Help! Red Gills On Danios

[BaylorPerez]

Urgent help needed with my danios, i have noticed one of them going up to the surface to grab some air. When i had done that i noticed his gills(slits) were red. little worried as i have less than 4 left n my group for my old tank(yes i still clean it) but i dont want my fish to die because of their red gills, i want them to die of a natural cause(age related death) rather to what i assume is a bacterial infection on my danios. No other fish seem to have the red gills besides one of my rainbow tetras.(scar from when he had the red gills)
Also it looks like the gills have deteriorated off of my danios. I had put some melafix in(all natural tea extract) for the bacterial infection as i know that this is a bacterial infection.
 
 
Now is This a wake up call due to an ammonia or nitrite spike?
 
 
More infor will be provided later as i dont have the test kit right on hand  

 

[Munroco]

You say you know this is a bacterial infection yet you are asking if it is an ammonia or nitrate spike. While in theory it could be either, judging by your recent posts (in which you have ignored most of the advice you have been given) this seems likely to be a water quality issue.

 

[BaylorPerez]

this tank is my old one(beginners tank) my new tank(the one about the snails and corys) is fine on the water side. 
 
Whilist this tank has been kinda ignored(but still kept in operation) i notice new things weekly with it. as this tank has only danios and tetras. im still abit worried as i havent seen this happen before in this tank. while im worried if this was attributed to a ammonia or nitrite spike. i have the test kits with me now. 
 
 
Ph 7.8(could be lower but it seems to be ok)
Ammonia .50Ppm
Nitrite 2.0(how can i fix this)
Nitrate 20Ppm
 
Gh 6
Kh 5.0

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I don't know what posts Munroco is talking about....but this is definitely a water quality issue. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero. Your fish are being poisoned by both right now. It's not bacterial. Do lots of water changes. Big changes. 50% or more. Wait 20 to 30 minutes and test your levels again. At least try to get the ammonia down to 0.25 or below and the nitrite down to that as well if possible. If it's still not, do another big water change and test again. I don't know how old your tank is since you didn't post that but it sounds like you are going through a fish in cycle, at least a mini one. You will have to maintain this tank for a while and probably do daily changes. Keep testing.

 

[Far_King]

Is this another tank where you've washed the filter sponge out?  By the parameters you've posted it appears like a crash and re-cycle.

 

[BaylorPerez]

no, this tank was my original tank, one which as i said i gave up on in a older post. but i kept feeding the fish and maintaining the tank to my best extent possible until the fish die off. 
 
As this tanks filter is a fully cycled tank this little "crash" had scared me due to the fact that i wasnt expecting the tank to crash after still maintaining it. But with my tank water it may of been due to me not doing my water change as often ( 1 time every 2 weeks rather than 2-4 times a week )

 

[benthyer]

When you maintain this tank do you clean the sponges in the filter?
 
I remember you saying before that you have done this and would explain why this is happening.
 
Also how often are you feeding the fish and how much?
 
If your other tank is cycled try and get some of that water into this tank to add the bacteria it needs to get it cycled again.

 

[BaylorPerez]

When you maintain this tank do you clean the sponges in the filter?
 
I remember you saying before that you have done this and would explain why this is happening.
 
Also how often are you feeding the fish and how much?
 
If your other tank is cycled try and get some of that water into this tank to add the bacteria it needs to get it cycled again.

this isnt the sponge filter tank, this is my original tank that i had when i made my first 10 posts. i did listen to you guys with those posts as i did wait a couple days before putting more fish into the tank, i did also do couple water changes within the tank as i got the fish as well, using the drip method.
 
This tank if you guys remember from my first post was one where i had the rainbow shark, and a full group of danios, and 1-2 corys, then i swapped my snails and corys into the sponge filter tank and none of them have died as i got it stable, no spikes as of now which is good, but now that the sponge filter tank is complete i am now focusing on my danio and tetra tank which is where these red gills are coming on. Also with these red gills i did a magnifying glass and i saw what looks like little brown spots? mites maybe?
and within both tanks i feed the fish 1 time a day, about 2 pinches of flakes for my danios and tetras and 4 algae wafers and 2 pinches of catfish pellets 

 

[benthyer]

I know it's the other tank but what filter do you have in this one and how do you clean it?
 
Sounds like a fair bit of food but I'm no expert.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

 
Ph 7.8(could be lower but it seems to be ok)
Ammonia .50Ppm
Nitrite 2.0(how can i fix this)
Nitrate 20Ppm
 
Gh 6
Kh 5.0

 
 
These are the test results you posted. I don't care which tank this is you are talking about, these are BAD results. You're fish are going through ammonia and nitrite poisoning. This will cause red gills and gasping at the surface because the fish can't breathe. Both of these, in their own ways, affect the gills, causing them to be red. Please do water changes and get those numbers down. Then see how your fish are doing BEFORE doing any more kinds of medication. It may take a while for them to recover from this, if they do at all. I hope for the best for you but you cannot ignore your test results. Medicine will not help get those numbers down. Only water changes will do that.
 
And yes, us knowing what type of exact setup for the tank you are speaking of is a MUST to let us know how to help you and advise you better. If you make multiple threads in different areas, post ALL the stats of the tank so people know. Not everybody checks every board on here, and especially in the emergency section it needs to be said.
 
So, tank size, type and numbers of fish, filter type and what's in it, water change schedule, feeding schedule, and all that should be included in every post here. I"m not meaning to get on to you about this, but you keep saying "in my other posts", well, that's not THIS post now is it? Please help us help you by posting the rest of your stats, ok? It is important. We aren't trying to ask you stupid questions on here, we are trying to help you out.

 

[irthumper]

Dude, if you don't want to care for these fish properly then give them away! Don't just let the tank go and then get all freaked out because you notice the fish aren't doing well. Give them to someone who wants them and will take care of them right if you aren't willing to, instead of waiting on them to die.

 

[BaylorPerez]

I believe the brand if aqueon but its a 40Gal Quieftflow filter, with carbon cartride(havent changed it yet), with a gravel bed, 3 plants and 1 water heater, no airstone within this tank as i dont see a point in it with only 5 fish within the tank. 
 
3 stage filter, mechanical, bio, and chemical filter all packed in the quietflow filter. May need to change the cartridge as it is green and red. 

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Sorry to say but if you left that carbon cartridge in there while you were trying to treat with melafix, it wouldn't do you any good. Carbon will take medicines out of the water. All carbon must be removed before treatment. Then added back after treatment is done to help with getting rid of the extra medication. Also, did you understand what I was telling you about your test results and why to do water changes?

 

[BaylorPerez]

yes i did, i keep doing the water changes

 

[NickAu]

 
but i kept feeding the fish and maintaining the tank to my best extent possible until the fish die off.

I am but this needs to be said.
 
You are not maintaining the tank to the best extent possible you say it your self due to me not doing my water change as often ( 1 time every 2 weeks rather than 2-4 times a week )
 
If you wont maintain the tank catch the fish and return them to the pet store, Otherwise all you are doing is making the fish suffer.