Dying Flame Tetra

[Subcontrariety]

I have a 37 gallon (US) hex tank. I finished the fishless cycle about 3-4 months ago, and bought 5 Xray tetras, 5 flame tetras, and 4 swordtails. The swordtails promptly died for no apparent reason. One flame tetra also died without symptoms. The rest of the fish were fine.
Several weeks later, I found one of the flame tetras dead. I don't remember noticing anything unusual about him prior to his demise.
About 4 weeks ago, I noticed that one of the three remaining flames was very fat and lethargic - he hovered in one spot in the middle of the aquarium. I thought he was just obese, so I cut back on the food and kept an eye on him. He wasn't eating anything. Also, he started to have problems staying in place and controlling his position - he'd float on his side or with his head down unless he was actively staying on an even keel. About a week after I noticed the problem, he was dead.
Now a fourth flame is having problems. He's lethargic and seems exhausted with trying to stay upright. At the moment he's in a hospital tank, floating at the surface on his side. He's also considerably darker along his spine than he used to be. His scales aren't "pineconed."

Any ideas as to what might be causing this problem? I have one healthy original flame, and two recently purchased. All three seem to be doing fine. All the Xray tetras are thriving, as are the neons, guppies, shrimp, and snails in the aquarium.
Thanks!

 

[erk628]

I have a 37 gallon (US) hex tank. I finished the fishless cycle about 3-4 months ago, and bought 5 Xray tetras, 5 flame tetras, and 4 swordtails. The swordtails promptly died for no apparent reason. One flame tetra also died without symptoms. The rest of the fish were fine.
Several weeks later, I found one of the flame tetras dead. I don't remember noticing anything unusual about him prior to his demise.
About 4 weeks ago, I noticed that one of the three remaining flames was very fat and lethargic - he hovered in one spot in the niddle of the aquarium. I thought he was just obese, so I cut back on the food and kept an eye on him. He wasn't eating anything. Also, he started to have problems staying in place and controlling his position - he'd float on his side or with his head down unless he was actively staying on an even keel. About a week after I noticed the problem, he was dead.
Now a fourth flame is having problems. He's lethargic and seems exhausted with trying to stay upright. At the moment he's in a hospital tank, floating at the surface on his side. He's also considerably darker along his spine than he used to be. His scales aren't "pineconed."

Any ideas as to what might be causing this problem? I have one healthy original flame, and two recently purchased. All three seem to be doing fine. All the Xray tetras are thriving, as are the neons, guppies, shrimp, and snails in the aquarium.
Thanks!

Can you give us your water readings nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, ph etc.

 

[Subcontrariety]

Of course...sorry I forgot to put those on there.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate (in quarantine): 5-10ppm
Nitrate (original tank): ~40-80 ppm
pH: ~8.0

Water stats when the other fish died were probably very similar, although nitrate levels may have been different.

Thanks!
Ashley

 

[WILDER]

At the moment it sound like a bacterial infection, swim bladder and darkening in colour.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing against objects.
http/www.fishtanksandponds.info/care-mai...swimbladder.htm

 

[Subcontrariety]

I know that's what it sounds like, but what about the interval between fish coming down with it? One, and only one, fish gets sick, and dies within about a week. Three to four weeks later, a second fish - same species, same source - comes down with the same symptoms, and dies.
The only thing that seems like it might kill fish this way is tapeworms. Any other ideas? Treatment ideas?

Thanks,
Ashley

 

[WILDER]

What do you feed your fish?

What makes you think it tape worms.
Do they have long stringy white poo, any worms prutruding from the anus, is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
http/encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566007/Tapeworm.html

 

[Subcontrariety]

Sorry I didn't respond sooner...
I feed Tetra flakes almost exclusively. Occasionally algae wafers or freeze-dried tubifex. I just got some frozen peas saturday, and will be feeding those every week or so.

The reason I said tapeworm is that the symptoms seemed to fit, more or less. However, the current sick fish is not particularly fat, and may in fact be a bit underweight. I don't think he's eaten anything since Friday, and I haven't noticed any feces.

I've looked up threads on flame tetras both here and in the "Characins" section of the forum and it looks like they tend to be a bit aggressive. Its entirely possible that the previous deaths were caused by this aggression. I've noticed that the one I have in the hospital tank has ragged fins. Also, he's improved considerably since I moved him - he still seems to have trouble swimming, but he's generally more or less upright.

What's the best treatment for damaged fins?

Thanks again!