What is wrong w/my fish?

[hulkamaniac]

I've got two Von Rio tetras and I'm not sure what's wrong w/them. Yesterday I noticed they have bloated bellies and appeared to be "gasping" for lack of a better term. Their mouths keep opening and closing rapidly. The other Von Rio's in the tank appeared fine and the other fish in the tank appeared fine too. I separated these two into my 5g hospital tank, but I'm not sure how to treat as I'm not sure what the problem is. They're obviously stressed and have lost their color. Their fins also appear to be little ragged. I just did a water change. None of the other 20-30 fish in the tank appear stressed at all.

I first thought it was dropsy, but now I'm not sure as the fish don't exhibit some of the symptoms of dropsy. I'm almost thinking they're suffering from constipation.

 

[Guest]

any ammonia/nitrite in tanks?

 

[Zagz]

Moved to unhealthy fish forum.
In order to help you more,please answer the following questions. If you think they are constipated, take some frozen peas, nuke them for a few seconds, skin them and feed them mushed to your fish.

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.).
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
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?
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?

 

[hulkamaniac]

Moved to unhealthy fish forum.
In order to help you more,please answer the following questions. If you think they are constipated, take some frozen peas, nuke them for a few seconds, skin them and feed them mushed to your fish.

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.).
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
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?
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
9~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?

Thanks for moving this. I didn't notice this forum before.

1. They're Von Rio Tetras. I've also seen them billed as Flame Tetras. Symptoms are a bloated abdomen, frayed fins, gasping (mouth rapidly opening and closing and loss of color.
2. Ammonia and nitrites are 0. My nitrate test kit always measures 0 which makes no sense and leads me to believe that the kit is bad or I'm using it wrong. Not sure about the temp. I keep it at room temp since it's the summer. Temperature in my house is always around 80. Ph is 7.8
3. 75 gallon tank. Set up approx a month.
4. Filter is a Rena XP3. Unknown GPH
5. Tank currently houses a 4-5 inch BN pleco, approx 6 each of black neons, julii cories, glo-lites and black skirts. All full grown. Also has a pair of adult kribs and a dwarf gourami.
6. Last water change was two days ago. Only 5g. Usually I change 10g once a week.
7. Not sure how long I've had these fish. At least 3-4 months and possibly longer.
8. Added 4 new cory cats approximately a week ago. One died the next day the others are all healthy and feeding actively.
9. I usually feed the fish tetra flake. The last couple of days I've fed them some bio blend granules.

 

[hulkamaniac]

Well, one of the Von Rio's died. The other is still very stressed and still has the bloated belly and all the other symptoms. I tried feeding peas, but he just won't take them. I dosed w/Melafix last night, but I still have no idea what's wrong w/him so I'm not sure if that will have any effect at all.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I'm not exactly sure, but I'll give you my experience with these guys. I have 9 in my 55g. They are very voracious eaters and very greedy. They overeat all the time. The first time I noticed this, a couple of them had really bloated bellies....they looked like they were about to burst. I QTed them and tried the peas and they wouldn't take them. Now, I just make sure the other fish eat alot of the food, so the flames don't overeat. They start swimming funny and breathing really hard...but they don't lose color. The frayed fins is probably because they nip each other...mine do it all the time. They chase each other and sometimes nip.

I would just try to spread the food out, if they are in one area. You can't really stop the overeating...but you can try by putting some of the food over the other fish. I've heard that granules aren't good to feed the fish alot because they expand when they eat them and can cause digestive problems....maybe the overeating, paired with the granule killed the von rio...I'm not positive though.

I could be totally in left field, but I seriously thought a couple of mine were dying once....they were just bloated from overeating though.

 

[Guest]

Usually I change 10g once a week.

IMO, I would change a little more than that.

How often fo you feed a day, mix variety at all?

Ammonia and nitrites are 0. My nitrate test kit always measures 0 which makes no sense and leads me to believe that the kit is bad o

Same kit for testing amonia and nitrite. I would double check this. Some of the orginal symptoms sounded like water quality issues at first.

 

[rich311k]

I would suggest taking a water sample to a good LFS to confirm your tests. I would up your water changes to at least 25% maybe even more. Your fish will thank you for it.

 

[Zagz]

Definately take your water in to your lfs for confirmation. I do 50% pwc's weekly. It sounds as if the tank may not be cycled. I am assuming they were moved from another tank? First do another water change of at least 50% and monitor the fish. Sorry for the loss of the one fish so far.

 

[Guest]

water

That is what I was thinking Zagz. No way cycled yet and 5 gal. water changes are not helping the situation.

 

[hulkamaniac]

Other Von Rio died yesterday. I usually change 10g a week. The fish had been in that tank for about a week and it is cycled. I never get nitrate readings from any of my tanks with that kit. Before I moved I had tanks that had been set up for almost 2 yrs and I got readings of 0 nitrate from them.