**urgent** Fish Slowly Dying...

[StevenCumming]

Hi,
 
One of my Silvertip tetras had been fin nipped about a month ago, was growing back fine and then it was nipped again a week later. So far it has not grown back but that isn't my issue. 5 days ago it started to swim sort of on it's side, and then eventually was just laying on the gravel on it's side most of the time like it is right now. Not eating and regretfully coming close dying.
 
Some information about my tank:
- 10 Gallon
- Heated / Filtered
- 6 months old
- Stocked with:
    - 4 Serpae Tetras
    - 2 Silvertip Tetras
    - 1 Bristlenose Catfish
    - Some disgusting snails I recently found (must of come in the live plants I bought)
 
Now before you all start saying that the tank is too small / overstocked, and that Tetras are schooling fish and shouldn't be kept in small groups; I know. I am just asking what I can do!
 
I have separated the ill tetra into a much smaller container (about 3l) which I have plumed into the main aquarium to share a filter but mainly to share the warm water as it can get cold here being winter at the moment. Each day the poor thing is getting progressively worse. As for the water specifications, I am getting it tested tomorrow professionally, but from what I have worked out the pH is quite acidic because I am using rain / tank water which is also very acidic. I added about 7ml of API Stress Coat two days ago and since then the ammonia in the water smells a lot worse than normal so I am guessing, hoping not though, that my Nitrite / Nitrate levels aren't ideal.
 
I have considered of euthanizing the poor thing but I wanted to see if it is just a problem with the water first, in case the others decide to follow... Hopefully it can recover but it is looking unlikely at the moment. It is very strange because 75% of the time it just lays flat on it's back but the rest it is swimming around very quickly and actively. I also have another theory that it has blinded itself by scraping it's eyeballs along the gravel and damaging them, because it won't eat peas or granules, and only reacts to the water moving around it and not light flickering. I can really only be sure by putting it back in the main tank and seeing if it swims back to it's normal hiding spot.
 
Anyway... I was just looking for thoughts or suggestions on what I can do, and if I should go ahead and put it out of it's misery in a cup of nearly freezing water. (If you have a better method please let me know!) Also, what should I do with the other Silvertip in the event the other dies? To be honest I hate the other one anyway, as it thinks it owns the tank and is very territorial / aggressive towards my Serpaes.
 
- Thanks!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Would it be possible for you to invest in a bigger tank?
 
Could the fish have fin rot from having been nipped?  Water testing will definitely help... are you able to change his water daily or even twice a day to make sure the ammonia is low and anything like bacteria is being washed away (if you aren't able to test the water yourself).


You can make a classified add on this board (there is a section for it) and offer any unwanted fish up free to a good home.

 

[StevenCumming]

Thanks for your suggestions,
 
I just checked the tail and it is actually growing back nicely, it is very transparent so I must of missed it before. There is nothing visibly, physically wrong with it which is why I am so confused... As for getting a bigger tank, it's possible but unlikely as I don't have much time to manage a larger tank. I am currently doing a water change every second day but I will increase that depending on what the pet store people say tomorrow. I have been holding off on doing anything drastic until I find out the results. Also I live in in a very small town away from any cities in Australia, so a classified add on an international site requesting someone to come here to pick it up is one in a million.

 

[dgwebster]

I am personally a fan of the clove-oil in water to euthanise a fish - freezing water is not a nice way to go and there is still debate out on my personal chosen method.
 
It sounds like your tank has range of issues. You really need to know what your water is doing especially using rain water - asbestos may be entering your water somehow for example. At the moment, we have dartboard of options to through a dart at for the problem & solution to your fish. To list but a few:
 
Ammonia & Ph can impact the ability to heal, resulting in lowered immune system inviting other virus/bacteria to kill your fish
treatments - fin rot treatment can be good
 
also, how have you plumbed the smaller container in? via input/output on the filter?
 
lastly, your other silvertip's behaviour is likely an expression of its environment. As per the previous post, try to re-home if you don't want them, your LFS may be able to help you.
 
Due to your remote location, I recommend purchasing your own water test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph at the very least.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Are you mixing the rain water with tap water, or simply adding neat rain water?
How often do you normally change water and roughly how big a %?
 
Have you got the option to do a 75-95% water change using similar chemistry water (i.e. your rain/tap water mix)?
 
I could be way off the mark here, but I think neat rainwater could be at least part of the issue here, the same as neat Reverse Osmosis water is lethal to fish if it is not re-mineralised.