Cardinal Tetra woth popeye and ? (pics...)

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Mystic Fish

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Aug 12, 2014
Messages
53
I got 3 more Cardinal Tetras about a month ago to make my group 7.
One of them was in a funny condition.
Here he is about 5 days later with his condition, the skin on his side has torn up more:
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From behind you can see his skin dragging out which i thought was maybe the problem to him swimming on an angle:
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He seemed to be getting better, the side looked like it healed up abit. But now he looks worse. His left eye has popped out, hes alot skinnier:
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Something on his tail:
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More of the popped eye:
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He doesnt seem to be apart of the group and he isnt really eating now, though i did see him take a little.

What do you think he has and what should i do?
 
Could he have been attacked at the shop tanks or rough transport/handling? And then as well as that funny problem with the skin has internal damage/infection now. Could that match? They are pretty tough little cookies I find once they get established but I don't see him coming back from that. Have you checked your tank water conditions (ammonia, ph, temp, etc) are all ok? Just a thought if was coming good and changed for the worse.
 
Thanks for the reply!
I got him with 2 other cardinals tetras and a male apisto pandurini, which they were all put in the same transport bag, I thought that was weird/lazy. So not sure if he was attacked during transport or before.

But the white on the back of his tail is new, along with the pop eye and skinnyness. He eats 1-2 little bits now per feeding. I went to the lfs to get an all in one bacteria, pop eye medication, but couldnt find one.

Water is as always,
7.5 Ph
0.25 Ammonia (same as tap water, read its probably a test kit misreading)
0 Nirtites
5-10 Nitrates
 
Thanks for the reply!

I got him with 2 other cardinals tetras and a male apisto pandurini, which they were all put in the same transport bag, I thought that was weird/lazy. So not sure if he was attacked during transport or before.



But the white on the back of his tail is new, along with the pop eye and skinnyness. He eats 1-2 little bits now per feeding. I went to the lfs to get an all in one bacteria, pop eye medication, but couldnt find one.



Water is as always,

7.5 Ph

0.25 Ammonia (same as tap water, read its probably a test kit misreading)

0 Nirtites

5-10 Nitrates


I can't tell on the photo if that is bacterial or fungal but I've had white on the tail and skinnyness with neons that had columnaris (gram negative bacterial infection) and with everything else, a bacterial infection is possible. I'm surprised the side wound is so clean actually and no fungus. Are you able to QT at all? I'd try antibiotics for gram negative (not pimafix or melafix) if you can get them. Water looks good.
 
From what i can tell, the white on his tail is more like missing skin, rather than a growth, so bacterial maybe?

I am able to get a spare tank from my sister. I probably should QT him... When i went to find meds there were primafix and melafix, but i read bad things about them. There was also another brand called Blue Planet, Though i couldnt find anything that said pop eye particularly, so i wasnt sure. Is there something you recommend that i should order online? Maybe you already said it "gram negative" not sure what thats about.
 
For now, I suggest quarantining him and trying to treat him with salt. I don't remember the dosage off the top of my head, but a quick google search should answer that for you. Even if you can't quarantine him, I still suggest salt. It should hopefully help. Honestly, with the fish being that skinny, I have doubts about him pulling through, but you never know. He seems to probably have gotten an infection. It is always hard to say exactly what happened, or exactly every cause. I would start with salt.
Gram negative is type of bacteria, versus gram positive. When people do not know what they are dealing with, I generally suggest a broad spectrum antibiotic that will deal with both just to be safe. For now though, as least use salt. It can help equalize the pressure on his eye so it will feel better. Pop-eye a fluid in the eye, and is usually caused by a bacterial infection. SO, by treating bacterial infections, you are helping treat popeye.
 
Thanks for the help!

Im in the same country as you :), except on the other side, Gold Coast! I have kissed a girl from Perth tho... if that helps :p
 
I'm from Toowoomba :)

Well unfortunately the list of meds is much reduced here in Australia. Depending on if you wanted to go down that road as well. Sometimes daily fresh water changes can help just by themselves.

Salt (NaCl) I think useful in QT (not for the DT as plants don't like it). Just as a note for research is that Australia has 4 teaspoons to a tablespoon whereas US is 3. I tend to do a teaspoon per 5 gals first and then increase dose. Never done much with salt dips.

Salt - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki

Triple sulphu is worth a try, also tetracycline may help. Tetracycline is not very good with gram -ve infections but is noted for pop-eye. I've never had much luck using it and it will kill off some of your nitrifying bacteria (so another one for the QT). Tetracycline is also not very effective above a ph of 7.5 but treatment choices are limited here.

Triple sulpha I've never had any problems with.

Melafix and pimafix I've never had much luck with. If you do try them, make sure they are well mixed in some water going in so the fish doesn't get a chemical cloud (particularly I find this for pimafix).
 
I ended up getting a bottle of Myxazin from an online store. I havnt used it yet because ive found another tetra cardinal has developed the same kind of white spot on his tail. I think its Tail Rot, because the other tetra (the bad one) now has Fin Rot. So im thinking to use the Myxazin in my whole tank with all the others (6 cardinal tetra, 2 Dwarf cichlids, 3 Khuli Loaches) But, im also thinking if im going to do that i may aswell finish stocking my tank with new fish and do the whole lot in one go.

Good idea or bad idea?
 
I ended up getting a bottle of Myxazin from an online store. I havnt used it yet because ive found another tetra cardinal has developed the same kind of white spot on his tail. I think its Tail Rot, because the other tetra (the bad one) now has Fin Rot. So im thinking to use the Myxazin in my whole tank with all the others (6 cardinal tetra, 2 Dwarf cichlids, 3 Khuli Loaches) But, im also thinking if im going to do that i may aswell finish stocking my tank with new fish and do the whole lot in one go.

Good idea or bad idea?


I'd skip getting more fish until you get this sorted imo. Myxazin - I've used it and thought it really good but have no idea what is in it apart from one of the dyes (changes water colour). Definitely don't over dose.
 
I'd skip getting more fish until you get this sorted imo. Myxazin - I've used it and thought it really good but have no idea what is in it apart from one of the dyes (changes water colour). Definitely don't over dose.

I concur. Don't stock more until you have it sorted out.
 
You're not alone with the ammonia test being difficult to read.

The API ammonia tests are deceptive. I have never seen the yellow posted on the card.

The yellow, at least for me, always looks like a weak .25, but under 1 daylight fluorescent light that I have, I do see yellow. Also, rechecking after a half an hour seems to help, too, b/c the very faint green tint fades a bit, if the ammonia is really zerro. The true greens, when ammonia is present, don't fade.

I always have to make a tube I know is zerro whenever I do my tests, too.

I hope both your fish get better.


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)
 
Coming out of the gills? Has it been getting worse while medicating?

Sorry can't really tell what it is. I would of guessed fungal (open to correction), but I thought myxazin has malachite green which should help there. Does it have an ingredient list at all? I've noticed improvements after day 3 dosing so I would stick with the meds course for the moment. If it has been getting worse while medicating, I would look at salt and triple sulpha (also open to ideas). How are the tetras doing?
 
Coming out of the gills? Has it been getting worse while medicating?

Sorry can't really tell what it is. I would of guessed fungal (open to correction), but I thought myxazin has malachite green which should help there. Does it have an ingredient list at all? I've noticed improvements after day 3 dosing so I would stick with the meds course for the moment. If it has been getting worse while medicating, I would look at salt and triple sulpha (also open to ideas). How are the tetras doing?

Its not coming out of the gills. There are also mouth sores (better pics below) I only noticed this just yesterday, but it might have been going on for a few days cause he hasnt been as territorial with his eating. As far as noticing improvements, its hard to tell, the cardinal still has the same sores, he did eat alot yesterday though.

The Myxazin bottle doesn't have the ingrediants written on it. Maybe this is it from the internet:



http://i.imgur.com/yCV7tNK.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/B2xc3i4.jpg
Sometime during blood worm feeding:
http://i.imgur.com/2DY0y7r.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lDr5w4n.jpg
Redness after feeding:
http://i.imgur.com/qUAE62r.jpg
 
Are the blood worms from a good source and disease free (just checking)?

What is your tank temp now? Anything above 27C or so will speed up a bacterial infection. Around 25C I've seen quoted as slowing it down.

I'll search on the myxazin as well. I had before but I've never been able to convince myself that was definitely the ingredient list.

I would add triple sulpha. I've tried this with most meds and never had a bad reaction to them combined. I should note I was getting fairly desperate. Last summer columnaris wiped out about 30 neons and rasboras.
 
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