Is My Cichild Now Sick?

I am reposting this post with more information as I have now a possible sick cichild. I would appreciate anyone that can help to read the below 3 exchanges (only short) and it should explain whats going on. I do need help on this and hope that someone can advise me on what to do for the best?


First post:

Hi I have a 120 litre tank with 10 neon tetras, ciclids, platys, dwarf guerami's, corys and bristlenose and today I have noticed 2 of my tetras have lost the red on their backs and the one that the red has competely gone on has a slightly curved tail. I have looked online and wonder if this is 'neon tetra disease'? I have done a water test and all seems fine.

Should I remove the two fish to another tank? Is it likely they will die? Ive heard if it is that disease there is no treatment?

Any advise greatly appreciated.
Thx
Trinity

PS weirdly they are both not behaving sick, they are still swimming around with other tetras


Response:
You should quarantine them for now, incase it's something serious.
Neon tetras are notorious for contracting diseases, many of them which can spread from fish to fish. There is, of course, the infamous "neon tetra disease" which is debatable as being an actual disease or just a name to cover up other unknown/undiagnosed conditions. So yes, please do remove him from the tank. From there on.... I don't know what to tell you.


I don't think there IS a treatment either.

Last response by me:

Thanks Blitz, I have quarentined 3, they are still swimming and eating but with the obvious signs. I am getting very worried now though because my largest cichild (keyhole) seems to have lost some of it colour. It sounds awful but I would feel 1000 times worse if I lost this fish even though I love the neons too. I have no clue as what to do or where to go from here, do I treat the tank for something?? If so what?

I really need some help here, Im scared this 'disease' is gonna wipe out my tank, I might repost this again to see if I get anymore responses on the cichild than I did on the neons.

Thanks again for your advice.

What are your water test results?

Terry.

what kind of cichlid is it? Keep in mind that cichlids tend to change color and pattern based on their mood. My keyholes tend to be very dark in color when they're stressed or scared, but very light when they're relaxed and exploring about. Pictures would be helpful in diagnosing whether it's normal, stress related, or sickness related.

Hi, We tested the water using the JBL test sticks and they were fine, we are in the process of ordering some liquid test kits, people seem to be recommending the API kits so I will order those.

They are keyhold cychilds, I have attached a pic but im afraid its quite blurred, they seem ok but his colour has gone very faint (at least I think its a he). My other one is now much darker than this one, I could be worried over n0thing but due to my neon tetras getting ill...

I have had to move another neon tetra into quarentine today because I could see a small white patch on its red. Thats 4 now, the one with the curved fin is now struggling and not in the best way, Ive been looking at the most humane ways to euthanise, people seem to recommend putting to sleep with clove oil then when asleep euthanise with vodka?

Is this disease going to wipe out my neons then stop or is it going to work its way through all my fish?

Here is the pic

try again

Update: I have spoken to someone in an aquarium who has advised me to treat the water in the main tank and also the quarentine tank with tonic salt for 3 days and then to use an internal bacteria treatment to try and prevent anything spreading further after the 3 days of salt treatment.
I was also advised to remove all the neon tetras into the quarentine tank, even those not yet showing symtoms. I pray this isnt going to be a death wish for them.

I am going to do this in the next couple of hours and start the treatment and keep everything crossed.

In the meantime the one neon tetra that is very very sick and struggling might be better off if we euthanise, Ive got some clove oil and from what Ive seen on this website and others by leaving him in a jug with tank water and a few drops clove oil this should be enough to painlessly make him fall asleep for good, I am plucking up the courage to do this and hope I dont have to do it with more as the others their illness gets worse. I am open to suggestions on this topic as I always want to do the right thing by my fish.

The keyhole looked normal to me, but then I kinda noticed the milky white patch in the middle of his body, if that's really there rather than just a picture blur. It might be columnaris, a rather quickly spreading bacterial infection. It looks like this: http/www.simplydiscus.com/library/disease_medications/images/columnaris.jpg

Salt isn't going to help with bacteria, I'd advise treating with an anti bacterial medicine immediately, salting the tank for 3 days is just giving the infection more time to spread and kill your fish.

I can't exactly advise any medication over another, but I have very little luck with powder meds honestly. If you can find a liquid medication, I'd use that. Seachem is a good brand with medications if you can get ahold of any of theirs, but they're rather uncommon in my area.

Hi Onidrase, I think the keyhole is fine and maybe I was being over protective with the shock of the neons becomming sick. Ive quarentined the neons in a seperate tank but felt awful putting the ones showing no symptoms (yet)? in with the ones that are. Do you know if this disease will spread and kill them all? Or is it a case of seeing which ones survive, time will tell etc?

Wondering if you could update on the tanks.. It has been a while but did all work well? Did you find an effective medicine?

Hi SikkAquariums, Its only been in the last couple of days Ive been having all these problems. Currently, all fish including my keyholes in my 120 litre tank are all fine (phew). I have 9 quarentined neon tetras in a 35 litre tank, most have fading of their red but are swimming normally and feeding well. We were advised to treat with salt and then an anti internal bacteria but Ive since done some more research and after one dose of aquarium salt have stopped as neons, amongst other fish apparently dont do well with salt.

SO, I am waiting on some liquid test kits to arrive and will check its not a water issue after all (my test sticks say not but I want a second opinion) then decide where to go with the neons from there. (Treat or not).

These little lives sure cause alot of problems when they cant talk to you!!

Your liquid test kit results will help you out in deciding what you have to do from here and in the near future., for choosing them.
What is your water change routine? I only ask as it may help in deciding whether this is simply Neon Tetra Disease, or (combined with your test results) something more sinister.
Best of luck with it, keep us updated.

Terry.

#EDIT# A simple, hard knock over the head of any seriously ill or dying fish is usually more than enough.Horrific? Maybe. Humane? Certainly.

Hi Terry, we usually do a water change on the big tank once every two weeks. All fish in that tank still seem fine but the neons in the quarentine tank are the same, most have faded red but they all seem quite happy and it doesnt look to have got worse again yet so will be interesting to see what the new water tests say..

Tetras don't need much of a reason to drop dead IMO, they are pretty sensitive At the best of times. In future I would up your water changes to weekly ones at around 40% of the water. It could be nitrate buildup that is making them feel unwell. Have you tested your nitrate ?

Yes nitrate fine according to strip tests but am awaiting liquid ones for more accuracy...

An update. The liquid tests arrived and both tanks were fine I still have 9 neon tetras, all still seem fine, swimming around, feeding etc. Some still have faded red and there hasnt really been much change in that, they are still in the quarentine tank, do you think it will be OK to put back into my main tank now as nothing has changed and no fish seem to be sick apart from the mysterious faded red?