2nd Dead Neon

[catherine896]

My community tank, started with 6 adult guppies, we later got 5 neons and a betta. The betta had to be removed as I saw him going for a neon, the betta was seperated immediately, the neon seemed fine, swimming round like normal carried on eating. The next day a neon was dead - I was assuming this was the one the betta went for but now Im not too sure.
Since then I had to go back to the store we got the neons and the betta from to get a heater and filter for the spare tank that the betta was going in to. The store gave us 4 free neon as my Dad mentioned that 1 had died. So that left us with in total 6 guppies and 8 neon in the community tank. (We didnt know, but we had baby guppies hiding out in plants, we only found 6 so we caught them all and they are now in the floating breeder tank) All 8 neons were fine, swimming around, eating etc.
A couple days ago only 7 neon were swimming around, the 8th one completly vanished, guessing it died and the others ate it.
This morning the 7th neon, dead. Scooped him out with the net. And the 6th neon, led on the bottom gasping. Nothing to do for it so leaving it there
So what is going on with my neons???!!! I looked up neon tetra disease on google and I dont think its that, however the first neon that vanished did have a small lump on its stomach. After that 1 vanished I was looking at the others and could see what looked like white fungus on 1 of them, but that wasnt there later in the day.
However when we got the neons home and let them free in the tank with the guppies I could see slight damage to there fins etc - this wasnt noticeable in the shop otherwise I wouldnt of got them!
So does anyone know what is going on with our neons? Are the remaining 5 going to die aswell?
Any help would be great! Thanks.

 

[Ben]

Can you tell us anything about the Stats of your water?...like PH, temperature etc
maybe we can help you more then

 

[catherine896]

We didnt do any water tests as we just started out a few weeks ago, the man we got the tank off just said to leave it cycling for a week with plants in and it will be fine. The temperature is at about 24c

 

[sophos9]

Oh dear, not good advice!

What size is your tank? Your tank is probably going through the cycle which will result in floating fishies (unless they are hardy like danios)

I suggest getting a test kit ASAP and find out what your water parameters are!!

 

[catherine896]

Its a 125 litre tank. I thought it might be the water, but then I wouldnt of thought the baby guppies would of been strong enough to make it if the water was bad.
I think the neons may have been ill before we got them as when they first went into the tank I was looking at the closely and you could see slight damage to the fins etc.
Ive been watching them all day and the 3rd neon is now up at the surface gasping, also has white patches on it, cant see if its like fungus stuff or like a white coming through as a colour. Also a small patch of the scales on it look like they are 'dead' if that makes sense? They are not shiny anymore and are losing colour. The 5 neon that are still swimming about and eating fine seem to be going for eachother aswell. Dont know if thats normal or not but 1 swims after another, tries to bite it then the 1 being chased turns round and chases it away trying to bite it, then they seperate. But it keeps happening. Why cant animals speak, then you could know what to do and how to do it soooooo much easier!
Thanks for replying.

 

[sophos9]

Guppies may have a better tolerance to ammonia than neons. Do the neons look like they have white spot disease (Click here)

When was this tank setup?

 

[catherine896]

Umm I cant remember exactly, maybe 3-4 weeks ago. We left it for a week with the plants to do a cycle, the person who we got the tank off said this would be enough and then said to add a few hardy fish like guppies, so we added the 6 guppies. Also its a 2nd hand tank that had a community setup in before so thought this would help the first weeks cycle along a little. We did clean it out well though.

I looked at that pic, there are no white spots on any of the neons. I dont know what is going on with them, but I think it may be the neon tetra disease as the first neon that died had a lump on its stomach and the sick one in the tank now has white patches (not spots)

I cant seperate the neons from the guppies as the spare tank we did have now houses my betta, he was housed in there as he went after a neon when he was in the community tank.
Obviously I cant put the neons in with him incase he goes after them again - plus hes growing all his tail and finnage back I dont want the neons to eat it all off again. If I put the neons in there and the betta back in with the guppies - who he didnt seem to even notice were there then what do I do with him if he turns round and goes after a guppy!
The only thing I can think of is to collect up the 5 neons that seem healthy and the sick one and take them back to the store. But then they would probably just throw them back in with the other neons!

 

[sophos9]

Can you post any pix of the neons?

 

[catherine896]

Ok, 3rd neon now dead, theres 2 pics of him and 2 pics of the ones in the tank that are swimming about. Its the best I can get, they move too quickly! Any tips on how to get them to stay still and Ill take a couple more.