One Cardinal Tetra - What Should I Do Now?

I had 2 cardinal tetras a week ago, the store only had 2. One died. So now I have 1 cardinal tetra in a 10 gallon with 3 guppies.

Should I return this to the store, try to find a fishkeeper to give it to or get 5 neon tetras to keep it in a school? I heard cardinal and neons can school together.

I'm also a little apprehensive about tetras because I heard they are more sensitive. My previous experience is with a Betta fish and that fish is much hardier than tetras.

 

How long has your tank been running?
If it's been running for a few months, you shouldn't have any issue with adding neons as long as you acclimate them properly and keep up with your tank maintenance.
What are your looking for in your tank? Do you want just tetras and guppies?
If you intend on keeping the guppies and/or tetras, you cannot add a betta. They hate guppies and tetras.
I hope this helps.

 

The betta is in the other tank. Or was. I currently have an empty 5 gallon with just one mystery snail in it.

The 10 gallon is a new set up but fully cycled. I just moved my lone cardinal and 3 guppies in it yesterday. AND to add to my current problem, I just noticed white spots on the cardinal tetra and it is also blind in one eye. I thought it was swimming kind of funny, sideways, I never noticed it's blindness.

So I don't know. I'm thinking of returning it to the store, I feel like it was a mistake to get the tetra when I wasn't fully equipped to take care of it.

 

Even if you take the tetra back to the store, the rest of your fish have now been exposed to Ich so you'll have to treat the tank.
This thread will show you how to treat the Ich
https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/ich-ick-life-cycle-and-natural-treatment.153206/

 

could the white spots be anything other than ich?

will adding an extra heater raise the temperature?

 

The small tetras are more sensitive. A fully cycled tank is necessary to keep any living creature, but a seasoned tank is required for the more sensitive ones. By "seasoned" I mean that it should be stocked and successfully running with no health issues for at least 3 months.
I agree with Coradee. It sounds like you are going to have to fight off Ich. Try the natural measures first since the rest of your fish aren't showing signs yet, but definitely take steps right away.

 

I have a fully submersible heater that switches itself off, right now it is at 80-82.
Do I need to buy a different kind of heater to raise the temp to 86?

 

could the white spots be anything other than ich?

will adding an extra heater raise the temperature?

The spots could be fungal if they look fuzzy, Ich looks like grains of salt.
If you can post a clear pic we can tell you which it is as Ich treatment is different from fungal.
Using a second heater won't raise the temperature as the thermostat will kick in & switch it off when the water reaches the temp you've set it at, as long as your heater is suitably rated for the size of tank then it should raise the temp to what you want.
Until you know for sure whether it is Ich, don't raise the temp because if it's fungal that will make it worse.

 

I attached a picture. It's really hard to get a good picture of this fish. You can see the white spots on its tail.

 

Are the white spots only on the tail?
Do they look like grains of salt?

 

yes only on the tail (where it's transparent, the rest of the body is sparkling so I can't see any white grains on the body). Unfortunately the do look like salt.

 

That looks more like Ich than fungus to me, as above if they look like grains of salt then it is Ich

 

One good news (after I bought a heater but before I opened the box), I found out that the heater I have in the tank is adjustable. The number ring is not there anymore but the dial is, so I'm slowly raising the tank temperature.

I'm more positive about this whole Ich thing now. My other 3 fish haven't shown any sign of the disease yet.

Raising temperature still. Right now it's about 84.
No sign of ich on my guppies, so it's just the one cardinal tetra.
When will the white spots fall off?

Will also try garlic on their food.