Criason
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
The write up is a little long but I need to give as many details as possible to figure out what the problem is.
I have a 20 gallon (high) planted tank that has been set up for almost 3 months. I cycled the tank and transfered some fish between tanks. In this tank after the swap I had 6 cardinal tetras, a female betta and 2 chinesse algae eaters. Everyone had been happy in this tank for a month. I realise the algae eaters may become jerks but they havent yet and I will deal with it if it comes to that.
Here is where my problem begins. I went to the local store over the weekend and I found a lonely cardinal tetra which I just had to have. It looked healthy when I picked him up. I think he might have brought something with him. I dont have a quarentine tank set up so he went into my 20g once he had aclimatized. He immediatly joined the school of tetras and they all seemed great for the next 2 days.
Come home from work monday and one of my tetras (I assume the new one as they all look alike) has bleached a bit around his tail. His fins are also torn up a bit. I checked the rest of the tetras and their fins are all fine and they dont show any signs of problems. The sick tetra doesn't seem as active as the rest. An hour or so later he didn't make it. I figured he got to stressed to make the transition to the new tank. But checked my water parameters just to be sure. 0 - 0 - 20 ph is normal around 7.5. Nothing to alarming came from this.
Came home from work tuesday and another tetra is bleaching. This time it is around the base of his dorsal fins. His fins are a bit raged as well now. He is still swiming but doesnt eat when we feed the group. I do 2 25% water changes about an hour apart to see if that helps at all. Again, an hour later he is stuck to the filter inlet.
Wake up this morning, I wake up for work. Find the female betta very weak. She is floating getting pushed in circles by the flow from the HOB filter. She has cloudy eyes and is barely there. I grab my cup I use for water changes scoop her up into it by letting the water flow into it. This way she is in isolation a bit. She's not going to make it. So in desperation I try adding a bit of aquarium salt to her cup as it is the only thing I have that might make a difference. I go have my shower and when I come out she is not responding any more. Not sure if the salt was to much or if she sucumbed to her illness but if anything her suffering was shortened. I inspected her and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Fins were not damaged as the tetras were and not color bleaching.
I am worried that when I come home from work tonight the rest of my tank will be in disarray. What kind of plague is sweeping over my tank? What medications should I pick up after work to prevent further losses? Is there anything I need to do to stop the plague from infecting my other tanks?
the tetras looked very similar to this.
Pale spot on cardinal tetras. Help
(can't attach pictures from work) the second post in the thread
I have a 20 gallon (high) planted tank that has been set up for almost 3 months. I cycled the tank and transfered some fish between tanks. In this tank after the swap I had 6 cardinal tetras, a female betta and 2 chinesse algae eaters. Everyone had been happy in this tank for a month. I realise the algae eaters may become jerks but they havent yet and I will deal with it if it comes to that.
Here is where my problem begins. I went to the local store over the weekend and I found a lonely cardinal tetra which I just had to have. It looked healthy when I picked him up. I think he might have brought something with him. I dont have a quarentine tank set up so he went into my 20g once he had aclimatized. He immediatly joined the school of tetras and they all seemed great for the next 2 days.
Come home from work monday and one of my tetras (I assume the new one as they all look alike) has bleached a bit around his tail. His fins are also torn up a bit. I checked the rest of the tetras and their fins are all fine and they dont show any signs of problems. The sick tetra doesn't seem as active as the rest. An hour or so later he didn't make it. I figured he got to stressed to make the transition to the new tank. But checked my water parameters just to be sure. 0 - 0 - 20 ph is normal around 7.5. Nothing to alarming came from this.
Came home from work tuesday and another tetra is bleaching. This time it is around the base of his dorsal fins. His fins are a bit raged as well now. He is still swiming but doesnt eat when we feed the group. I do 2 25% water changes about an hour apart to see if that helps at all. Again, an hour later he is stuck to the filter inlet.
Wake up this morning, I wake up for work. Find the female betta very weak. She is floating getting pushed in circles by the flow from the HOB filter. She has cloudy eyes and is barely there. I grab my cup I use for water changes scoop her up into it by letting the water flow into it. This way she is in isolation a bit. She's not going to make it. So in desperation I try adding a bit of aquarium salt to her cup as it is the only thing I have that might make a difference. I go have my shower and when I come out she is not responding any more. Not sure if the salt was to much or if she sucumbed to her illness but if anything her suffering was shortened. I inspected her and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Fins were not damaged as the tetras were and not color bleaching.
I am worried that when I come home from work tonight the rest of my tank will be in disarray. What kind of plague is sweeping over my tank? What medications should I pick up after work to prevent further losses? Is there anything I need to do to stop the plague from infecting my other tanks?
the tetras looked very similar to this.
Pale spot on cardinal tetras. Help
(can't attach pictures from work) the second post in the thread
