Help please! Tetra fading and turning all white! (with pictures)

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suyantank

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Hello everyone! Since the brown algae bloomed in my old setup, I have removed nearly all the plant and had a new setup.
Around 50% of the water is from the old tank, with some new and old plants put in.
However, once the setup was done, the blueness of one of my twins tetra (blue Harlequin Rasbora) suddenly faded away! The other one is just doing fine.
I immediately isolated the sick one. Instead of being as active as usual, it just floats steadily at the same position with fins flapping. If it is shocked, it runs very quickly and hits the tank, just like a normal fish.
I looked up some articles and guessed it happened due to neon tetra disease. I am not sure tho. I also read that it is nearly incurable.
Can you forks help please? Thanks a lot!

They have lived together for 2.5 months: (im not so sure about the exact names)
blue Harlequin Rasbora x2
cory catfish x2
ember tetra x1
gold tetra x1
betta x1

The twins used to look like this:
20200124_001720_2.jpg

Faded once after changing the setup!!!!
20200327_022929.jpg

One week after isolation. I can see that it is turning almost complete white. Never seen it eats since day 1 of isolation.
I know that the water is a bit dirty, but I worried it would get worse if I changed the water...
IMG_20200403_153606_072.jpg
 
Last edited:
Its seems stress, the thing is betta is not community fish and should be kept alone in 5 gal tank. Betta aggressiveness might cause tetra color to fade.
 
I have several tetra and yes I agree with @Barry Tetra stress fades many tetras colors. Betta are very aggressive fish that is why they are referred to as Siamese fighting fish and should be kept by themselves. They do not get along with even the females of their kind except for short time during breeding. The other concern is if your tank is cycled or not, did you test your water? Moving the water will not help cycle the tank, moving the filter and gravel would help cycle the tank. That is where the good bacteria is.
 
Neon tetra disease symptoms does include fading of color, have you seen any other symptoms? I would keep him isolated for now but provide him with some places to hide and plants to help him relax. Most tetra like shade which will also help with the stress. Bright lights add to his stress. If his color comes back then it was probably stress related.
 
Its seems stress, the thing is betta is not community fish and should be kept alone in 5 gal tank. Betta aggressiveness might cause tetra color to fade.
Thanks for your reply!
That's also my question:tank mates
Ive seen many articles and videos talking abt having tank mates for betta is good, because the betta will not be bored. But I guess that's really subjective and always a contradictory issue? Some say it depends on the personality of the betta. Ive observed my betta before adding more and more fishes. My betta never jump or bite my finger or the catfish. Thereafter i added the tetras. It does not really chase the tetras, and everyone seems to get along with each other for the last few months. But of couse im not observing them 24/7 :p
Moreover, the tetras was doing just fine until the change of setup. So i really doubt what happened.

Also, it has been a week since the start of isolation. If it is because stress caused by betta, why is its color even fading more?

Thanks!!
 
Neon tetra disease symptoms does include fading of color, have you seen any other symptoms? I would keep him isolated for now but provide him with some places to hide and plants to help him relax. Most tetra like shade which will also help with the stress. Bright lights add to his stress. If his color comes back then it was probably stress related.
thanks for your replies!!

Firstly, may i ask, how would a male betta behave when it did not get along with the others or the female betta? Since i didmt see my betta being aggressive towards other fishes. Some say it depends on the personality of the betta. I once kept a betta that would chase and bite a catfish, and that i knew it better be kept independently. But for this betta, it never bite my finger nor the tank mates, at least not in my sight.

Secondly, I guess the water circulation you mentioned is about the brown algae, right? I will relocated the filter per few days and see! i have never tested the water. I think that's what i need to do, too.

Lastly, for the sick tetra, the only symptom i can see is its fading color, refusion to eat, and inactiveness. But if it is about stress, why would it get even worse after a week of isolation? Ive put the plant in the isolation tank(Perhaps i should put some more!) And for the last week i wasn't at home, so im sure no one was disturbing it :(

Thank you so much!
 
As far as the fish you stocked the tetras and cory need to be in groups of 6 or more, they are shoaling fish, I have a tetra tanks where I keep shoals of 10 or more tetras. I think the Rasbora are also shoaling fish but you should research this. Betta even if they do not go after other fish will be stress themselves every time another fish approaches their territory or gets too close, They have a type A personality
 
For the tetra try lowering the light for him so it is dark like early morning. Tetras are South American Jungle fish that come from streams that are heavily shaded from the sun. Does he appear to have any mucus on him or sores? It may be the water, do you have chlorine in the water there and if so did you use water conditioner? water quality is a major factor in fish illness. Ammonia in the water is a major factor in fish deaths, weekly water changes help deal with this.
 
As far as the fish you stocked the tetras and cory need to be in groups of 6 or more, they are shoaling fish, I have a tetra tanks where I keep shoals of 10 or more tetras. I think the Rasbora are also shoaling fish but you should research this. Betta even if they do not go after other fish will be stress themselves every time another fish approaches their territory or gets too close, They have a type A personality
I see!
Does it work for tetras to have a mixing shoal? Or does it have to be the exact same spiece for a group?
I do see my rasbora usually sticks with other tetras, or its own twins!
For that, is it possible for the sick rasbora to get worse because of the loneliness in the isolation ward?

And If the betta is kept by itself, is there any way to satisfy its type A personality?
 
For the tetra try lowering the light for him so it is dark like early morning. Tetras are South American Jungle fish that come from streams that are heavily shaded from the sun. Does he appear to have any mucus on him or sores? It may be the water, do you have chlorine in the water there and if so did you use water conditioner? water quality is a major factor in fish illness. Ammonia in the water is a major factor in fish deaths, weekly water changes help deal with this.
1. I will put it in low light area and see.
2. I did add water conditioner to the tap water and let it settle for hourse or days before adding into the tank.
3. I dont see any mucus on the fish.
3. Yup water changed ~25% weekly! Will do for the isolation ward as well.(Except for the change of setup which was like 50%. And that's when the fish started to fade
 
1. I will put it in low light area and see.
2. I did add water conditioner to the tap water and let it settle for hourse or days before adding into the tank.
3. I dont see any mucus on the fish.
3. Yup water changed ~25% weekly! Will do for the isolation ward as well.(Except for the change of setup which was like 50%. And that's when the fish started to fade
You don't need to let the water sit of you condition it, that is only necessary without the dechlorinator. Doing water changes will help. Do a 75% water change, and then do 50% weekly for any future changes :)
 

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