Ok this might be a long one. I more or less joined this forum just to ask some experienced fish keepers this question and tell them my problem. I will give some info about the tank after my story.
.......So we recently moved into a new house and I decided to to drain my fish tank and bring it here empty. I figured Ill just restock it when we get settled in a little better. So I brought it to my new home. All I did was just drain the water out of it and took the decor out. Then I set it up in our new house after I found the perfect spot. I didn't really want to do a major cleaning so I wouldn't have to cycle the tank as long. Well up to this point I have had to fill my tank with water that I had to buy from a spring, and it worked. So I was eager to test the well water at our new house hoping to be able to fill it with that water. Well I tested it and the PH was about 6.5. Not bad because I was considering buying tetras. I also tested ammonia, and copper and both read zero. so I decided to use that water to fill it up. After I put the decor back in and the filter and heater, I waited for 2 days, then put a couple of cherry barbs that were on sale in to cycle it. After they seemed fine, I decided to get some of the tetras I wanted. I got 5 neons, 5 red minor sarpae, 2 black skirt tails, and 4 blood fins. I was exited because it was black Friday at this time and I got each fish for a dollar. so I put them in and they seemed fine, for about 2 days. On the 3rd day I woke up and turned the light on to feed them, and was unhappy to see that almost every fish in the tank had signs of fin rot. Most of their fins were really frayed. So I really didn't have a problem with this because I have only been keeping fish for about a 8 months now. So I read up and really didnt see any cures that worked. Some say salt others say melafix I was really stumped. So I decided on the melafix. I was dosing daily and saw no signs of improvement. Only that the disease was now attacking the body.
..........I decided the only thing I could was to start the tank from scratch, and I mean from the very beginning. So I drained it down and used a very mild bleach solution to clean every little thing in the tank. I also boiled the plants and airstone. I waited for the bleach to ware off and then I bought some brand new gravel(black sand) for the tank. I set everything up again, this time I used crystal clean spring water with no impurities. I then had to cycle normally so I waited about a week to put some cycle fish in. I also used stress coat and I also put some aquarium salt in because this time I wanted mollies. So I bought 2 platys and 2 mollies. Well one looked really weak and soon I took him out to not risk an infection, but the other 3 lived fine and are still in the tank now after 4 weeks. After a week I bought a few more platys, a pair of dalmatian mollys(male and female) and also a pair of black mollys(male and female). The fish were doing fine. Living great and happy. 1 molly actually gave birth. I had 2 fish die. a platy and a black molly. I think think they were just weak. Then this is where the problem started. About 4 days ago I bought some tertas. 5 neans, and 3 red minors. Well I awoke yesterday to find the same thing happen as last time. Every single neon appears to have fin rot, and now half of there tails are just gone. I also see that a couple of platys have it also. Now let me remind you that all of the mollies and platys were perfect before I put these new tetras in. They were perfect, no disease, eating fine, always swimming, and since I put in the tetras, they now have signs of fin rot. Now let me give you some facts about the tank. It is a 29g kit from Aquaion. the temperature is at 77, and the PH is at 7.2. ammonia is zero. I did put about 4 tbls of aquarium salt in the beginning when I started with mollys. Before I wrote this page I did remove the 3 red sarpaes because they seemed to be nippy. Stocking before that was as follows; 4 platys, 2 dalmatian mollys, 1 black molly, 1 silver lyre tail molly, 5 neon tertas, and 3 red sarpeas. I didnt yet change the filter cartridge because it says to change every month and I plan on doing that today or tomorrow depending on what you guys say. ........................................................................................So there is my problem. I am beginning to believe that the both sets of neons were infected because I got all the fish from Petco and the tetras were in the same tanks as the first time I got them and had fin rot. Is that possible that it was nothing wrong with my tank and all Petcos fault for selling me infected fish? The only problem is I didn't see any fin rot on the fish when I bought them because I make sure to observe the tank before buying a fish. I really need help with this and have no clue what to do with the tank anymore. Also I should say that I have had so many problems with tropical fish tanks. In 8 months, I had to restock 6 times and I am losing the will to keep this fish tank. Help Me please!
.......So we recently moved into a new house and I decided to to drain my fish tank and bring it here empty. I figured Ill just restock it when we get settled in a little better. So I brought it to my new home. All I did was just drain the water out of it and took the decor out. Then I set it up in our new house after I found the perfect spot. I didn't really want to do a major cleaning so I wouldn't have to cycle the tank as long. Well up to this point I have had to fill my tank with water that I had to buy from a spring, and it worked. So I was eager to test the well water at our new house hoping to be able to fill it with that water. Well I tested it and the PH was about 6.5. Not bad because I was considering buying tetras. I also tested ammonia, and copper and both read zero. so I decided to use that water to fill it up. After I put the decor back in and the filter and heater, I waited for 2 days, then put a couple of cherry barbs that were on sale in to cycle it. After they seemed fine, I decided to get some of the tetras I wanted. I got 5 neons, 5 red minor sarpae, 2 black skirt tails, and 4 blood fins. I was exited because it was black Friday at this time and I got each fish for a dollar. so I put them in and they seemed fine, for about 2 days. On the 3rd day I woke up and turned the light on to feed them, and was unhappy to see that almost every fish in the tank had signs of fin rot. Most of their fins were really frayed. So I really didn't have a problem with this because I have only been keeping fish for about a 8 months now. So I read up and really didnt see any cures that worked. Some say salt others say melafix I was really stumped. So I decided on the melafix. I was dosing daily and saw no signs of improvement. Only that the disease was now attacking the body.
..........I decided the only thing I could was to start the tank from scratch, and I mean from the very beginning. So I drained it down and used a very mild bleach solution to clean every little thing in the tank. I also boiled the plants and airstone. I waited for the bleach to ware off and then I bought some brand new gravel(black sand) for the tank. I set everything up again, this time I used crystal clean spring water with no impurities. I then had to cycle normally so I waited about a week to put some cycle fish in. I also used stress coat and I also put some aquarium salt in because this time I wanted mollies. So I bought 2 platys and 2 mollies. Well one looked really weak and soon I took him out to not risk an infection, but the other 3 lived fine and are still in the tank now after 4 weeks. After a week I bought a few more platys, a pair of dalmatian mollys(male and female) and also a pair of black mollys(male and female). The fish were doing fine. Living great and happy. 1 molly actually gave birth. I had 2 fish die. a platy and a black molly. I think think they were just weak. Then this is where the problem started. About 4 days ago I bought some tertas. 5 neans, and 3 red minors. Well I awoke yesterday to find the same thing happen as last time. Every single neon appears to have fin rot, and now half of there tails are just gone. I also see that a couple of platys have it also. Now let me remind you that all of the mollies and platys were perfect before I put these new tetras in. They were perfect, no disease, eating fine, always swimming, and since I put in the tetras, they now have signs of fin rot. Now let me give you some facts about the tank. It is a 29g kit from Aquaion. the temperature is at 77, and the PH is at 7.2. ammonia is zero. I did put about 4 tbls of aquarium salt in the beginning when I started with mollys. Before I wrote this page I did remove the 3 red sarpaes because they seemed to be nippy. Stocking before that was as follows; 4 platys, 2 dalmatian mollys, 1 black molly, 1 silver lyre tail molly, 5 neon tertas, and 3 red sarpeas. I didnt yet change the filter cartridge because it says to change every month and I plan on doing that today or tomorrow depending on what you guys say. ........................................................................................So there is my problem. I am beginning to believe that the both sets of neons were infected because I got all the fish from Petco and the tetras were in the same tanks as the first time I got them and had fin rot. Is that possible that it was nothing wrong with my tank and all Petcos fault for selling me infected fish? The only problem is I didn't see any fin rot on the fish when I bought them because I make sure to observe the tank before buying a fish. I really need help with this and have no clue what to do with the tank anymore. Also I should say that I have had so many problems with tropical fish tanks. In 8 months, I had to restock 6 times and I am losing the will to keep this fish tank. Help Me please!