Red Serpae Tetra

[jinxgj]

Hi

I hope someone can help me out with my serpae problem...

I have four red serpae tetras and have noticed that one of them (the smallest of the four) has developed a white blister on its side with some red underneath. I only noticed it today as it was swimming in circles and not with the otheres as normal.

Is it some sort of disease or could it be some form of injury? I have checked water levels etc and all are ok.

I have had them for a long time now (about a year) and have never had any problems with them until now. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Tank details are:

125l tank with external fluval filter

Fish are:
4 red serpae tetra
3 blue rainbows
4 black widows
5 cherry barbs
2 zebra danios
2 catfish
1 bristlenose
1 golden sucking loach
1 red tail shark

 

[WILDER]

Does the blister move.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Does the first dart around the tank.
Hows the fish breathing.
Any excess mucas on the body or gills of the fish.
The red patch is it bemeath the skin or on top.
Can the fish maintain its balance in the water,

When fish swim in circles it can mean the fish is dying, swim bladder, internal parasites.

 

[jinxgj]

Does the blister move.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Does the first dart around the tank.
Hows the fish breathing.
Any excess mucas on the body or gills of the fish.
The red patch is it bemeath the skin or on top.
Can the fish maintain its balance in the water,

When fish swim in circles it can mean the fish is dying, swim bladder, internal parasites.

Hi,

The blister has gone today, there is just the red mark under its skin left. It has not been flicking or rubbing and does not dart around the tank - it stays with the other 3 and swims around. it seems to be opening and closing its mouth quite quickly (compared to the others anyway). I cannot see any mucas on the skin. It seems to be able to maintain its balance but just stays in the upper half of the tank. The mark looks like a bruise under the skin (don't know if that is poss but it is best way i can think to describe it). It does seem to swim with its head higher than its tail a lot though.

Any ideas??

Many thanks

Debbie

 

[WILDER]

The fish has septicemia hard to cure once it advances.
Can you issolate the fish and try a bacterial med.

Your tanks looks abit overstocked can you post water stats readings.

 

[jinxgj]

Will it affect the other fish then? They all seem to be fine at the moment...

I do not have a hospital tank so if I treat the tetra will it affect the others too?

I have just checked the water with a Nutrafin mini master test kit and it is as follows:

PH - 7.0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0.1
Nitrate - 5

Water temp is between 27 & 28

What treatment would you rcommend?

Also, the pet shop where we get our fish from has never said that our tank seems over stocked. Do you think they are only interested in selling the fish? I am a bit miffed that they have never said anything about the amount of fish we have....

Thanks for helping me out so far

Deb

 

[WILDER]

When a fish has septicemia the bacteria can enter the tank. Its best to issolate the sick fish.
Anti internal bacteria med by interpet.
United states maracyn one and two, or maracyn plus.

Could always add another filter. it's best to over filter a tank anyway.

 

[jinxgj]

Thanks for that info Wilder. I am in the UK so will get the Interpet stuff asap. How do you think the fish has got septicemia in the first place? I have never seen it being chased or picked on by the other tank mates...

Am I very over stocked in your opinion then? If so, what should I do about it - try to give some fish away?

I have never had any major probs with the water but then I suppose as they start getting bigger it might affect it all?

 

[WILDER]

Has the fish any open wounds.
Septicemia can be caused by so many things like bad water quality, bloating, parasites, dirty tanks.
Get you some info.
Bruising bemeath the skin is usually septicemia.

If your water stats are ok its fine. but the tank is slightly overstocked.
I run two filters.

Scroll down to septicemia.
[URL="http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm"]http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm[/URL]

 

[jinxgj]

There was a short period where I had an ammonia peak (about 3 months ago now) but that was sorted very quickly. It wouldn't have caught anything that long ago and is only showing symptoms now would it? I have never seen any open wounds on it so don't think it is that.

I will have to gen up on septicemia now....

Many thanks again.

 

[WILDER]

Where the red spot on the fish. Does the spot have a white edging or white centre.

 

[jinxgj]

It is on its side behind its tummy(between its tummy and tail) . I have just looked at it and it looks darker now (almost black) and has no white circles or spots in or around it. Could it be getting better? (fingers crossed!!)

 

[WILDER]

Have you been using a med.
It could be healing. Has the size reduced.

 

[jinxgj]

I haven't used anything because i wasn't sure what it was, but i have increased the aeration, turned out the lights for longer than normal, i gave them some peas the other day for the first time after reading that they liked them on here, and I did a 20% water change 2 days ago.

The size of the mark has reduced - it started out as a red mark, changed to a white blister over the top with the red still showing underneath and has now just got this dark spot in its place.

 

[WILDER]

Red spots and patches can be parasites to bacterial.
If no signs of flicking and rubbing it sounds bacterial, The bruising bemeath the skin if not injured himself is septicemia.

 

[jinxgj]

Righto - I will stick with the Interpet stuff then.

Hopefully he will pick up (I am going to try to get hold of an isolation tank for him too)