Black Skirt Tetra, Clear Patches on Fins

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Graky

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Dec 12, 2018
Messages
3
Location
Australia
New to fish keeping, so excuse if this is an obvious question to ask!



Got 6 Black Skirts a couple of days ago from a chain pet store, one in the pictures has clear patches on its fins. I did notice them after acclimating them and getting them into the tank but it wasn't really an option to take them back as it was a long drive to get them in the first place.


Eats fine, doesn't seem to be rubbing on anything and behavior is pretty normal as far as I can tell. All the other fish are fine.



I have exhausted my Google-fu at this point, I don't think it's ick and fin rot doesn't seem like what the fish has?


Any help would be appreciated. :thanks:
 

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I have black skirt tetra and also the glo fish version. Never fails, I get the same problem in about half of them over time. Funny thing is they live an average length of life without any other issues and don't seem to be affected by it. Aesthetically, it's not pleasing to look at. I'm leaning towards it being from high pH in my tank causing fin issues over time. My pH is 8.2-8.4. In your case, if you just bought them, I'm not sure if it's a pH issue or not. What is your pH? Personally, I'd add some aquarium salt to your tank for a month or so. See if it helps him. Dose 1 TEAspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water. Could just be a little damage to his fins and the salt should help with that.
 
Thanks for the reply.


My PH is at 7.4 currently but I'm not sure what the stores water parameters where as like I said it came from the store how the fins are now.


Did you have any luck fixing the problem yourself or is it an ongoing thing that just stays with the fish for it's life span?
 
Never could fix it. But it only affects around 50% of the tetras I get. You'd think it would affect them all. Idk if it's bad genetics or my pH. But after researching the hell out of it I've narrowed it down to one of those two things. I've had tetras develop fungus in the past but that's not it and definitely looks different. It never spreads to the body. Could be fin nipping??? But I've never seen it and usually fin nipping tatters the fin. But ya, it stays with them for life. Idk if this is what you have in your fish or not. Time will tell though.
 
It could be lymphocystis? It's a viral infection that doesn't usually bother the fish much if at all. To my knowledge it's not treatable.
 
It could be lymphocystis? It's a viral infection that doesn't usually bother the fish much if at all. To my knowledge it's not treatable.
Could be. Although it doesn't ever seem to work it's way to the body of the fish which I thought was common for Lymphocystis??
 
Not sure... from my experience I've mostly seen it on fins. But most of my experience with lymphocystis was on saltwater fish so might be different.

I definitely recall seeing something similar on the black skirts at my LFS though so I'm thinking it might be something to do with that particular species.
 
Ya maybe. IME with them it comes on after about 1-2 years after I purchase them and, like I said, only about 40-50% of them. I don't have this problem with any other fish in the community either. Just the black skirts.
 
Well for the past couple of days the fish pictured has been hiding either in the plants or behind the heater. Doesn't seem interested in food even when trying to feed him specifically while distracting the others with food elsewhere in the tank. Not sure what to do at this point. :(


He has been getting picked on as he is the smallest fish in the aquarium. For a few days there was a lot of action with the fish working out a pecking order.
 
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