Sick tetra?

[TheFragile]

Hi, I think one of my neon skirt tetras is ill. It's hard to get a good pic because of the movement, but he looks very skinny. He's eating normally and swimming fine, just skinny. His belly does not appear sunken, it's like his head and body width. He's half the size of the others. I have had them all about a year. No new fish recently. My water parameters are good, 0 ammonia 10.0 nitrate, temp is 78. 20 gallon tank with 4 other neon skirt tetras, 5 glow light tetras and 6 corydoras.




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[TheFragile]

Could he have just been an older fish? Could it be some type of illness? Although I don't know where he would have gotten it from.


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[ScotJudd]

Hi there. It's very difficult to diagnose an ailment from a picture. He does look unwell though. Personally, providing he doesn't look to be a threat to the health of your other fish I would sit it out a while. If he gets much weaker, stops feeding or hangs around the top or bottom of the tank then I would remove him and dispatch him. I usually remove any fish that I think may die in the tank, to protect the remaining fish.


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[TheFragile]

What is the kindest way to "dispatch" him?


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[TheFragile]

My fiancé is out getting an isolation tank now. I hope he makes it


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[ScotJudd]

Glad you're going to isolate him and give him a shot at recovery. It's very rewarding when it works.
As for best 'dispatch' method - that's been a by long running debate on this forum before so I won't start if off again. If you have to euthanise then Google it and choose a method that you are comfortable with.



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[TheFragile]

He didn't make it I can't find him. I'm praying at this point that it is not something that's going to kill my whole tank.


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[TheFragile]

He came out, I found him, but I don't think he'll make it through the night in the iso tank. He's on the bottom and barely moving.


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