Neon tetras keep dying please help

[steph101]

I started off with 8 and now down to 4.
Its been about 2 weeks since i brought them.
Its not NTD because i cant see any symptoms of it.
I have other fish and they are all fine.

I know neons need to be in a group of 6 or more but i dont want to buy anymore seems they keep dying on me... maybe it was the lfs stock that was bad?

 

[henningc]

Likely one of two things: P.H. way too high, check the net or you're getting poor quality live stock. When you go back to the store as where they get their fish from. Florida raised neons are easy to work with, imported neons have huge issues.

 

[Tommy10]

How big of tank? Is it cycled?

 

[steph101]

Likely one of two things: P.H. way too high, check the net or you're getting poor quality live stock. When you go back to the store as where they get their fish from. Florida raised neons are easy to work with, imported neons have huge issues.

My ph is 7.6
Always has been 7.6

Is that too high? Coz my other fish are fine

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[steph101]

How big of tank? Is it cycled?

18 gallon so 70 liters
Yes it is cycled. I cycled it for 2 months before I added fish

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[Tommy10]

What are ur nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels?

 

[steph101]

What are ur nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels?

0, 0 and 10ppm

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[Chief910]

Are they jumping out or other fish snacking on them? What do you have housed with them?

 

[steph101]

Are they jumping out or other fish snacking on them? What do you have housed with them?

I think I have a parasite in my tank. Fishes gills are red and the fish seem irriated and the neon twitches as if something is itching him. Im gonna buy parasite med tomorrow hopefully I see a change. His eyes look red as well. Deffinetly some type of parasite/bug

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[Caliban07]

I think I have a parasite in my tank. Fishes gills are red and the fish seem irriated and the neon twitches as if something is itching him. Im gonna buy parasite med tomorrow hopefully I see a change. His eyes look red as well. Deffinetly some type of parasite/bug

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Hi steph. If I were you I would just try to hold out on the meds especially of you can't be sure what exactly you are treating for. If you are worried about a parasite then my first steps would be to increase tank maintenance interval. I'm not saying that you have a dirty tank but the less stressed a fish is the less susceptible to disease they are. I would try to keep temperature around 25 degrees adjusted slowly. If you are leaving lights on for 10 hours or more I personally would reduce this to about 6-8. I would then rinse out my filter media in tank water and vac gravel every week. I would then change 50% water twice a week. It's amazing how just increasing water maintenance can improve fish condition. If there is no improvement following this I would them start looking at meds.

Meds can sometime be stressful to fish. But other times you have no option. I have been guilty of putting too many meds in my tank. I had columnaris that was caused by unhealthy water quality and feeding a poor quality fish flake which was also out of date I would toss the flakes on the floor of the tank to ensure my Cory's were eating. Even though water parameters remained stable the excess food decreased water quality and poor diet and external stress from fish opened them up to columnaris. I lost a few fish but I put the loss of my ottos and Cory's down to the meds. I scrapped the meds and bought a quality fish flake such as new life spectrum or omega one. I then proceeded to drastically improve my tank maintenance. I haven't lost a fish since.

The columnaris has took it's toll on my GBR but he made it through and I was certain he would die. Now he is ok.

I'm just saying meds are in my opinion a last resort.

 

[steph101]

Hi steph. If I were you I would just try to hold out on the meds especially of you can't be sure what exactly you are treating for. If you are worried about a parasite then my first steps would be to increase tank maintenance interval. I'm not saying that you have a dirty tank but the less stressed a fish is the less susceptible to disease they are. I would try to keep temperature around 25 degrees adjusted slowly. If you are leaving lights on for 10 hours or more I personally would reduce this to about 6-8. I would then rinse out my filter media in tank water and vac gravel every week. I would then change 50% water twice a week. It's amazing how just increasing water maintenance can improve fish condition. If there is no improvement following this I would them start looking at meds.

Meds can sometime be stressful to fish. But other times you have no option. I have been guilty of putting too many meds in my tank. I had columnaris that was caused by unhealthy water quality and feeding a poor quality fish flake which was also out of date I would toss the flakes on the floor of the tank to ensure my Cory's were eating. Even though water parameters remained stable the excess food decreased water quality and poor diet and external stress from fish opened them up to columnaris. I lost a few fish but I put the loss of my ottos and Cory's down to the meds. I scrapped the meds and bought a quality fish flake such as new life spectrum or omega one. I then proceeded to drastically improve my tank maintenance. I haven't lost a fish since.

The columnaris has took it's toll on my GBR but he made it through and I was certain he would die. Now he is ok.

I'm just saying meds are in my opinion a last resort.

Hi
My tank is quite clean. I do 25% water changes weekly, even twice a week sometimes. I recently just cleaned all my ornaments and the excess food always gets eaten up. The light stays on about 6-7 hours a day. I dont see a problem in treating my tank for parasites at least then thats ruled out. I just hope it dosnt take a toll on my cories.

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[Caliban07]

Hi
My tank is quite clean. I do 25% water changes weekly, even twice a week sometimes. I recently just cleaned all my ornaments and the excess food always gets eaten up. The light stays on about 6-7 hours a day. I dont see a problem in treating my tank for parasites at least then thats ruled out. I just hope it dosnt take a toll on my cories.

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Some medications are stronger than others. Some are also bad for snails and shrimps and some other types of fish.

Good luck. I hope the meds work.

 

[tnfinfan]

Can you set up a hospital tank? Doesn't need to be fancy. Then you don't risk harming the healthy fish in the tank.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Cory and tetra, what else is in the tank?

Neon Tetra | Keeping Tropical Fish

This article would suggest pH is the issue, wiki would disagree?
Baensch atlas would suggest sub 7 to acid pH.

That's two for pH.

 

[steph101]

Some medications are stronger than others. Some are also bad for snails and shrimps and some other types of fish.

Good luck. I hope the meds work.

I plan on using sterazin

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[Caliban07]

I plan on using sterazin

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I have used that I'm the past. I think waterlife products are quite strong.

It could be a case of ph though as has been pointed out.

 

[steph101]

I have used that I'm the past. I think waterlife products are quite strong.

It could be a case of ph though as has been pointed out.

I noticed 2, small, red squiggly like lines on my betta this morning. Im really unsure if it could be parasites, should I treat just to be safe? Its not ammonia poisoning becauae i tested it and it was 0ppm, same as nitrite. Ph is 7.6 and always has been, people told me fish can acclimate to ph.

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[steph101]

Maybe it is ph but 7.6 is not that high. Maybe im being paranoid? I just dont want my fishes to wdue

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[Caliban07]

Maybe it is ph but 7.6 is not that high. Maybe im being paranoid? I just dont want my fishes to wdue

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I agree ph does seem less likely. My tank water is the same ph as yours and I have 10 neons all doing well. I think it would be more of an issue if the neons you bought came from completely different water chemistry from yours.

I honestly don't know what to suggest. Like I said I consider waterlife products are strong so just be careful. I think sterazin targets external parasites also. There is one for internal parasites called parazin. It might be worth doing a half dose first if you are unsure.

 

[steph101]

Likely one of two things: P.H. way too high, check the net or you're getting poor quality live stock. When you go back to the store as where they get their fish from. Florida raised neons are easy to work with, imported neons have huge issues.

Honestly, I think it may be the ph.
I've added some drift wood and hopefully that fixes things up. The lady at lfs said its not parasites.

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