Neon Tetra Acting Strange

[confusion]

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
ph 6.5
temp: 80
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
I bought 3 black neon tetras 2 days ago. One is hanging out at the bottom, opening and closing his mouth quickly. The other neons will come up to him, and he doesn't seem to notice them and just stays in one spot. I haven't seen him eat since I brought him home - though I really haven't seen the other 2 eat either.

3. How often you do water changes and how much.
I've been doing about 50% per week, since the tank wasn't cycled till late last week.
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.
None
5. What tank mates are in the tank.
7 zebra danios, 2 other neon tetras, 19 swordtail fry (1/4" to 1/2") and 2 common plecos. Moderately planted.
6. Tank size.
55G
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?
The neon tetras and the swordtail fry.


Any ideas?

 

[WILDER]

What was the ph of the store to your tank, do you mean the fish is laboured breathing, does the fish look bloated, or dark in colour.
Is the fish laying on the gravel to oneside.

Also check to see his red stripe is still a strong red colour and there isn't any bleached out colour in it.

Just read this is more to make sure then to panic you.
http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/neondisease.htm

Right just read your other post and you said he had difficulty in swimming, can you issolate the sick neon as hes dosn't sound right, it could be a bacterial infection at this stage.

 

[confusion]

I decided to net him and isolate him. He was incredibly easy to get out. I put him in a 1/2G bag floating in the tank. When I put him in, he sank to the bottom and laid on his side. He started swimming completely vertical, then went back to laying on the bottom of the bag.

He is not bloated, and he doesn't have any red coloring - he's a black neon. His coloring looks bright and clear.

I was giving him a close look over and I noticed that one of it's eyes looks cloudy, with a small white "think" hanging off of it. Anyhow, I've got him quarentined in a bag and I won't let the water mix any longer. Is there anything I need to do to protect the other fish?

 

[fish_fetish65]

it could be a kind of fungus. "eye cloud" or "cloud eye" is a common form of it. if that's not it, it could be a swim bladder infection (hence the laying at the bottom) or just shock.

 

[confusion]

Anything I can do, or is it too late? It seems like it's probably too late for him. The rapid opening and closing of the mouth is what was really made me notice the problem.

 

[fish_fetish65]

yeah, regardless of what it is, it sounds like he's a goner. if i were you, i would just make him comfortable (it's doubtful he'll last the night) and keep a VERY close eye on your other fish for similar symptoms. hopefully whatever it was didn't have the chance to spread. sorry about your fish.

 

[confusion]

As expected, he just died. Any idea what could have been the cause? Whatever it was came on really quickly and doesn't show any physical signs. I don't think the eye problem could have been serious enough to cause death that quickly, at least from what I understand.

 

[fish_fetish65]

my best guess would be simple stress. the little guy probably just didn't adapt to the tank change very well, compared to the other two. either that, or perhaps he was already sick (the eye thing) and the stress from switching tanks was just too much? either way, i am sorry for your loss. i hope that your other fish do well! sorry i couldn't be of more help.

 

[confusion]

I took another look at the dead neon this morning and one of it's eyes had popped out. It wasn't like that before he died, so I don't know if this could be pop-eye or some other process that occurs after death.

 

[WILDER]

He had a bad bacterial infection, keep an eye on the others as there was alot going off with that fish, cloudy eye is a symtom of a desease rather than a desease in it's self, they can get cloudy eyes with bacteria infection.


Look under cloudy eye.
http/www.goldfishinfo.com/ailment1.htm#cloudy