Neon Tetra Is Discolored

[Turquoiseguppy]

I have been looking forward to having fish for quite some time now, and recently bought and set up a 2.5 gallon tank. I have since found on the forum that neon tetras are not good fish to cycle with, and am getting the idea that the lfs told me wrong when they said that a small school of 4 neon tetras would do well in the tank I have.

Currently I have two neon tetras and one turquoise guppy. I had planned on adding more tetras after a week, but noticed one of the tetras was ill and wanted to take care of him first.

Around a week and a half ago (the end of week one of having them in the tank), one of the tetras began hiding in the corner, nose slightly down, and eating very little. He was not losing color, rather, the top part of his body above the stripe became a very dark grey. I did the first water change that day (around 20%), added a very small amount of aquarium salt, and the neon tetra looked better after around an hour. He was then a lighter grey color where he had been dark grey, and started interacting more with the rest of the tank in general, including the guppy and other tetra. I took this to mean he was getting better.

I continued doing a 15% water change every other day, but his symptoms did not improve any. A few days later I went to the lfs and they told me to use quICK cure, which I was told would take care of most common fish illnesses. Did that for a few days, and here we are. The neon tetras are both now a yellowish where they were grey, and they seem to spend about half of their time together, and half alone. The one that has been sick longer looks slightly bloated, but I could be wrong. There are no other visible symptoms.

Throughout all of this the guppy has seemed fine. He has not been discolored, nor has he been lethargic as the neon tetras have been.

I have noticed strings of poo from all of them, but they don't get very long (less than 1cm) and they are tannish in color, which if I understand correctly is normal.

I don't think it is ntd, but I would like to cure this ASAP, as at least one of them has been sick for over a week. Any suggestions?


Tank size: 2.5 gal
pH: ~7.6
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 0pm

 

[WILDER]

The tank size is to small for neon tetra and guppys.
All the tank is good for is a betta.
Bad water quality takes it's toll on fish as it damages there gills and burns there skin.
What are your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Fish will produce more slime coat to protects themselves from bad water quality to parasites.
The yellow on the fish is it a sheen or fluffy looking.
The neons will look pale and washed out in bad water quality.
Also yellow in the blue area can be ntd, but usually the red stripe area will looked bleached out or a milky colour.

 

[Turquoiseguppy]

The LFS told me that the fish would be perfectly fine in the tank. I do not have an ammonia test, but the pH, nitrate, and nitrite are in my original post. Here they are, copied and pasted:

pH: ~7.6
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 0pm

Those tests are as of about five minutes before I posted.

The yellow on the fish looks like more like a sheen. It does not look fluffy, and at this moment is nearly completely unnoticeable. I knew the yellow above the blue could be ntd, but the top part is the only part that is discolored at all--the blue and red are still very vibrant.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
I would take them back to the lfs if I was you.
The tanks way to small for shoaling fish.
If i'm honest and you want to keep them some of them or all of them won't make it through the cycle.
Just water changes, and plenty of aeration till the tank cycled.
Salt helps in a cycling tank but neons can't tolerate to much salt so only a teaspoonful to your tank size.
You disolve the salt in a jug of tank water then add to the tank.
Its hard to say if its velvet as fish will flick and rub in bad water quality.

 

[Turquoiseguppy]

They aren't flicking and rubbing at all.

I am moving here in about a month--do you think the guppy will be ok in the tank if I take the two neon tetras back until then?

The 2.5 is all I have room for here, and I am buying a bigger tank as soon as I get moved in. What is the ideal size for a small shoal of neon tetras?

Is the 2.5 big enough for a QT or Hospital tank?

 

[WILDER]

Bigger the tank the better.
For neons and guppys no less than a 10 gallon in my opinion, they need room to swim.
If you keep small fish the 2.5 gallon fine for a little hospital tank.
I would just keep up with daily water changes till the tank cycled.
Invest in a master liquid test kit so you can keep an eye on your water stats.

 

[Turquoiseguppy]

Thanks much.

I've definitely learned my lesson...Don't automatically trust the lfs.

 

[WILDER]

Yes research for yourself before buying as there are some very bad lfs.
Good luck.