Neon Tetras Missing Tails

[sid79]

Hi guys,

I haven't seen this problem before and I'm a bit baffled.

My sons 150l tank has various guppies, platies, swordtails and neons. There is also an oto and bristlenose plec.

The conditions are all normal and i do regular water changes every week.

There are also hundreds of mts in there too

I lost a tetra 3 days ago, didn't think much of it til I lost another this morning. Then i noticed 4 tetras were missing their tails all the way down to a stump. It looks like they have been cut off!

I don't really know what to do about it. Is it some sort of tetra disease or has one of my fish gone cannibal?

Any advise will be greatfully received.

Thanks,
Sid.

 

[AshleyNZ]

It sounds like Finrot to me. If you haven't heard of this disease, it is one of the most common and preventable diseases that occur with aquarium fish. It is usually caused by the environment the fish are in. Fish are more likely to get fin rot if they are stressed, overcrowded, recently moved into a new tank, or having aggressive fish within the tank. 
 
Symptoms include:
~Fin edges turn white
~Fins fray
~Bases (Closest to the body) of fins inflamed
~Entire fin may rot away
 
In the early stages of Fin Rot the edges of the fins will discolor, appearing milky colored on the edges. Often this change is so subtle that it goes unnoticed until fraying of the fins or tail begins. As the infection spreads, small pieces of the fins die and begin to fall off, leaving a ragged edge. Over time the fins become shorter and shorter as dead flesh continues to slough off the affected fins. The affected area may become red and inflamed; with bloody patches appearing as more tissue is eaten away. It is common for secondary fungal infections to develop along the raw edges of the fins. It is not unusual for Columnaris (Cotton wool looking fungus on fish's body) to also be present at the same time as Fin Rot, as occur from environmental factors.
 
(Off internet)
 
To avoid Finrot, you need to keep the tank as clean as possible, maybe increase waterchanges to keep the water cleaner. Regular maintenance is key. Use a test kit to check the levels of NitrAte, NitrIte, and ammonia. Check the fish are all in appropriate groups (I believe neons need groups of 6+ (Schooling fish) As do Otos)
Check that that pH and temperature are also appropriate for all species. If the pH is not within desired range, do not attempt to "fix" it with chemical products as this could lead to more problems in future. Contact someone on the forum
To keep water cleaner, feed fish less, or less often. Excess food can cause bad water quality. If you do all these things, it can help prevent Finrot.
 
Treatment should include a water change, and careful examination of the aquarium conditions. If there is food debris, vacuum the gravel and take care to avoid overfeeding in the future. Start putting dates on your fish food, as it loses the vitamin content fairly quickly after it is opened. Feeding fish fresh, high quality food, in smaller quantities is far better than frequent large feedings of stale foods. (off internet again)
 
There are medicines available, but i'm not great with meds so ill leave that to someone else.
Most information off here:
http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/finrot.htm
 
I really hope this helps you, and good luck with the fish
-Ash

 

[sid79]

Thanks for replying. I checked the levels with my test kit and they were fine. I'm trying to feed them less than i did to try and control the mts problem in there. More water changes it is then.

 

[AshleyNZ]

It could also be the tetra nipping each other's tails, just watch out for any aggression