Neons

[cheezysquirrelz]

I bought some neon tetras at petsupermarket a while back. Their gills look like someone took their fingernail and pulled them foward, they have been like this since I bought them. You can see the red inside if looking at them from the side, is this normal?

 

[Madame_X]

Hmmm... I might suspect some kind of gill damage. Prolonged exposure to ammonia, maybe? I don't think they should really stick out. I don't have any neons but my black phantom tetras aren't like that.

How long have you had them?

 

[kenor33]

It's not normal something has their gills extremely inflamed. I would suspect the water first.

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

My water is fine. They were like that when I bought them. It was like a month.

 

[Madame_X]

They were probably in poor conditions at the store, then. If they seem okay, they'll probably survive but their lifespan may have been reduced.

 

[dsmalls]

they'll probably survive but their lifespan may have been reduced.

Yeah, it'll be reduced from 20 minutes to 10! I never had any luck with those buggers.

 

[Aquafriend]

A long time ago when I got my neons, one of them (out of the 6) had the same thing you're talking about. I can see a red strip where the gills are, like the flap is partially gone or pulled forward or something. I bought him that way as well. Anyway, he's still as healthy as can be, and I've never had a problem or worry about him, and I've had those guys for ages. So I wouldn't worry about it if he's acting fine. Who knows what causes it, since it happens before we get them, but I know for sure it hasn't affected my guys health.

 

[newaridiar]

I bought some neon tetras at petsupermarket a while back

I wouldn't be suprised if they were damaged by someone who didn't have a clue what they were doing, last month I was at a WalMart in NY and I saw that there were two chiclids in a tank with mollies and I told teh person working there that the fish were in the wrong tanks b/c of water conditions (brackish vs. FW etc.,) and aggression. When my sister said the chiclids would eat the small mollies, the guy said "That'd be cool, I'd like to see those fish fight" 8O :x
Then my mom wouldn't let me complain to the manager b/c she was worried he would lose his job