Diamond Tetra Seems Sick-red Gills, Lethargic, Poor Coloring

Hi everyone. I have a female Diamond Tetra that seems to be ill and am hoping that I will be able to help her.

Tank size: 37 gallons
pH: about 7.2
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5
kH: unsure
gH: 5
tank temp: 78 degrees

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): General symptoms include poor coloring, lethargy, decreasesd appetite, red & swollen gills, rapid breathing, white stringy poo. In regards to poor coloring, she seems smaller than she did when we first purchased her (maybe this is a trick of the eyes), and she is not sparkly like the other Diamond Tetras. She is the smallest female of the group, but she used to have lavendar-grey scales with lots of sparkly scales as well. Now, she is mostly dark grey. The other Diamond Tetras have always been active swimmers with vigorous appetites. She seems lethargic and tends to stay towards the bottom of the tank where she is breathing a bit rapidly. She will eat, but she doesn't race to the top with her friends to gobble up anything and everything she can. She just eats 2-3 pieces that float to the bottom. Additionally, she doesn't hang out with the other tetras anymore. Yesterday, her gills looked fine, but my husband and I noticed the color change and that she didn't race to the top to eat. But today, her gills look red. They even look a bit swollen. She also has a fine white string hanging out of her-kind of like a white piece of poo (I don't know if this is related in any way, but I thought I'd mention it).

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 15-20% water change and a gravel vaccum weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: I use a water conditioner (Prime) with each water change

Tank inhabitants: 5 Diamond Tetras (2 female & 3 male), 3 Pearl Gourami (2 females and 1 male), 3 Striatum Killifish(2 females and 1 male) (I have closely inspected the other fish, and none seem to exhibit similar symptoms)

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none

Exposure to chemicals: none that I am aware of

Thank you for any advice you can offer. I hope she is not beyond saving.

Hi again! Does anyone have any ideas on this? I'm afraid to do a water change in case this will disrupt the water quality too much. I can put her in a 2nd tank, but I wasn't sure if this might just be more stressful and unecessary. Or, maybe all of the fish should be medicated as a precaution? Thanks again! I really appreciate any help you can offer.

Pointing towards gill flukes to bacterial.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing and swimming in a jerky movement.

Wilder said:

Pointing towards gill flukes to bacterial.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing and swimming in a jerky movement.

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No, we haven't noticed her flicking, rubbing, or swimming in a jerky movement. In fact, she doesn't move much at all. She just sits there and gulps in water (appears to be breathing rapidly). She's staying hidden for the most part.

I would follow this article and romove the fish to inspect the gills.
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=138

Symtoms of gill flukes and body flukes are.
Loss of weight
Being listless and no energy
Red inflamed and swollen gills
Pale colouring
Rapid breathing.
Flicking and rubbing
Flukes can cause bacterial infections as in there hooks and suckers when they pierce the skin the flukes carry a nasty bacteria that enters the fish blood stream.

Wilder said:

Symtoms of gill flukes and body flukes are.
Loss of weight
Being listless and no energy
Red inflamed and swollen gills
Pale colouring
Rapid breathing.
Flicking and rubbing
Flukes can cause bacterial infections as in there hooks and suckers when they pierce the skin the flukes carry a nasty bacteria that enters the fish blood stream.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the article, Wilder. I isolated the female tetra in a large glass measuring cup to take a closer look. She looks worse now than she did in the tank. Her tail fin is badly nipped, and her body appears to have red on it (kind-of like a red rash). I didn't notice this in the tank. Do you think this is bacterial, or could the redness on her body also be a symptom of the gill flukes? Unfortunately, I do not have a microscope or magnifying glass so I wasn't able to identify any flukes. I tried attaching a picture of her. I hope it worked. Do you think I should go ahead and treat for gill flukes or bacterial infection (is the treatment the same for both?) Thanks again for your help!

Sounds like she has septicemia and yes gill flukes can cause septicemia.

Any other fish laboured breathing and flicking on things in the tank.


http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm

Taken from the link.
If no fish are flicking and rubbing it sounds more bacterial at the moment.

Of the species of Aeromonas, the one most familiar to the hobbyist is Aeromonas hyrdophila. There are many names for the infection produced by this bacterium, ranging from the scientific version, known as hemorrhagic septicemia, to the layman's versions, called redsore and dropsy. These names describe the main features of an infection that can take at least three physical forms. One of the most obvious is the external hemorrhagic (bloody) ulcer. These open wounds appear as localized ulcers on the body of the fish, often with areas of dead tissue and sloughing scales. Hemorrhages also may appear at the base of the fins. Some researchers postulate that Gyrodactylus (body flukes) may act as carriers for the bacteria, which then enter the wounds made by the flukes. These bacteria produce substances that allow them to adhere to the surfaces of cells. Other types of abrasions or tissue damage may also play a role in establishing infection.

Wilder said:

Sounds like she has septicemia and yes gill flukes can cause septicemia.

Any other fish laboured breathing and flicking on things in the tank.


http/www.petsforum.com/cis-fishnet/afm/G29060.htm

Taken from the link.
If no fish are flicking and rubbing it sounds more bacterial at the moment.

Of the species of Aeromonas, the one most familiar to the hobbyist is Aeromonas hyrdophila. There are many names for the infection produced by this bacterium, ranging from the scientific version, known as hemorrhagic septicemia, to the layman's versions, called redsore and dropsy. These names describe the main features of an infection that can take at least three physical forms. One of the most obvious is the external hemorrhagic (bloody) ulcer. These open wounds appear as localized ulcers on the body of the fish, often with areas of dead tissue and sloughing scales. Hemorrhages also may appear at the base of the fins. Some researchers postulate that Gyrodactylus (body flukes) may act as carriers for the bacteria, which then enter the wounds made by the flukes. These bacteria produce substances that allow them to adhere to the surfaces of cells. Other types of abrasions or tissue damage may also play a role in establishing infection.

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No, no other fish appear to have laboured breathing and no one is flicking or rubbing on things in the tank. We have noticed that one of the males appears to be losing his brilliance. He's looking a bit duller than usual. But, so far, no red gills or red rashy stuff on him. He's also still actively swimming around for the moment. Everyone else is acting normal. Do you think I should treat the entire tank for bacterial infection and/or gill flukes? I would hate for the other fish to come down with this.

Dull colouration can be a sign of flukes as well as a bacterial infection.
Not always easy to pin point it, would of been easy if they were flicking, or increased breathing, but then again increased breathing can be a sign of a bacterial infection as well.

Do your lfs do skin scrapes.

Wilder said:

Dull colouration can be a sign of flukes as well as a bacterial infection.
Not always easy to pin point it, would of been easy if they were flicking, or increased breathing, but then again increased breathing can be a sign of a bacterial infection as well.

Do your lfs do skin scrapes.

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I have no idea if my lfs does skin scrapes, but I can call them and ask.

To be honest the sick fish dosn't sound like it will make it, if not look behind the gills with a maginfying glass to see if you can see a white wormy thing behind the gill plate.

Issolate the fish so the parasite dosn't move onto another host before it dies.

Wilder said:

To be honest the sick fish dosn't sound like it will make it, if not look behind the gills with a maginfying glass to see if you can see a white wormy thing behind the gill plate.

Issolate the fish so the parasite dosn't move onto another host before it dies.

Click to expand...

Boo. I'm sad to hear that she probably will not make it. But, I was afraid that this might be the case. She looks really bad. My lfs said they do not do skin scrapes. They said they could do a skin scrape, but they don't have anyone or equipment to effectively diagnose it. Should I go ahead and medicate the other fish in the tank to prevent an outbreak? If so, is there anything that treats gill flukes and bacterial infections? Thanks again Wilder. I really appreciate your help.

Wait a minute. I just noticed something...by flicking, do you mean the fish kind of floats in one place and flicks it's fins around? My Diamond Tetras have pretty much always done this, so when you said flicking, I was thinking "flicking up against things (as in scratching themselves)." I was just looking at them, and a couple of them are sitting still (which isn't abnormal for them-they tend to get a little less active in the evenings). They are kind-of twitching their front two and tail fins around (I always thought this was just to stay afloat). Is this what you meant?

Twitching yes can be a sign of parasites.
Fish will flash or rub themselves on objects in the tank with parasites.
I think for now I would add a bacterial med with the fish coming down with septicemia.
Whats your loaction.