Black Tetra With Pop Eye

[Sparnon]

Hey all

I have a 6 gal tropical setup at the moment that I've just started. I've got 3 black widow tetras in there now, had them for a few days (since tuesday). I've got a good filter, good bacteria, a nice bubbler and I'm generally pretty pleased with the setup. Two of the tetras seem quite happy, healthy, are eating well and doing fine. The third one is dark, isn't eating, stays away from the other two, and has swollen eyes. He stays in one corner of the tank, almost gasping/panting I dunno what to call it, but he's opening and closing his mouth rapidly and just generally looks stressed.

I'm almost certain that he has an internal bacterial infection, so today when my fiance gets back from work I'm going to ask her to take me to the place I got him from, but before I do I'd like some second opinions. Is this definately an internal infection or could it be something else? I've heard that Interpet no.9 is a good product for these kinds of problems, anyone have any success stories?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[WILDER]

How long has the tank been set up.
What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Your tanks overstocked widow tetra need 20 gallon tanks.

Popeye will look like the eyes are bulging out.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm

 

[Sparnon]

How long has the tank been set up.
What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Your tanks overstocked widow tetra need 20 gallon tanks.

Popeye will look like the eyes are bulging out.
[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm[/URL]

The tank has been set up for approximately 3 to 4 weeks. I have not yet had the water tested as I haven't been able to get to the LFS with a water sample. I am hopefully going to be able to do that tomorrow. I suspect that the water is fine as the other two fish are not showing any symptoms and seem quite happy, but I'll give you the details as and when I get them.

To address your comments about overstocking, I'd need 20 gals if I had 10/12 fish, I've only got 3 fish. It's only overstocked if the fish are:
A: producing more waste than the filter can handle (IE too many fish per gallon)
B: fish are attacking eachother because it's crowded.
C: the tank is not large enough to accomodate their maximum size.

The only problem I'm likely to have is that the group is too small and the fish will start becoming aggressive. I'm not too worried about this as my LFS has reported to me that this particular species is becoming more domesticated and docile by the day and that he hasn't had any problems with aggression.

This fish definately has popeye, and I'm now beginning to notice that he's also rather bloated compared to the other two.

 

[WILDER]

You go on size of fish, there adult size, and some fish need space to swim.
The tanks to small for widow tetra, small tetra like black neons and neon tetra fine a 12 gal.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
I would also invest in some liquid test kits in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Water change and increase aeration in the tank.
Add the bacterial med for popeye.

Research the fish before you buy as some lfs hardly know anything.
Good luck.
http/freshaquarium.about.com/od/tetras/i...Widow-Tetra.htm

 

[Sparnon]

You go on size of fish, there adult size, and some fish need space to swim.
The tanks to small for widow tetra, small tetra like black neons and neon tetra fine a 12 gal.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
I would also invest in some liquid test kits in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Water change and increase aeration in the tank.
Add the bacterial med for popeye.

Research the fish before you buy as some lfs hardly know anything.
Good luck.
[URL="http/freshaquarium.about.com/od/tetras/i...Widow-Tetra.htm"]http/freshaquarium.about.com/od/tetras/i...Widow-Tetra.htm[/URL]

And how many neons would you put in that 6 gal tank?



Seriously my friend I'm really not interested in arguing with you about overstocking. If you've got your own theories about appropriate stock levels then good for you, go derail someone elses thread with that crusade. But as far as this thread goes, I know what I'm doing enough to be able to tell you that my problems are NOT being caused by overstocking. A shoal of 10-12 in a 20 gallon tank leaves 2 gallons per fish. I have 2 gallons per fish. We could back-and-forth on this all night so lets just leave it there.

Now on the other hand if the water stats come out showing that the ammonia is way up and my LFS guy jumps around shouting "holy sh*t dude your tank is overstocked" then I'll come right back to you to borrow some salt for my hat.

Until then, if you or anyone else has any thoughts on what, other than internal bacterial infection, this problem might be caused by, then please let me know.

 

[Jim Curtis]

"And how many neons would you put in that 6 gal tank?"

None. 6 gallons is a beta tank. Its not about gallons per fish. I can stuff a 3ft shark in a 36 gallon tank. Dosent mean it will be happy. 6 gallons isnt big enough to support that kind of load, the water will be to unstable. As you already know since your little fish is already sick. It could be from too much aeration too. Try turning off your air pump and see if it goes away. Besides that tetras are schoaling fish, how can they do that in a tiny tank?

Im sure you have ammonia problems too. Just put him out of his misery now. If he dies when nobody is there to take him out his decomposing body will kill the other fish in no time with a tank that small.

[URL="http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characin.../blackwidow.htm"]http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characin.../blackwidow.htm[/URL]

Read that. It also says care level easy and youve managed to kill them off in 3 weeks, Not really sure your in a position to tell people you know what you're doing.

 

[Sparnon]

[URL="http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characin.../blackwidow.htm"]http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/characin.../blackwidow.htm[/URL]

Read that. It also says care level easy and youve managed to kill them off in 3 weeks, Not really sure your in a position to tell people you know what you're doing.

You can get facts from a website but you're unable to get your facts straight by reading this thread. Aside from your other ignorant comments, allow me to correct something for you. Firstly, I have had the fish for 3 DAYS, not 3 weeks. Secondly, I have not "killed them off", for your information, this poor guy unfortunately died today, the other two are fine. The fish that had the problems was like that since I got him, so if anyone screwed up it was my LFS or their supplier. For the last time, if it was something I was doing, it's very likely that they'd ALL be dead.

Now that we've got that cleared up, allow me to point out ANOTHER thing from that website of yours:

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons

Oh look! 10 gallons! I thought it was 20 gallons? D'oh!

Every single damn website has a different minimum tank size. I can find you one that says 6 gallons and I can find you one that says 50 gallons. You can't just pick and choose where you get your information just so it fits your argument. If you can take information from sources that can't even make their minds up then you my friend are more mislead than I.

And out of interest, how can you argue that they are "easy to care for and therefore it's my fault" and that it's due to "overstocking" at the same damn time? Surely it's one or the other, not both.

I really can't believe you people. You've completely ignored my problem so that you can go on a self indulgent uninformed crusade about overstocking. I'm sure at least one of you could've offered advice that would've saved this fish, but instead you thought it more important to derail my thread. Thanks a bunch.

 

[shelaghfishface]

If you've got your own theories about appropriate stock levels then good for you, go derail someone elses thread with that crusade.

with that attitude i suggest you take your emergency Q`s to another forum,, how rude!!, do you have any idea how much time and research this lady puts into helping us all out??

simple really ,if you don`t want an answer,dont bloody ask!!

 

[Sparnon]

simple really ,if you don`t want and answer,dont bloody ask!!

Whatever dude I'm tired of this. I never got an answer to my question, and my fish died; if you're all so great like you make yourselves out to be why couldn't you offer me advice to save it eh? Or hold back on your judgements until I actually had a chance to get my water tested? Maybe you ought to consider that next time before you go off on a crusade instead of helping the person.

Thankfully my other two didn't catch whatever it was that the third one had.

 

[Jim Curtis]

We did offer you advice to save it. You ignored it. 3 days only make your case worse btw. It wasnt bad fish. It was putting 3 of them in an uncycled 6 gallon tank. You pretty much proved our theory right by pointing out that NO website says a 6 gallon is suitable.

Again, 6 gallons is a betta tank. Just because tetras are smaller than a betta dosent mean it will work. Its 3x the #### and im pretty sure you didnt cycle your tank. Just putting water in it and letting it sit there dosent start a cycle.

Theres about 3000 ten year old kids on this site who could tell you that.

"The fish that had the problems was like that since I got him, so if anyone screwed up it was my LFS or their supplier"

Hold on, so you bought a fish with pop-eye then put it in your tank and 3 days later came here to ask advice? Pop eye is not easy to cure and im sure its impossible to cure when the fish are in an uncycled 6 gallon tank. There is nothing you could have done. You want us to send you $1.25 so you can go buy another one?

 

[Sparnon]

We did offer you advice to save it. You ignored it.

Oh really?

I just found this thread: [URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content-page/177...nation/page/20/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content-page/177...nation/page/20/[/URL]

Seems that people like Wilder will offer advice on things even if they know NOTHING about it! So that begs the question, have you ever had a fish with pop eye? I'd be willing to wager that you haven't.

3 days only make your case worse btw. It wasnt bad fish. It was putting 3 of them in an uncycled 6 gallon tank.

How does it make my case worse? The fish was like that when I got it, in what way is that MY fault? My LFS dude even said that he was considerably darker than the others. I put them in to cycle the tank, that was the whole point. Unless you're doing a fishless cycle, you kinda need fish to cycle it, so you gotta start somewhere. And no I'm not doing a fishless cycle, I've never done them and never needed to, cycling with fish has always worked fine for me.

You pretty much proved our theory right by pointing out that NO website says a 6 gallon is suitable.

Actually I pointed out that I COULD find you a website that says 6 gallon is suitable, so true to my word, here is one:

[URL="http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile40.html"]http/badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile40.html[/URL]

Here's a quote from that website, BTW goldskirts are identical to blackskirts and whiteskirts: (emphasis mine)

Goldskirts (black skirts) are, in my opinion, one of the fish that should be on everyone's must have list. They are enjoyable to watch, and easy to care for. Whether you want a couple fish in a small four gallon tank in your dorm room, or your looking for your next addition to your 180 gallon community tank, you should definitely take a closer look at the beautiful Goldskirt Tetra.

Hmmmmmm.

D'ya still believe everything you read on the web?

Again, 6 gallons is a betta tank. Just because tetras are smaller than a betta dosent mean it will work. Its 3x the #### and im pretty sure you didnt cycle your tank. Just putting water in it and letting it sit there dosent start a cycle.

We'll see when I get my water tested then won't we?

Again with the assumptions. I didn't do a fishless cycle because my chosen fish are hardy enough to stand up to cycling a new tank. I didn't however "put water in it and let it sit there". I've used interpet filter start, tetra aquastart, I've got living plants in my tank, and I let it stand with the filter pump and heater switched on for 3 weeks before I added fish. I've always done it like this and never had any problems with it. Your problem is that you've gone and got it stuck in your head that the way I look after my tank has had something to do with one of my fish getting popeye.

Theres about 3000 ten year old kids on this site.

I was beginning to wonder if that was the cause of the problem with this forum.

 

[Jim Curtis]

Wow! You amaze me! You can cherry pick info if you want. But the fact is that the actual posting says minimum tank size 24" which is a 2ft tank. Im pretty sure your 6 gallon isnt two feet. Your a joke.

"We'll see when I get my water tested then won't we? "

You and the guy at your LFS will, im pretty sure you will come here and lie and tell its your water stats are ok. Most people here test their own water. The liquid test kit for ammonia is less than $5.

And no, ive never had a fish with popeye. I keep my tank clean, my filters cycled and my fish healthy. I've seen fish with popeye and they are usually culled.

Here is the advice i offered you in post #6

" It could be from too much aeration too. Try turning off your air pump and see if it goes away. "

Wilder gave you advice too, lots of water changes and buy the meds for it at your lfs assuming it was bacterial.

That is every possible option. There is no other advice that can be given. We all also reccomend a larger tank and a bigger group of tetras. Larger tanks are more stable tanks. 6 gallon is harder to maintain than a 60 gallon imo.

 

[shelaghfishface]

Jim your wasting your time, let him find a forum that tells what he wants to hear

 

[Sparnon]

And no, ive never had a fish with popeye. I keep my tank clean, my filters cycled and my fish healthy. I've seen fish with popeye and they are usually culled.

Then I'm sorry but you're not qualified to be handing out advice on the subject. It's just as simple as that.

 

[Jim Curtis]

Thats sound reasoning. Good luck in life living by that logic. Ive never ####ed a sheep either but I know its not a good idea.