Neon Tetras dieing?

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


toxicbiscuitj28
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:29 pm

Neon Tetras dieing?

by toxicbiscuitj28

Ok, so here's the deal. in my 20g tank, some of the fish that i have in it are tetras ( 3 neons, 1 Rummynose, 1Cardinal ) and yesterday i noticed the 3 neon tetras were very black. Today
they look even worse, even darker, one of the tetras tails has orange rather than red. They also have a bit of trouble swimming. 3 Days ago, i treated the tank for ich, but now it's gone.
Yesterday i did my water change, added the Stresscoat, Aquasafe etc. Anyway, can you people please help? i'm thinking it's the chemicals


toxicbiscuitj28
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:29 pm

by toxicbiscuitj28

No one?


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

stress alone will change a fish's color


neontank
 
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:23 am

by neontank

tetras do require slightly diffrent ph from other fish due to were they come from that could be stressing them making them go a diffrent colour


toxicbiscuitj28
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:29 pm

by toxicbiscuitj28

Well yesterday, i added 'Proper PH' 7.0. Last time i added this was about a month ago and i was not sure to add it every 5 months like the petshop guy said or because of it's whole size add it every week. So, every week or 5 months?

Checked my tetra's. They seem to look a bit better and are more active.
Thanks.


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

any chemical that stabilizes ph is a huge no-no

if you continue to add ph buffers your ph will continuously fluctuate

first, what is the liquid test reading on the ph? Second, can the fish you have handle the ph? And third, you can always either add real wood or shells to lower or higher the ph naturally, depending on the reading

so we need a reading on the ph?


tekneb
 
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 3:45 am

by tekneb

Yea, stop using the pH stabilizers immediately. It is healthier for the fish to have pH that is slightly off the mark but stable then to have pH suddenly spike up and down, which is what the stabilizer is doing.

Neons lose their color because of stress. That stress can come from yo-yo'ing pH, high ammonia/nitrites, disease (you mentioned treating for ich) bullying from other fish, the list goes on and on.

So we are going to need more info to help you figure out what is causing your tetras stress. What is your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate level and your pH level? What were you treating the ich outbreak with? You've already mentioned 4 chemicals being used in the tank (aquasafe, stresscoat, ich meds and pH stabilizer), but of those only stresscoat is needed, so are their any other chemicals we should know about? Have you done a water change and if so did it make a difference?


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

by dream2reef

yea when you buy fish from the store unless youre going counties or states away they are raised in the same ph water as your tap. Therefore already acclim8d...n stuff. I say just buy some cichlids and let em eatem. You'll thank me l8r promise.
7f091-Video 121 0 00 22-22.jpg
9df1d-round 1 cichlid 002.jpg


toxicbiscuitj28
 
Posts: 51
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:29 pm

by toxicbiscuitj28

@dream2reef No thanks.

@tekneb
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
PH: 7.2
Nitrate: My Nitrite is messed up, it just goes crystal clear when i test it.
Maybe this is the cause?

For the Ich i used the 'Anti white spot treatment'. I done a water change yesterday and i thought you had to add 'Aqua safe' every week? I thought it was to clean the tap water of bad chemicals or something like that?

@yasherkoach I added the Ph because i have a kuhli loach.
How often do i add Ph?


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

ammonia and nitrite is fine

ph at 7.2 is fine

nitrate - is it a liquid test kit, and if so, did you shake the bottle for a good 30 seconds, then shake the glass tube for a good minute? Also test kits do age, after a good year, one should replace the test kits

nitrate can range anywhere from 0 to 40 and fish are fine - above 40 ppm, the toxicity will cause stress

as for an ich breakout - if you raise the temperature slowly in the tank it will slow down the ich's biological process so it will not spread as quickly; after this, depending on the fish, add aquarium salt which will also dismantle the ich chemical processes and help the fish ward off any of the pests - leave the temp at around 85-90 for about 2 weeks; lower the water surface about 2 inches so the water can splash down onto the water surface from the filters (I assume you have hang on back filtration system) which will help with the depleted oxygen supply (higher temperatures mean less oxygen in the tank)...slowly lower the temperature to your normal level, usually around 76-78, and the ich outbreak will be solved

I'm about to blow your mind on this one toxic, but I have 4 kuhli loaches, and the ph that comes out of my tap is 8.1 ph, yet the loaches as well as the other living inhabitants are fine; why? because it is stable - fish can handle a stable higher ph than a fluctuating one, understand?

an established tank is a stable one, very few spikes in any chemical levels (if at all)...in the tank I have, I have no filtration system, yet the chemical tests are stable, thereby, the fish are stable or have less stress, and that makes for a healthy tank, understand?

let us know how it goes

Neon Tetras dieing?

24 posts • Page 1 of 3

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