atmmachine816

Ok soon I'll be going back to school and I may not have time to do a full tank clean so I'm going to do one this weekend and kill the neons in the 2.5 because they are not getting better and they are in misery. To what extent should I clean the tank. I get all new water but what about the filter and live plants, what should I do with them to make sure the disease is no longer in there?

Thanks if you could answer soon that would be great

Austin

LilaBean

kill the neons-- that is so sad... have you treated what is it they are so ill with?? LILA

Isabella

KILL the neons? WHY? What's wrong with them?

atmmachine816

yes kill them I'm sorry a person has been helping me on this but since my parents don't want me wasting money on the meds I can't cure any of there other diseases but they have ntd right now. One has popeye, bloat, ntd, and pinconing all at once and the others are starting to follow suit. I hate to see them suffer more and in less than a week school will be starting for me and it's high school and I have no idea what my teachers will be like and what type of homework they will give me and I need to do a full tank clean and I don't know if I will have time once school starts, probably but I don't know. This is why my parents wouldn't let me get another tank. I know it's sounds cruel and unusual but I have to at least kill the one, he is getting to the point he can no longer swim and the others are starting to show symtoms. This is the most logic thing I can think to do.

Austin

Marc

If you absolutely must kill the sickliest of the fish, then that is your own decision. However, I would NOT advise culling the rest. Curing them will require quite constant water changes because of how small the tank is. Both the size of the tank and the water quality will have a massive effect on their recovery. Now, it may not be possible to get them into something bigger, but you COULD at least gaurantee them clean water. Do you do at LEAST daily water changes of 30% or more? In such a small tank there is over twice the highest recommended maximum of fish, if that made any sense. There is twice the bio-load there should ever be in such a small tank, and the water quality suffers as a result.

What are the nitrates? Again, it's not hard to remedy a water quality issue in such a small tank, but you need to look out for your fish and their best interests. However, this also means it's your decision to put them down. You have to do whatever is necessary to save them, until it gets to the point where they can no longer stave off the illness and succumb. Have you at least been giving them garlic treated flakes or other immune system bolstering foods?

Sorry I haven't been following any of the progress, but it's been a busy summer for me. Forgive me if I asked anything you've spoken about previously. I wish you the best of luck with the Tetras!

Isabella

I agree with Marc. Please DO NOT kill them. If you cannot buy the medication, you certainly CAN perform large daily water changes (around 50%). If you have aquarium salt (or can buy it - it's very cheap), you can add 1 tablespoon of it per 5 gallons of water. Increase the temperature to some 82F. Do it all until they either recover or die. What do you have to lose? You'll never know what the outcome will be if you don't try to help them. Please don't kill them. I wouldn't have the courage to do something like this.

atmmachine816

Marc my nitrates are at .05 and the rest of the levels are fine. No I'v never heard of garlic treated flakes, what are they? And I don't know of immune system bolstering foods either, sorry sickness I don't know much about I'm still learning. No I won't kill them Isabella, but I'v already raised the temp and have been adding salt. I will do 50% water changes but once school and sports start I'm not sure if I'll be able to do them during the week but I'l try. Any ways to help cure them without meds would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry if I'v sounded cruel, I guess I was just panicking.

Thanks

Austin

Marc

If you have powdered garlic, canned garlic, etc... anything with garlic, you can soak flakes in it and they will be more attractive to the fish and better for them. spirulina or veggie flakes are VERY nutritious, too. It takes all of 2-3 minutes to change out 1 gallon of water, so I'm not sure it'll be that hard.

atmmachine816

Ok thanks I'll ask my mom what type of garlic she has, and I do feed them veggie flakes too. I know it's not that hard but I'm doing Cross Country and by the time I get home I don't know how much homework I'll have since it's my first year of high school and I have no idea what to expect but hopefully I'll have enough to time clean it. I just wana make sure I don't have to gravel vacuum it everyday though do I?

Isabella

I really hope they recover. Best of luck to you and your neons. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Just don't give up and maybe everything will turn out OK.

atmmachine816

Ya hopefullly, I think now that I'm reffing and making money again I"m going to buy meds so that when a fish gets sick I'll have meds for him. Do you think this will work or will the meds go bad?

Buzz

Hello Austin,

I'm sorry, but what size tank do you have? Have you tried fish vitamins (I have read that activated charcoal absorbs many nutrients)? also, there are treatment tabs (Jungle brand) that are very inexpensive...maybe you can try that. I too, think that water changes are crucial at this point. If your tank is small, it should not take too long...

good luck,
Buzz