Sick Black Neon Tetra And Dead Guppy

[jumbob]

We have 6 black neon tetras, and one seems to have developed some dark marks on his sides over the past week or so, almost looking like his silver and black stripes have blurred. Today when I got home he was lying in the grass in the tank, with his mouth going open and shut quite quickly. I put a net in and he moved quickly, but his mouth is still going. Another of the tetras seems to have a couple of dark spots on his side too!

We added three male guppies on sunday, and today one of those was dead, with what looks like a small chunk taken out of his side. This is probably unrelated, has he been killed by one of the others?

Please help, none of the fish have died before, and now one's dead and one seems really sick all at the same time.

I'll post water details later if needed - just done a 10% water change.

 

[WILDER]

Right need stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
How long have you had them, what was the ph of the store to your tank, and how long did you climatise them for.
The spots on the belly are they spots and how big or are they patches.

Do you have any snails in the tank.

 

[jumbob]

Right need stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
How long have you had them, what was the ph of the store to your tank, and how long did you climatise them for.
The spots on the belly are they spots and how big or are they patches.

ammonia 0
nitrite had problems to begin with, but now almost 0 and has been for a couple of weeks (tap water proplems originally, but now we filter it)
nitrate 5
ph is 7.8

They are dark patches on the tetra, and have been there for a couple of weeks, - as I said, almost as though it's been smugged. Another one has small black patchy dots

The tetras - we bought the first 4 about 6 weeks ago, then 2 more 3 weeks ago. We acclimatised them for about 40 mins i suppose, don't know the pH of the shop.

The Guppies were bought this weekend and were acclimatised for about an hour.

 

[WILDER]

If there black patches it ammonia burns that are healing, so if the lfs had a high ammonia reading or your tank, the fish with the mouth opening and closing the ammonia level could of took it's toll on the fish as black neon tetra need very good water quality.

Just read your reply so you cycled the tank with them.

Look under black patches first.
Then under black spots.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[jumbob]

The ammonia is at zero, and has been for weeks.

The patches seem to be developing, i.e some there that weren't earlier on. And the fish just resting (sometimes upside down) in the grass and gasping wasn't like that yesterday. Why would it have happened all of sudden?

Any other suggestions?

 

[WILDER]

There not good then, if there upside down and gasping there not going to make it.
Did you use the fish to cycle the tank.
If so it's took it toll on them.

http/www.fishtanksandponds.info/care-mai...swimbladder.htm

 

[jumbob]

No I didn't use the fish to cycle the tank, the tank was cycled without any fish in. Then we got the first batch of 4 tetras.

What do you suggest we do? If it's infected it seems like it's passed to at least one more, but what is the infection? And what should we do?

Anyone else had a similar problem???

 

[WILDER]

This why i asked if you had any snails as i was thinking that the little black spots was a fluke.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=8122

Are the fish flicking, to be hoent if it is flukes there done there damage as you have bacterial infection on top now swim bladder, you will need a med for the flukes if you think it is that.

 

[jumbob]

No, there are no snails in the tank, and it doesn't really seem to tally with the black dot description - it does with the black patches one though. So should we leave it? What should we do about the really sick one?

And what about the guppy, was he just killed by one of the others, although we've noticed no agression

 

[WILDER]

Right there ammonia burns then, no they won't make it if there laboured breathing and upside down. sorry.
Guppys had them finished with them there no go in them, the ones from the lfs are half way to dying when you are buying them prone to alot of infections, if you want to keep them i would find a breeder of them, as lfs inport most of them and they are really deseased.

Another one has small black patchy dots
Sorry thought you meant tiny black spots misread it.