Neon tetra looking rough

[Ashwp85]

Hi guys.
I've had my tank for 4 or 5 months now and had 6 neon tetras, 4 pearl gourami, 2 BN Plecos and some mollies. All seem to be fine together but one of my tetras is looking very haggard. Its fins look tatty and scales seem patchy or white. I've tried googling but get every disease going coming up. I've attempted to upload a photo of I'm doing this right
And thanks in advance

 

[Fish345]

He gonna die. I saw my 6 Neon tetras like this and all of a sudden the next morning they were dead. All of them.

 

[Colin_T]

It's either a bacterial or protozoan infection in the back half of the body.

Have you added anything new to the tank in the last 2 weeks?

How often do you do water changes and gravel clean the substrate?
How much water do you change during a water change?
How often do you clean the filter?

Have you checked the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
If yes what were the results in numbers?

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If you haven't cleaned the filter in the last 2 weeks then do that now.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate.

If the tank, filter and water are clean, then you can look for a broad spectrum fish medication that treats bacterial and protozoan infections.

Do not use anti-biotics at this stage because they will wipe out filter bacteria and need to be used in separate tanks/ containers without gravel.

 

[Ashwp85]

Hi colin and thank you. I've just tested my water and the nitrate is sky high! I've been changing water once a week at 30% and cleaning the gravel while changing it. It's a 3ft tank. Byt I think I've found the reason. The aquarium gave me fertiliser for the plants and it's the wrong one it adds nitrate also my little boy has been helping mummy and feeding the fish I've done a 40% change and will do another tomorrow. Should I remove the ill tetra?

 

[Colin_T]

Do a 75% water change now or in a couple of hours to drop the nitrates. Leave the fish in the tank and see how it looks tomorrow. Do another 75% water change tomorrow if the nitrates are above 20ppm.

In future do a 75% water change each week when you gravel clean the tank. Big water changes dilute the nutrients and microscopic organisms (bacteria, fungus, protozoan, etc) in the water better than small water changes.

 

[Ashwp85]

Thank you colin you're a gem!

 

[TallPaul]

Hope your fish make it, nothing more frustrating than going to a fish store and being sold something that is totally unsuitable.

I wish I had signed up here before I started with tropical fish, it would have saved a lot of headache.

Don't be surprised if a couple of neon tetra don't make it, hopefully they pull through but they aren't the hardiest of fish.

They are sold by the bucket load and are very popular but they really are much better suited to a more nature tank.