Reddish coloration of tetras, balas and angels.

A couple of weeks ago I bought fish food in the form of orange pellets. I trusted the store lady and didn't care to read the side of the container :-[.
A few days later, I began to notice a red coloration or hue in my tetras, both bala sharks, and the albino angel. The other angel has a reddish hue in both eyes.

The food is for parrot fish and it says that it enhances coloration.

Is it the food? or are they infected?

They've been like this for more than two weeks now and are eating and behaving normally.

 

First of all your tank is severely overstocked!!

The bala sharks get over a foot in length. I read your 'my tank' hyperlink and it states the rest of the fish and that it is a 40 gallon tank; if it is a common pleco it will get over a foot in length, and you have mixed tropical fish with temperate water fish.

The coloration issue though is just pigment enhancers in the food.

 

First of all your tank is severely overstocked!!

The bala sharks get over a foot in length. I read your 'my tank' hyperlink and it states the rest of the fish and that it is a 40 gallon tank; if it is a common pleco it will get over a foot in length, and you have mixed tropical fish with temperate water fish.

The coloration issue though is just pigment enhancers in the food.

Thanks a lot!
I know it is overstocked. I'm trying to get another tank and also plan to return the goldfish.
Thanks again.

 

what is your current ammonia reading?

 

what is your current ammonia reading?

Are the fish actually eating the food? Do you see them leave some alone and let it sink to the bottom? If they leave most of it alone, then you might have a serious ammonia problem and they could have ammonia poisoning, which will lead them to death's door if not treated properly. Do a lot of water changes in a short period of time(1 25% everyday) until ammonia is gone and the fish should start to get better. Another question, how long has your tank been set up for?
Tom

 

what is your current ammonia reading?

Are the fish actually eating the food? Do you see them leave some alone and let it sink to the bottom? If they leave most of it alone, then you might have a serious ammonia problem and they could have ammonia poisoning, which will lead them to death's door if not treated properly. Do a lot of water changes in a short period of time(1 25% everyday) until ammonia is gone and the fish should start to get better. Another question, how long has your tank been set up for?
Tom

The tank has been running for 2 months now.
They do eat the food as soon as I give it to them.
I'll do the water changes, thanks!
So, you don't think it was the parrot food?

 

do you have an ammonia reading? how often do you clean the tank and clean the gravel? leftover food rotting can produce ammonia in addition to the high amounts of fish waste being produced.

 

I don't have an ammonia reader.

I did the water change yesterday and plan to do another one on Saturday AND clean the gravel.

Thanks.

 

- i'd get this or at least their ammonia kit.

 

I went to the store and they didn't have a test kit in stock!! (I live in Mexico). They are supposed to have some next weekend.

Anyway, I returned the 2 balas, the 2 goldfish and the pleco.

I did the water change so hopefully the fish will get better. They seem to be doing fine anyway, eating, moving around... They don't look sick, only that red hue they have.

 

that stinks.. I hate going in and finding the stuff I need out of stock.. we can never find a tank divider locally and the air pump we needed for the new tank took weeks of checking before they got some in.

 

Finally, I got a test kit.
The ammonia is now 0.
But the nitrates are between 25-50.
I'm still doing water changes.

I wanted to show you pics of the fish. They are not very good, but you can see the reddish hue in the angel's eye. The pictures of the bala shark and the goldfish (look at its "cheek") are from just before I returned them.

The angel still has those red eyes, and the tetras are still a little red. Could it be an infection?

 

check: and note: Septicemia, Costia (Slime Disease), Inflammation. Do one of those fit what's been going on?

 

check: and note: Septicemia, Costia (Slime Disease), Inflammation. Do one of those fit what's been going on?

Septicemia: they don't look sluggish and have been eating well.
Costia: they don't seem to have a film, are swimming well and their fins look OK.
Inflammation: it's the closest fit, even though they're behaving normally.

Should I begin antibiotics? how do I treat them with antibiotics? do I just add it to the water? how much? do I "moist" the flakes in antibiotics and then feed them? what kind of antibiotics (penicillin, amoxicillin, bactrim..?)?

Or could it be only that parrot food I gave them more than 2 weeks ago?

Thanks!!

 

Inflammation: it's the closest fit, even though they're behaving normally.

Should I begin antibiotics? how do I treat them with antibiotics? do I just add it to the water? how much? do I "moist" the flakes in antibiotics and then feed them? what kind of antibiotics (penicillin, amoxicillin, bactrim..?)?

Or could it be only that parrot food I gave them more than 2 weeks ago?

Thanks!!

I'd love to be able to say for sure that it was, but I don't know if that food could cause the problem. I think that if everything else is ok, with them swimming normal, behaving normal and eating normal -- i'd not put any meds in. Just daily vitachem added to the water. If you do want to do an antibiotic, unless other symptoms show up, I'd try a real weak one to have less stress on the fish since there's not a definite known cause for the red areas.. maybe the penicillin or amoxicillin.

 

Ok, then. I think I'll wait.

Thanks for all your help, FLBettaCouple.

 

So I went to the fish store to see how the fish were doing.
The goldfish is a lot better. It doesn't have that red gill anymore.
And the bala sharks look better, too.
They didn't treat them, so it's gotta be something in my tank.

 

Fish got better! ;D
I got some plants to lower the nitrates.

 

great to hear that!