Brewmeister
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello all,
It would seem that I have a sick head&tail light tetra on my hands. I saw the sticky so I'll answer the questions requested:
1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
Head & Tail light tetra. The fish has black rings around its eyes (None of the other 4 have this), several patches of brown scales, and seems to hover listlessly in one spot.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
Ammo - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 40ppm
Temp - 76 degrees Fahrenheit
pH - 7.6
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
It's a 10 Gallon, it's been running for about 3 months. Fully cycled before stocking.
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
Tetra Whisper PF10. This needs upgrading to a filter with higher GPH but for now I'm working with what I have.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
There are currently 7 fish- One platy (full grown), one upside-down catfish (juvenile, and will be moved to a larger tank very soon) and 5 head & tail light tetra of unknown age. The largest of them is about an inch long.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
My last water change was 2 days ago. Typically I don't vacuum too deep into the gravel- just enough to gather the debris. Weekly water changes are around 25%. I typically only vacuum the gravel every other week unless I notice that the tank is particularly dirty.
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
The fish in question has been living with us since early December last year. He moved tanks from a 5 gallon (in which there were only 2 of his kind) to the 10 gallon so we could give him some friends. The move was about a month ago, and he seemed fine up until about last week.
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
A new decoration was added about 3 weeks ago, and at the same time 5 new plant bulbs were embedded in the substrate. I'd like to outline here that this single tetra is the only one experiencing these symptoms- all other fish seem normal.
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
Typically the platy & tetras get flakes and the catfish gets sinking pellets. Recently however, I've added frozen bloodworms into their diet. Note that this was not introduced until after the tetra's symptoms started.
Anyway, there you have it. Anyone know what's going on with this little guy? Should I quarantine him? He's the only fish in the tank that's showing these kind of symptoms, so I'm unsure if it's isolated to him or what.
I know this tank is at the brink of being overstocked but I believe due to the size of the fish that it's appropriate for now- as I stated earlier, the catfish will be getting a new home very soon- these lodgings are temporary for him.
Any advice is appreciated!
If anyone needs additional info just ask and I'll be happy to provide it.
It would seem that I have a sick head&tail light tetra on my hands. I saw the sticky so I'll answer the questions requested:
1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
Head & Tail light tetra. The fish has black rings around its eyes (None of the other 4 have this), several patches of brown scales, and seems to hover listlessly in one spot.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
Ammo - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 40ppm
Temp - 76 degrees Fahrenheit
pH - 7.6
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
It's a 10 Gallon, it's been running for about 3 months. Fully cycled before stocking.
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
Tetra Whisper PF10. This needs upgrading to a filter with higher GPH but for now I'm working with what I have.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
There are currently 7 fish- One platy (full grown), one upside-down catfish (juvenile, and will be moved to a larger tank very soon) and 5 head & tail light tetra of unknown age. The largest of them is about an inch long.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
My last water change was 2 days ago. Typically I don't vacuum too deep into the gravel- just enough to gather the debris. Weekly water changes are around 25%. I typically only vacuum the gravel every other week unless I notice that the tank is particularly dirty.
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
The fish in question has been living with us since early December last year. He moved tanks from a 5 gallon (in which there were only 2 of his kind) to the 10 gallon so we could give him some friends. The move was about a month ago, and he seemed fine up until about last week.
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
A new decoration was added about 3 weeks ago, and at the same time 5 new plant bulbs were embedded in the substrate. I'd like to outline here that this single tetra is the only one experiencing these symptoms- all other fish seem normal.
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
Typically the platy & tetras get flakes and the catfish gets sinking pellets. Recently however, I've added frozen bloodworms into their diet. Note that this was not introduced until after the tetra's symptoms started.
Anyway, there you have it. Anyone know what's going on with this little guy? Should I quarantine him? He's the only fish in the tank that's showing these kind of symptoms, so I'm unsure if it's isolated to him or what.
I know this tank is at the brink of being overstocked but I believe due to the size of the fish that it's appropriate for now- as I stated earlier, the catfish will be getting a new home very soon- these lodgings are temporary for him.
Any advice is appreciated!
If anyone needs additional info just ask and I'll be happy to provide it.
