Pink Gills!

[djceri_g]

i noticed this morning my neon tetras seems a bit uncomfertable! the others seems to be okay but all the fish had developed pink gills but they are feeding! i tested the water NitrAte 0 NiitrIte 0 Ph 7 Ammoni 0! so what seems to be the problem~? could it be that I put sand in over the gravel last week?

 

[djceri_g]

whats wrong?

 

[Squid]

i noticed this morning my neon tetras seems a bit uncomfertable! the others seems to be okay but all the fish had developed pink gills but they are feeding! i tested the water NitrAte 0 NiitrIte 0 Ph 7 Ammoni 0! so what seems to be the problem~? could it be that I put sand in over the gravel last week?

Your nitrate is 0... this is not normally the case with a cycled tank. I would re-test the water for each of them. What test kit are you using.?

Are you sure you aren't just thinking they look pink now, when they may appear pinky all the time.

Squid

 

[tmack]

I agree that the 0 Nitrate reading is suspicious. If you're using a nitrate solution test check out this post:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=180830&hl=

 

[fishyfeet]

I agree that the 0 Nitrate reading is suspicious. If you're using a nitrate solution test check out this post:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=180830&hl=

hmmmmm whats your routine, ie, water changes how much how often, also filter type and do you clean sponges in tank water not tap water. If your readings are correct i dont think that your tanks cycled and something has killed of the bacteria in your filter.

 

[plecofan]

pink gills can be a sign of ammonia or nitrite poisoning.


id double check your readings.
like everyone else has said, 0 nitrate isnt right.

 

[djceri_g]

Ive got a liquid test. the water did show a bit of light pink but compared to the colour chart it is either 0,0 mg/l or 10mg/l. No way was the water as dark as the 10,mg.l. So it is probably betweel 0-10. This isn't high and not in danger so my water is fine! somehow the temp has gone up a but overnight! Its usually 28 but this morning it was 30c. could this be why? The neons dont seem to be swimming around they just hide behind the bogwood. But they come out when feeding!

 

[plecofan]

30 is a bit high, any change in a tank can freak a fish out.
have you put the temp back down?

from what ive read about them they like a max temp of 24

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I agree 30 is quite a high temp for neons, trying lowering it by a degree or 2 a day until its down to 24-26degree's warm .
Are the neons flicking or rubbing themselves at all on stuff in the tank? Are they gasping/rapidly breathing and are they hanging out near the top or bottom of the tank a great deal or showing any other odd symptoms whether behavioral or physical etc? Are any of them looking a bit pale at all/is their colouring looking normal on all of them?
How planted is the tank? In very planted tanks with lots of healthy plants, the nitrates can be as low as 0 since plants absorb nitrates as a fertliser, however if the tank isn't especially planted or has no live planting at all then something is most likely amiss as nitrates at the end product of the ammonia and nitrite process, and if there isn't any nitrates in the tank then it means there is probably something wrong with the stability of the water quality in the tank etc.

 

[djceri_g]

I agree 30 is quite a high temp for neons, trying lowering it by a degree or 2 a day until its down to 24-26degree's warm .
Are the neons flicking or rubbing themselves at all on stuff in the tank? Are they gasping/rapidly breathing and are they hanging out near the top or bottom of the tank a great deal or showing any other odd symptoms whether behavioral or physical etc? Are any of them looking a bit pale at all/is their colouring looking normal on all of them?
How planted is the tank? In very planted tanks with lots of healthy plants, the nitrates can be as low as 0 since plants absorb nitrates as a fertliser, however if the tank isn't especially planted or has no live planting at all then something is most likely amiss as nitrates at the end product of the ammonia and nitrite process, and if there isn't any nitrates in the tank then it means there is probably something wrong with the stability of the water quality in the tank etc.

ye, i have put the temp down a little! haven't got a clue how it risen! they aren't rubbing them selfs ore gasping for breath, they are still bright but doesn't swim around only hiding behind bogwood but not on the bottom! and pink gills. Maybey there is nothing wrong with them but do you guys thisk i should do a water change?

My tank has 5 live plants and these doesn't seem to gro very well, except gor one of them. The Amazon sword is in a mess!

thanks guys

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If your plants aren't growing well you should check out the planted tanks section of the forum to help get advise on getting the plants to grow and thrive more as if they are dying their dead leaves won't be good for the water quality in the tank .
I would advise keeping on testing the water on a daily basis as the nitrates don't sound normal, things could change very quickly with the water quality so you should keep a stern eye on it over the next week or so by testing it on a regular once daily basis.

With the pink gills though, if its not a water quality thing it could be an early symptom of gill flukes so i would advise buying some meds for that and treating the neons just in case particularly if the symptoms add up to the ones on pandora's aquarium- check out pandora's aquarium for more info on flukes and treating them;

http/www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#Fluke

.

 

[djceri_g]

If your plants aren't growing well you should check out the planted tanks section of the forum to help get advise on getting the plants to grow and thrive more as if they are dying their dead leaves won't be good for the water quality in the tank .
I would advise keeping on testing the water on a daily basis as the nitrates don't sound normal, things could change very quickly with the water quality so you should keep a stern eye on it over the next week or so by testing it on a regular once daily basis.

With the pink gills though, if its not a water quality thing it could be an early symptom of gill flukes so i would advise buying some meds for that and treating the neons just in case particularly if the symptoms add up to the ones on pandora's aquarium- check out pandora's aquarium for more info on flukes and treating them;

http/www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#Fluke

.

Thanks mate! i know the test must be working properly because two weeks ago the nitrAtes did appear higher and i thought this was due to me feeding high protein pellets and shrimp. I only do water changes 30% every other week. test water every couple of days and always seems to be okay. do you think its enough or should i do more water changes?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Glad to help .
I would advise doing a once weekly water change along with a cleaning of the substrate in the tank (anywhere between a 25 to 60% water change is good)- more regular water changes will help keep the nitrates more stable as well as have other benefets like help preventing ph crash in older tank set ups (ph crash happens when a evaporation over a long period of time in the tank causes minerals to build up in the tank, changing the ph- more regular i.e. once a week water changes will help prevent this from happening) .

 

[djceri_g]

Glad to help .
I would advise doing a once weekly water change along with a cleaning of the substrate in the tank (anywhere between a 25 to 60% water change is good)- more regular water changes will help keep the nitrates more stable as well as have other benefets like help preventing ph crash in older tank set ups (ph crash happens when a evaporation over a long period of time in the tank causes minerals to build up in the tank, changing the ph- more regular i.e. once a week water changes will help prevent this from happening) .

thanks for the advice. what should the nitrate be anyway? I have tested my tap water and its also zero. the tank water is 0.5 Does this mean the more often i do water changes the nitrate wont come up?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

thanks for the advice. what should the nitrate be anyway? I have tested my tap water and its also zero. the tank water is 0.5 Does this mean the more often i do water changes the nitrate wont come up?

Nitrates should preferably be between 1 and 40 (but preferably no more than 40) for most fish tanks .
Nitrates are an end product of the ammonia and nitrite process, plants use them as fertiliser (which is why in really planted tanks, sometimes nitrates are 0 because the plants are constantly absorbing every last bit of nitrates) and for most tanks having nitrates but no ammonia and nitrites is a good indication that the water quality in your tank is good/ideal for fish; in tanks beginning to cycle there is sometimes no nitrates as the bacteria is still establishing itself as the Nitrogen Cycle in the tank is not yet fully complete/established.
Nitrogen Cycle: Fish waste --> ammonia --> nitrite --> nitrate, which plants use to grow.

If you continue to get no ammonia and nitrites though (which is the most important thing to acheive in your tanks water quality), i wouldn't worry about the lack of nitrates too much .