Red Gills

[BaylorPerez]

i had noticed some red gills on my neon tetras and my danios, is this normal? if not do i add my melafix to the tank to help with healing this little issue ( seems to be a slight red tint to the gills, my tetras also seem to have lost the red tink on the lower half of their bodys as well)
 
tank size 20 gal
Tank tempt 76-78 D/F
things added to tank
Plant food(API reccomended), Melafix(not added yet), and Stress Coat/Stress+zyme
Inhabitants
6 tetras(4 neons, 2 black-finned tetras)
2 snails(black Mystery Snails)
1 Albino catfish
4 Danios( had 6 but 2 died a day after i got them )
the tank has also been set up for about 6 months now

 

[Byron]

This is going to take some sorting out.  I have posted in a couple of your other threads, and will just mention that there are some issues here, with plants, too many substances entering the tank, and bright lighting.  All of these are probably contributing to the issues collectively.  I'm not sure what to suggest at this point, other than to stop all the unnecessary additives as I explained in the other thread.  Red gills (wish we could see a clear photo) can be any number of issues.
 
Do you have a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
 
Byron.

 

[BaylorPerez]

my levels are about 0 except for nitrate which is 4(on the label) right now

 

[Byron]

my levels are about 0 except for nitrate which is 4(on the label) right now

 
Ammonia and nitrite (not nitrate) are the more critical here, as they are highly toxic at very low levels and red gills is one symptom.  When you say "about 0" for ammonia and nitrite, are they not zero?  

 

[BaylorPerez]

from what the meter says they are ammonia .6 and nitrite .3 so its below 1 for the time being but it may rocket back up to above 1 as it seems to do more often then i like. the other day it was at 7 then my nitrite was at 10, did a water change and added some conditioner and it went down to 0.2 and 0.3

 

[Byron]

From this information, I would suggest that there is a nitrification issue.  Ammonia and nitrite should absolutely never be above zero in a cycled and established aquarium.  Both of these serious impact fish.  An increase from 0 to 7 for ammonia, or 0 to 1.0 (I assume this is actually 1.0, not 10?) for nitrite is very serious.
 
I remember the other thread about the additives, etc, but can you explain your maintenance routine?  How frequent are water changes, and approximately how much of the tank volume is changed each time?  Are you cleaning/rinsing the filter?  Substrate vacuuming?  Not overfeedingÉ
 
Byron.

 

[BaylorPerez]

ovefeeding just a bit as my catfish and snails eat the leftovers that the fish do not eat, and every week to week and half i change 30-40% of my water

 

[Byron]

My first suggestion is to be regular in your water changes; once a week (select a day and time when you are not likely to be side-tracked by anything, so it becomes "the" water change day/time), and change half the tank volume.  This should help to get things stable and prevent these ammonia/nitrite rises.
 
Vacuum the substrate at each water change (you didn't answer this, so I will proceed) in the open areas.  Keep the filter clean, rinse the media as needed to do this.
 
We talked about the harmful effects of so many additives, so they are hopefully stopped.  The plant food once, the day following the water change, and no more than suggested on the label.
 
Overfeeding is not going to help the fish, and only contribute to organics.  Snails will find their own food, they eat all organics such as fish poop, so you don't want to be "feeding" them directly.  Catfish need their own type of food, sinking tabs/disks/pellets, they cannot manage on scraps.  But don't overfeed them.
 
Byron.

 

[BaylorPerez]

the food i feed them are sinking pellets, the other fish eat them as they drop, but whatever is left over the catfish seems to enjoy them to the highest extent. yet they are just regular fish pellets. So as i bought flakes for the fish i am gonna start using them to see if the catfish will eat them as well as it says on bottle ( tropical fish and bottomfeeder slow sinking flakes )

 

[WILDER]

Red gills can be bacterial, gill flukes, bad water quality.
Any signs of gasping, or laboured breathing?
 
Do your neons or any other fish show these signs.
 
Red area will look bleached out.
Blue area will have a milky substance, or turn a golden yellow colour.
Black lining around the tail area.
Fish will leave shoal.
Fish will become restless.
Lumps on belly that go to a point.
Bent spine.
Swimming in an odd manor.
Later stages dropsy, popeye.

 

[BaylorPerez]

the only thing i notice on some is that the red color near their tail is looking white almost translucent 

 

[WILDER]

What are your latest water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph?

 

[BaylorPerez]

ammonia is at 0
nitrite 1
nitrate is 10.6 (base as its close to 11)
and Ph 7.3, not to bad as i need it close to 7.2 for my other fish

 

[WILDER]

The red gills are due to bad water quality.
Do you do a gravel vac every week with the water change?
What filter are you using. Is it suitable for a 20 gallon tank?
 
Neons can lose there red vibrant colour due to stress and bad water quality.
I would keep doing water changes till your nitrite goes down to 0.

 

[BaylorPerez]

i use a 40 gall quietflow carbon filter. and yes i do a gravel vac with every 30-50% water change