P.Simulans Quarantine

I am in the middle of quarantining some green neon tetras that I ordered online since neither of my LFhad them in stock for months and big retailers never have them.

When they arrived I put them in a 5 gallon quarantine tank with filter media from another tank. I dosed them with Gen Cure, EM Erythromycin and Ich-X according to Aquarium Co-Op’s recommended quarantine procedure.

I have never had this kind of quarantine fail, or have symptoms that I couldn’t diagnose and treat.

I started with 9 and I’m now down to 5. They have something that I don’t recognize, affected areas pale slightly and have a dark spot. One fish has a tiny round dark spot on her dorsal fin. Another in its back and another on its stomach.

It’s small and round like Ich, but it’s not white it’s dark, and the spots I have observed (in the fish that are left) do not fall off or multiply the way ick would.

I figured it was some sort of skin parasite so I have done three full rounds of Gen Cure to absolutely no results. The affected fish are not getting better, but they’re also not getting worse.

Any recommendations?

 

Are you sure they are green neons, they look like a different tetra to me.. or are they just not colored up?

 

Those are not Paracheirodon, those are a type of Gold Tetra. This can be one of several species, as the gold color comes from a reaction to certain non-lethal infections. However, Gold Tetras also tend to be a bit on the weak side, subject to other infections.

 

THANK YOU I thought the same thing, are those really green neons? I already have one green neon tetra (last of his tribe) in my display tank and he has small but distinct red coloring. These fish, definitely purchased as P.Simulans, don’t have any.

They’re extremely skittish and clearly stressed so I have left them mostly alone, no overhead light or anything. I had hoped they would color up and give me a nice green stripe once I transferred them to my heavily planted 10g.

My LFS has a (display only) tank of green neons, some have a little red some have almost none so I thought, maybe there’s a range of colors for green neons.

Anyway... thoughts about what disease they have or quarantine treatment? I had considered a saltwater dip, but these fish are already so stressed and delicate I thought it would send a few more over the edge. Seeing as I only have 5 left, I don’t want to end up with two.

 

The thing to look for on "green" neons is the blue/green neon colored line. In Cardinals and regular Neons, it only goes to about the adipose fin. On the simulans, it goes all the way to the tail. The red tends to be paler on simulans than on the other two species.

Here is a group of simulans I had some years ago.

 

My guess is black spot disease. General Cure treats it, but the black spots stay for a while after.

 

The thing to look for on "green" neons is the blue/green neon colored line. In Cardinals and regular Neons, it only goes to about the adipose fin. On the simulans, it goes all the way to the tail. The red tends to be paler on simulans than on the other two species.

Here is a group of simulans I had some years ago.
View attachment 673963

Thanks! I hadn’t seen the difference between neon, Cardinal and green tetras summarized like this before. My lonely guy in the 10 gallon is definitely a green neon, I am skeptical that the ones that were shipped to me are, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now they’re in an unlit, blackwater tank (mopanI wood, almond leaves and extract). They’re stressed and hiding so they’re definitely not looking their best!

 

My guess is black spot disease. General Cure treats it, but the black spots stay for a while after.

Thank you so much for the suggestion! I looked it up and yes, that must be it. Which means I must have gold tetras, not the greens I ordered. This is the first time I've ordered (fish/snails/shrimp) online and had the wrong order shipped. It's aggravating because the 10 gallon is such a small tank and I wanted one species for a uniform look.

Quarantine will be a pain, but at least I know what I'm dealing with.