Lemon Tetras Still Dying

[finchfarm]

A few months ago I got a school of six Lemon Tetras. In about a week, they started acting really wierd and some of them died. In the end, we lost three of our six new fish. Someone on here said that what I was describing sounded like pH shock. I thought this was very probable since we'd just gotten the fish and even though my pH isn't bad (6.0) I do realize that its a good possibility that its very different than what they were used to. At this time I reported all my other tank values (pH, ammonia, nitrates, ect) and everything was fine.

After losing the first three fish in the first couple weeks, the other three seemed to be doing fine. Occasionally one of them would resort back to the wierd behavoir, but it would correct itself and the fish would stop. I had a hard time trying to expalin the behavior, but after seeing it frequrently over the past few months, its become easier to expalin.

Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning and found one of the Lemon Tetras dead and sucked up against the filter intake. I also noticed one of the other Lemons was doing this wierd behavior. When they do this, they swim all over the tank like they have no control of what they are doing. They swim upside down, swim sideways, swim in never ending circles and just do nothing but spin very quickly. They like spaz out. If I had to relate it to something, it almost looks like they were having a siezure. But can fish have siezures? Usually, once I turned the tank light on, the fish would stop doing this behavior. The times when I've turned the light on and the fish haven't stopped, has always been the time that the fish has died. After pulling the one tetra out yesterday and seeing the other one spazzing, I turned the tank light on. He didn't stop the behavior. About 8-10 hours later he was dead. None of my other fish have died, nor experienced similair behavior. Its only the Lemon Tetras.

After having these two Lemons die yesterday, I did a test on my water. pH of 6.0, 0 ammonia. I didn't test nitrates/nitrites, but when this first started happening after I bougth them I did and everything was fine there too. I've had them for a couple of months now and they're still doing this behavior and dying. I'm doubtful now that it was pH shock. I don't think they should be going into pH shock after I've had them for two months and my pH hasn't budged during that time?

Any further insight would be helpful. Maybe I'll be able to save my last Lemon Tetra.

 

[Spooky76]

Hey - sounds odd. My PH is only 6.5 and I have 5 lemons which are fine.
1 - how do you test your water stats ?
2 - What are all your readings No2 No3 etc ?
3 - What temp is the tank ?
4 - what do you feed them and how much
5 - how long do you have the lights on for
6 - how often do you do water changes ?
7 - Do you add any medications etc to the tank ?
8 - what other fish are in the tank and are they OK ?

Other than that, it sounds odd, although lemons do swin sideways slightly when showing off...

I can only think one of your parameters is off somewhere, otherwise I dont know.

Post back and see if we can find out and save the last little fella

 

[finchfarm]

How do you test your water stats ?
However the test kit box says to do it. I forget what brand it is, but it has a little eye-dropper that you use to put the water in a test tube. Then you put however many drops in the tube and shake it. Some of them have to sit for a while. The ammonia and pH test kids are both fairly new, only a few months old

What are all your readings No2 No3 etc ?
I didn't test these yesterday, but when I tested them the first time I was having problems with the Lemons everything was normal. I might test them sometime tonight or tomorrow. Remaining Lemon and other fish seem to be doing fine.

What temp is the tank?
We don't have a heater, but its so warm here that the tank is pretty much constant most of the year in the 80s. We did have a cold snap and the water is now in the 70s. However, on both occasions where I've had the Lemons die the water has been in the low 80s range.

what do you feed them and how much?
I usually feed my fish every other day, sometimes every day. They usually get a pinch of Color Bits, a pinch of Shrimp Pellets, 3-5 broken up pieces of Algae Disc. They also reguarly get, though not every day, frozen brine shrimp, mango, banana, and freeze dried blood worms.

how long do you have the lights on for?
Usually about 5 hours a day, sometimes more. But that's for the tank light. They recieve indirect lighting from a nearby window. They are located in our dining room, which has a overhead light in it, so whenever we're in that room that light is pretty much always on.

how often do you do water changes?
I do partial water changes on Saturday and Sunday. About 5-6 gallons each water change. During this time the tank is also gravel vaced.

Do you add any medications etc to the tank?
Nope, haven't added any medications in ages.

what other fish are in the tank and are they OK?
We have two Silver Dollars, one Red Hook Silver Dollar, 1 Black Skirt Tetra, the remaining Lemon Tetra, a small Sailfin Pleco, 3 Zebra Danios and one African Knife. I haven't had any of my older fish (ie fish older than my Lemons) die since November. We've had the Red Hook since he was a little fish, he's 8 years old now. Everybody seems to be eating fine, everyone's acting normally. Sometimes they do look "pale" (colors are duller) early in the morning, but once I turn the light on or they get some sunlight or whatever they brighten up to their normal colors.

 

[Spooky76]

Well if you can test again I would, usually problems are down to water conditions.
Make sure your temp isnt fluctuating too much if it does cool down. Really around 78-80 seems to be about the max, as increasing temp lowers aeration and increases the fishies metabolism, which increases ammonia, waste etc.
Dont feed them high protein food too much, really live / frozen foods once a week, this can cause the constipation, stringy poop etc.
If your other fish are all fine, it sounds like your doing everything correct to me. It could just be a bad batch I suppose.

All I would suggest is to check the water, keep up the water changes and maybe add some melafix to the tank. You could always try adding an airstone see if that helps too...Other than that im stumped because it all sounds good. Sorry cant be much more help.

 

[Recky10]

A few months ago I got a school of six Lemon Tetras. In about a week, they started acting really wierd and some of them died. In the end, we lost three of our six new fish. Someone on here said that what I was describing sounded like pH shock. I thought this was very probable since we'd just gotten the fish and even though my pH isn't bad (6.0) I do realize that its a good possibility that its very different than what they were used to. At this time I reported all my other tank values (pH, ammonia, nitrates, ect) and everything was fine.

After losing the first three fish in the first couple weeks, the other three seemed to be doing fine. Occasionally one of them would resort back to the wierd behavoir, but it would correct itself and the fish would stop. I had a hard time trying to expalin the behavior, but after seeing it frequrently over the past few months, its become easier to expalin.

Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning and found one of the Lemon Tetras dead and sucked up against the filter intake. I also noticed one of the other Lemons was doing this wierd behavior. When they do this, they swim all over the tank like they have no control of what they are doing. They swim upside down, swim sideways, swim in never ending circles and just do nothing but spin very quickly. They like spaz out. If I had to relate it to something, it almost looks like they were having a siezure. But can fish have siezures? Usually, once I turned the tank light on, the fish would stop doing this behavior. The times when I've turned the light on and the fish haven't stopped, has always been the time that the fish has died. After pulling the one tetra out yesterday and seeing the other one spazzing, I turned the tank light on. He didn't stop the behavior. About 8-10 hours later he was dead. None of my other fish have died, nor experienced similair behavior. Its only the Lemon Tetras.

After having these two Lemons die yesterday, I did a test on my water. pH of 6.0, 0 ammonia. I didn't test nitrates/nitrites, but when this first started happening after I bougth them I did and everything was fine there too. I've had them for a couple of months now and they're still doing this behavior and dying. I'm doubtful now that it was pH shock. I don't think they should be going into pH shock after I've had them for two months and my pH hasn't budged during that time?

Any further insight would be helpful. Maybe I'll be able to save my last Lemon Tetra.

Hi, I work at a pet store and have seen this behavior you explaine before. it took place twice with two neon blue rainbows and one serpae tetra. It took place during a water change, the fish are in a heated tank and live at the pet store. I was filling the tank up and i noticed one rainbow started darting around the tank then the other and then the tetra. i was very confused until i felt the water i was filling the tank with, it was cold. I stopped filling the tank and the fish made there way over to the heater, whitch you can see heat emitting from. I waited till the fish were swimming Around again and the temperature went back to normal and then resumed filling the tank with warmer water. i watched the fish for awhile and they seemed fine. checked bach in 15 minuetes and could never have told they had had this sudden spaz. The fish have been fine ever since and have never done it again. I do not know why the other fish, a few more serpae and 6 or 7 tiger barbs, didnt participate in this behavior but i later realized that the sudden spazum was due too shock. when the cold water went into the warm water i guess the closest fish, the two rainbows and the tetra, felt the water they went into shock. The only advice i could give you doesnt realy relate to you since your scenario doesnt involve a water change but could be due to releasing the fish from the bag into the tank to early without its temperature balancing out. Since your fish exhibited this behavior for such a long time i dont understand the spazzums. A complete guess of mine is they might be terrified of the dark and become insane when the lights go out untill they become so scared they die. honostly this is all i can think of since your PH and nitrite/nitrate tested fine. hope it helps you.