Strange Problem with Tank/Fish

[Heko]

My fish has a strange... disease.

10 gallon tank, 2 years old. One fish, red-eyed tetra.

It's dorsal fin... is chipped and almost half of it is gone.
Other than that, no parasites...

A Ph test shows 7.0, I am trying to get it down, but it's hard. Every 24 hours 2 drops of PH Down.

Ammonia is almost non-existent. I don't have a nitrate test. Water temperature is 80. (Room temp, no cooling)

It's pretty nervous, and swims a little leaning to the right.

I dropped a tetracycline tablet yesterday.

The fish is ~3 years old... maybe it's just old?

 

[astroguy]

Hi and welcome to AA.

First off, there is absolutely no need at all to add pH down. Your tetra will be fine in a pH=7 water. All you do is stress the fish since the product changes the pH over a short time. So leave it

Second, am I right to understand that you have only 1 tetra in a 10 gallons tank? I hope not. Tetra are schooling fishes, i.e., they need to be at least 4-6 to be happy.

Please give the concentration of ammonia, and also nitrIte. How frequent do you change water?

Dorsal fin almost gone -> points toward fin rot but it could be other things. Is the fin desintegrating?

Tetracycline is an antibiotic: i) it will kill completely your cycling bacteria -> you will start the cycle all over again, sorry, ii) you need to follow the indications very closely, i.e., drop a tablet every day for the period recommended (I think 5 days, but check).

More when you give the information requested above.

 

[Heko]

Hi and welcome to AA.

First off, there is absolutely no need at all to add pH down. Your tetra will be fine in a pH=7 water. All you do is stress the fish since the product changes the pH over a short time. So leave it

Second, am I right to understand that you have only 1 tetra in a 10 gallons tank? I hope not. Tetra are schooling fishes, i.e., they need to be at least 4-6 to be happy.

Please give the concentration of ammonia, and also nitrIte. How frequent do you change water?

Dorsal fin almost gone -> points toward fin rot but it could be other things. Is the fin desintegrating?

Tetracycline is an antibiotic: i) it will kill completely your cycling bacteria -> you will start the cycle all over again, sorry, ii) you need to follow the indications very closely, i.e., drop a tablet every day for the period recommended (I think 5 days, but check).

More when you give the information requested above.

Ah. It has lived by itself with Tiger Barbs for the first year, then the barbs died out, and only the 2 tetras were left alone. Then the other tetra died, and it has lived like this for 1 year. Damn :/

Ammonia is at 0 - I don't have a nitrate test.

The fin is just... gone. almost.

Tetracycline package says it does not affect biological filter... but...

It says 1 tablet per 24 hours for 5 days.

 

[astroguy]

ok. Tiger barbs need much more than 10 gallons, so it is no surprise they died.

Try to buy some nitrIte (not nitrAte, but why not the other if you can) test as well. It helps us determine your conditions.

Tetracyclone not affecting biological filter: I had the impression it does, but maybe I am wrong. Be sure to check for your ammonia readings. And follow the directions. It may be hard to make the tetras live longer. If it dies, finish the medication (yes even if there is nothing!) before putting new fishes. I suggest to look on the web and in books about which kind of fishes fit in a 10 gallons (a few tetras, but only in school, not alone, etc).

 

[Christmasfish]

I think i'd check info with the company site anyway. Maybe because of the difference between gram negative and gram positive bacteria forms. I think are filter medias are negatives. I remember that Tetracycline effects gram negative ..which mean NOT safe for your filter if it is negative .....

But most bad things are gram negative too like areonomas. Hmmm.