Neon Tetras Being Wiped Out!

[drain_bamaged]

Hi

I wonder if any of you would be kind enough to give me some advice?

Some disease has been rampaging through my neon tetras!

I took the fish to Maidenhead aquatics and they identified Whitespot, and fin rot, along with a possible fungal infection!! I believe some the fungal infection may have came in off some live food, or possible an ornament I added from what I thought was a trusted tank!!

So they gave me a medicine based on Mythalane Blue (I think that’s what its called!) and told me to raise the temp in my take by three degrees, the take has gone from 25oC to 28oC

…its now been two weeks, and still my fish are dying. I know that if I leave the tank (I.e don’t medicate it) the whitespot will run its course and after the population has died and after two weeks the tank will be ‘clean’. So:

1- even though im medicating and the fish are still dying- if they all die, after what period of time will the tank be safe to re populate
2- Will the fungal/fin rot also die out should the fish die??
3- is there anything else I can do to save these fish?

Water stats:

Ammonia: 0
niterate: 0
Niterite: 10

Ive had some of these tetras for almost a year and I hate to see them not looking vibrant! Please help!!!

Thanks

Darren

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.

Whitespot will look like the fish has been sprinked in salt. Or the spots will be the size of a grain of salt.
Where is the fungus on the fish. Is it white and fluffy looking.
Finrot can be common on top of whitespot.

For whitespot you need to raise temp to 30.
Also increase aeration.
Neons can be quite sensitive to parasite meds so it best to half dose.
Also what the brand name of the methylene blue, as some brands can wipe the beneifical bacteria out in the filter.

Also is the red stripe area still vibrant red.

 

[drain_bamaged]

Hi thanks for the swift reply! Ok so here are the answers to your questions:

5.5 gallons, it's a nano tank
9 neon tetras 4 bloodfin tetras 1 African dwarf frog
medication is called: protozin for whitespot and fungus

tank has been well established for a year now! Temp is now 28 oc rising to 30

the red stripe on most of the fish is vibrant but on two it looks to be faded! What does this mean? Are they 'beyond help' and going to die, or can they be cured?!

Thanks for your help!

#43###

 

[ajs2294]

Hi thanks for the swift reply! Ok so here are the answers to your questions:

5.5 gallons, it's a nano tank
9 neon tetras 4 bloodfin tetras 1 African dwarf frog
medication is called: protozin for whitespot and fungus

tank has been well established for a year now! Temp is now 28 oc rising to 30

the red stripe on most of the fish is vibrant but on two it looks to be faded! What does this mean? Are they 'beyond help' and going to die, or can they be cured?!

Thanks for your help!

#43###

You might want to look into adding a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons too, I've read in the past this is a good way to help kill itch

 

[drain_bamaged]

really? if of what type of salt? anyone else know of this method?

 

[WILDER]

Your tanks overstocked.
What test kit are you using.
Did you remove black carbon from filter.

As for the salt neons don't tolerate it to well. Not sure if you can use salt with frogs either.

The neons red stripe area could be pale because of stress.
I think I would dilute the methyelene blue down abit with losing quite a few neons, with a 1 gal water change.

 

[drain_bamaged]

Your tanks overstocked.
What test kit are you using.
Did you remove black carbon from filter.

As for the salt neons don't tolerate it to well. Not sure if you can use salt with frogs either.

The neons red stripe area could be pale because of stress.
I think I would dilute the methyelene blue down abit with losing quite a few neons, with a 1 gal water change.

tank overstocking was due to a bad fish shop but as I've had most of these for over a year and I'm careful with the ammonia buildup, the filter can now cope with the bio load!

Filer doesn't use carbon either, it's a mini filter that doesn't use carbon; saying that on the advice of the LSF I have brought some carbon material and I use this AFTER a treatment cycle to remove any treatment which still maybe in the water. The testing kit is API liquid kit most users recommend on here!

Ok so I will half dose the tank, I've turned the heater up to 30oC, what else do you recommend?!

Thanks for the help, I don't want to lose these fish!!

 

[WILDER]

You raised temp so that fine now.
Need plenty of aeration. So run and airstone or turn filter up.
If you can't turn filter up or have no airstone, lower water level so the filter outlet pipe hits the water harder.
Always check that you can use the full dose of med you are using with the fish you keep.


Look for signs of gasping, laboured breathing, darting, turning upside down.
It can be due to not enough aeration, or the fish have had a bad reaction to the med.

 

[drain_bamaged]

Ok I will keep an eye on it for a few days...this might sound like a silly question but when will I know if the fungus, ich and fin roy have gone?!

 

[WILDER]

Once spots have disappeared you are meant to treat for another week.
The meds should help with the finrot and fungus.

Once you finished the whitespot course, and run some black carbon, and the fins are still bad, add a bactterial med.