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  1. #1
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Brisbane City.
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    285

    Tetras not doing the best

    Hi guys. Over the last few weeks or so I have noticed my Buenos Aires Tetras in my 4x2x2 foot tank aren't doing the best. 1 has popeye but is still eating and swimming as usual, 1 is a bit deformed in its body shape, and others have a little bit of scale damage on their sides. I used to have around a dozen or so 6 months ago but they have slowly dropped down to 6 at the moment.

    Everyone else in the tank, which consists of Eartheaters and L numbered catfish, are doing great but for some reason these tetras aren't too good. Do you guys have any ideas why this could be?

    My water parameters are:
    Ammonia - 0
    Nitrite - 0
    Nitrate - Varies between 15- 25ppm depending on what day of the week it is.
    pH - 7.35
    Temp - Approx 26-27 degrees celcius
    KH - 40ppm

    I change 50% of the tank's water weekly and do not overfeed this tank either. The tank has been up and running for a few years now so it's not a new system.

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Regards, Luke

  2. #2
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Brisbane City.
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    285
    Any ideas?

  3. #3
    Just an Egg
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Lara, Vic.
    Posts
    30
    Not sure on what the reason is unfortunately. I had similar with neons and eventually had just a few left. They also had malformed mouths so its possible it was genetic defects. The scale damage could be bashing into things if they panic or being chased. If I remember the Buenos tetras should be a decent size so less chance of the eartheaters wanting a snack and probably too small for the cats to be having a nip? I loooked up popeye on google and suggested reasons include water quality, contaminants if something had recently been added to the tank and inury leading to infections........................possible tie in to the missing scales if they were scared or chased causing damage.

    I'm very much a novice so please do more research if you can or some of th emore knowledgable may have more suggestions.
    Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.

  4. #4
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Brisbane City.
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    Thanks for your reply. Yeah the tetras are quite a good size and should be too big for the eartheaters or catfish to bother. The eartheaters consist of leucostictas and argyrostictus and I have never seen them being harassed by them in the whole time I have had the tank so I don't think that would be the source and the catfish are way too slow for tetras aswell.
    The water quality doesn't seem to be a problem either but someone more experienced than I might be able to comment on my parameters? I guess contaminants is always a possibility but no new fish have been added recently and no other fish bar the tetras have been effected.

  5. #5
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
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    5,873
    NEON TETRA DISEASE, NO CURE, SORRY

  6. #6
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Brisbane City.
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    Ok thanks Illusn for your reply. Neon tetra disease ay. Is it a common ailment?

  7. #7
    Moderator
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
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    It's more common then you think. It's an ongoing chronic infection that makes the fish more sudeptible to thee infections. The tell tale sign is the spines going bent then they seem to get mouth fungus or body fungus that won't go away they can also get lesions along the body and become susceptible to popeye and dropsy

  8. #8
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Brisbane City.
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    285
    Okie dokes. Well thankyou for telling me about this Illusn because I probably wouldn't have come to that conclusion without your help. If they are swimming around and eating well what do you think I should do with them in your opinion?

  9. #9
    Moderator
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Penrith NSW
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    tetras get hit hardest by this disease especially as they get older, id just let them live out their days, protozin works on the secondary infections but they will relapse over time, your other fish should be ok

  10. #10
    Wrigglers
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Brisbane City.
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    285
    Ok thanks Illusn, I appreciate your advice.

    Luke

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