

Gemstone29

I bought some neon Tetras about three dyas ago and one of them is sick. It floats near the top, haning vertically and has a puffy red spot on it underbelly just bellow the gills. All the others seem fine, except that the sick fish, and one others fishes dark blue top section is alot darker then all the others.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: just above 0
Nitrite:0
pH: 7

Please help i have no idea whats wrong, and i need to know what to do if another one gets sick.

Lucy

Hi welcome to Fish Lore

I've merged your threads. It'll be easier for you and the members to keep the replies in one thread.

I'm really sorry your little neon is ill.

It might be a good idea to move him to a quarantine tank that way he won't get picked on by the other fish and whatever is wrong he won't pass to the other fish.

It sounds like he wasn't doing well when you got him. Is it possible to post a pic of him and the fish with the darker coloring?

Gemstone29

I was reading some other threads and found out what the couloring difference was, apparently sometimes when you turn the lights on in the morning the fish can be paler but gain their colour through the day, they all seem to be about the same colour know. I'll see if i can get a picture of the sick one, i really want to show someone the odd spot, thats what worries me. I don't have a filter or heater for my quarantine tank yet, i thought i had a spare filter but it went missing! So i need to go to the shops before i can quarintine my fish.

Gemstone29

I couldn't take a photo, so i drew a picture in photshop, its the best i could do, but i figure it gives everyone a better idea of where the spot is and so on. I added the pic as an attacment i hope it worked

Attached Images

Tetra.jpg (182.7 KB, 13 views)

Lucy

They do get really pale when the lights are off and color up once the lghts are on.
It does give you a scare when you first see it, doesn't it?

It's hard to tell from the pic. What are you using to test? Inflammed gills is usually a sign of ammonia.

I hope someone will be able to weigh in on this.

Gemstone29

I'm using a proper test kit, not the strips, it's coming up a zero, I did a water change anyway just in case, but the fish hasn't got any better since yesterday.
I hope someone knows whats wrong to. Is it possible that i bought it with ammonia poisoning?? and didn't notice until a couple of days later? they all seemed fine when i got them

Lucy

Neons are pretty sensitive to stress even it's just moving from store to tank. Stress can bring on different illnesses.
Is this the one with the missing eye?

Gemstone29

no the one with the missing eye is fine

Peterpiper

Hi Gemstone29, and welcome,
I have some questions,
How old is the tank, ( how long has it been running )?
What size is the tank?
How was it cycled?
Does it have a air stone and air pump for O2 exchange?
Which conditioner are you using to treat the new water for clorine's?
The swings in temp need to be stopped if you can as this will stress the fish.
Pete

Gemstone29

The tank is about two months old, it's 130L, i basically filled it with water and left it for about a week, planted it, and didn't add any fish for about a month, i did end up with snails though, they came on the plant by accident, i pull them out when i see them because they just make a mess.
I don't have an air stone or an air pump, and i'm using API(thats the brand) tap water conditioner.
I'v managed to keep the temperature pretty stable since i got the fish.

Shawnie

im sorry your lil guy is sickie but hmmm what test kit are you using? and whats the expiration date on it? seeing how you added so many fish at once, and the tank wasnt cycled with the instant cycle safestart, im wondering if you are getting true readings off your test kit...

Gemstone29

the test kits new and it's all liquid testers, no strips, also i think if i was getting the wrong reading then more fish would be sick, but so far (touch wood) it's just one.

Shawnie

being new doesnt mean its not expired...I just got a new one also and it expired two years ago so check the lot# just to be sure you didnt buy an oldie like I did...the last 4 numbers on the bottles are the month and year it expires ....I knew something was up with one of my tanks but all my readings were fine..low n behold when I got a kit that wasnt outdated, I had ammonia ....some fish tolerate it more than others so thats no way to compare sickness's

Peterpiper

Not having an air stone / air pump is what the problem is IMO
You need to get one asap.
For now get a bottle with a lid and rinse it in hot water, rinse it 6 times.
Now fill 1/2 the bottle with tank water put the lid on and shake it hard for 20 seconds, tip the water back into the tank. repeat this 10 times, that should get the O2 into the tank but you need to get a air pump and stone today.

Shawnie

I dont have airpumps in all my tanks and fishies are fine...I dont think thats the issue unless his temps are too high and less oxygen in warmer water...

Lucy

Curious, how would an airstone help a red bump under his chin?

Gemstone29

I'll give the oxygen thing a try, unforuntaly i can't go out and get an air stone today...unless i can find someone to drive to a pet shop XD! I can't find any expiry dates on my test kit at all, when i can get to a pet store i'll buy a new kit anyway and see if there is a difference in the reading.

Gemstone29

I'm getting all paranoid about that bump, so far no one has any explanation for it and i'm worried it's going to show up on my other fish

Shawnie

theres a spot on your bottles that has a lot# look at that number and the last four numbers are the month and year they expire...dont buy a new one if yours isnt old...no need to waste the money

Peterpiper

IMO, its a new tank. 2 months old, been stocked for 4 weeks and has a plant.
Tap water here is very low in O2. A heavy planted tank will help with the O2 exchange and with ammonia. You are right that you dont need an air pump, but you do need a form or a way to get O2 back into the water, and I dont see one here

Shawnie

water changes
but im not familiar with aussie water issues so ill take your word

Lucy

In the first post it says the fish were just added 3 days ago

Peterpiper

Hi Lucy,
Most colour changes in fish happen due to stress related to water conditions, from this stress the fish starts to get sick, the weak are normaly the first to show signs then, the others follow.
IMO O2 is 1 of the issues that I saw with the information supplied and the addition of an O2 exchange would help the tank as a whole.. all the fish.
I am also thinking that the tank has not completed its cycle, and the water change has reduced the toxins, so the test would show reduced numbers.

Peterpiper

Lucy,
Sorry this is how I thought the fish had been in the tank for 4 weeks,

Lucy

Yeah, I had to re-read it a couple times, so no problem.

There should be enough agitation from the filter to provide enough air unless we're dealing with higher than normal temp.
But I agree, this really seems to be a water issue.

cerianthus

Provided that you have decent agitation caused by returning water from filter, you probably would not need air pump, Not that it is not good to have one. The [O2] of in the water will not be more than atmospheric [O2]. With good agitation via filter or air pump. system will reach equilibrium which will constant shift depending on other factors, such as temp, etc... Only way you can have higher [O2] in the water is to pump pure O2 from O2 tank which no one does (O2 tank is a bomb in case of fire). Even then, excess
O2 will diffuse out to atmosphere to reach an equlibrium.
Therefore deficiency of O2 is not the reason for red sore or bump on the fish.
I know for fact that most of neons are farm raised where their husbadaries are not maintained at their optimal conditions. Through my long experiences as hobbyist, I have seen external parasite which may caused such symptoms or it may be that it is a parasite. Argulus, fish lice is actually very common parasite where massive amounts of fish are farmed, especially outdoor husbandaries.
Like i said, it could be the irritation caused by Argulus or argulus itself. Difficult since no pics. Do research online to see if you can ID the parasite or inflammed skin. I believe it can attck skin and gill.
Try dipping in salt water for 30 sec to 1 minute. You may be able to see it detaching from the body at right concentration. Try different conc, low to max recommended by AQ SALT MFG.
It can spread to other so isolate him. There are Med which can control but not available to hobby. DO more research online on the subject of Argulus where you may be able to obtain info that are usuful.

Good Luck, Mate! Did i get that right. LOL

Shawnie

my oscars had fish lice 4 years ago..I actually loaded up my fat man and took him to the fish store to have the bug looked at LOL ...and believe it or not, they look exactly like head lice!!!!! soooooo discusting...never knew how they got it tho ....if its the lice, you will see the bug moving along the skin...totally freaky situation for sure

Gemstone29

Oh, i see, ahh...if thats the case then they are out of date.