rummynose tetra none too happy

[shayfish]

I have a rummynose tetra that is pretty traumatized. It has been in my tank for about 2 weeks, when this one and one more were donated to me by someone who didnt want his tank anymore. I really cant tell them apart, so I dont know if this is the same one that spend the first 2 days of life in my tank hiding and looking VERY stressed out. I immediately got them 3 more buds to hang out with and everything seemed to be going fine. The original 2 looked like their fins might be a little ratty compared to the new ones, so I gave the tank a blast of Stress Coat with the next PWC a day or 2 later.

Then, 2 nights ago, I saw a little striped tail poking upwards out of a plant, not moving whatsoever. I figured I had suffered my first loss in my new tank, and started to fish it out with the net, when it suddenly darted around the tank and kind of crashed into the bottom and was spinning around in a little circle with its nose pointed at the gravel!! I was super freaked out, but I dont have a quarintine tank so I couldnt even separate it. I thought for sure that it would be dead in the morning. But, in fact, it was swimming around fairly normally with the other tetras and seemed mostly fine the next day.

Last night, it was hovering right at the surface in a corner and not really doing anything. It wouldnt eat and had its mouth open pretty wide. I thought for SURE this morning, it would be done for. But, it was swimming around like nothing had happened.

I just did my weekly PWC, and it is once again hovering at the top of the tank looking VERY sickly. It looks like it is covered in ich dots, but after my PWCs, my tank is full of teeny tiny bubbles stuck to everything, and the fish isnt moving much, and I hadnt seen any evidence of that before, nor do any of the other fish have any signs of ich, so I really dont think thats it.

Whats going on with my fish!

Sorry this is so long Any advice is appreciated...

PS. water parameters are fine (0-0-20)

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Well, it sounds like ick. And if the rummy was covered in the dots, then there's ick in the tank. It may not always show itself externally. Can start anywhere, especially in the gills.

I would recommend heat treatment. Slowly bring the tank up to 89 degrees.

 

[shayfish]

Well, ssssssugar.

I thought the dots on the fish were just air bubbles from my PWC since it wasn't moving much. They are still all over the back wall of the tank. Some of the dots on the fish have disappeared, but not all of them. I will start bringing the temp up. Temp is probably my only treatment method since I have snails, I can't use any meds.

Is 89 degrees going to be too much for my pleco? The only other fish are zebra danios and sailfin mollies.

ICK!!! I'm so ticked. :x

Edit/Updates:
A danio nipped at it and it went for a scurry/swim and the spots are gone so they were definately air bubbles. Do you still think it's ick?

 

[Zagz]

Are the fish flashing at all? Even when no ich spots are present it can still be ich. It won't hurt to raise the temps anyway but make sure to either add extra aeration or lower the water level a bit. If they look like tiny grains of salt, it is ich.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I've never seen air bubbles on a fish, lol. Do they look like grains of salt on the fish?

 

[shayfish]

Now the fish is swimming around more or less normally, although when I got home 10 minutes ago or so it was still hanging around near the top but didn't look quite so awful as it did earlier.

I have seen ich before, so I know what you mean about the little salt grains. The air bubbles were just from refilling with my PWC. You know if you run the water a little fast, there ends up with tiny bubbles all over everything? It was that, on the fish cause he wasn't moving! I have no idea what's going on!!! But I don't see any sign of spots on it. Well, I think I might see one, but my eyes might be playing tricks on me now. I am going to continue slowly raising the temp just in case. Raising temps will bring ick out if that's it, right?

But I just came home to my favourite gold mystery snail floating dead at the top of the tank I'm pretty sad... I liked that little guy.


edit: okay, it is not exactly swimming around normally. .. seems to be alternating a bit between going for a swim and hanging out at the top looking freaked out.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, warmer temps will bring it out quicker. Maybe just hold the temp at 84 degrees, and if you do see ick, then finish turning it up.

 

[shayfish]

Eeexcellent. How long after hitting 84 will I see it if its really there?

Thanks for the info btw!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

No more than a week. If nothing by then, you can pretty much be certain there's no ick.

 

[shayfish]

Yup... its ICK!! There's a couple of spots on some of the other tetras too. Darn it all anyway!! :x :x :x

 

[rich311k]

Al least you what you are dealing with. Up the temp over 86F and increase your surface agitation. You can beat this.

Rich

 

[shayfish]

True enough... I'm glad to know what the problem really is.

I feel sorry for this little tetra. He's had a tough go of things since arriving in my tank as a "reject" from my pal's dad! He seems a little more active tonight and is following the other tetras around a bit. I really want him to make it through this!

Temps are still slowly on the rise and the air pump is cranked!

Do I still do my PWCs the same as usual during this?

 

[rich311k]

Yes clean water is crucial for any sick fish. Just be sure to match the temp.