15gal./12"x24", pH: 7.0, Amm:0, NitrIte:0, NitrAte: 10.0
Temp: 80-82*F (little higher than I'd like, think I need new heater)
4/H&TL's, 3/Ulrey's, 1/Black Phantom, 1/Dwarf pleco
One of my H&TL's is not so well. Kinda bloated, more toward the front end, below the gills, 'chest' area. It's hard to tell, but the scales may be standing out in this area. Been a couple o' weeks. First symptom was rapid breathing. Tried feeding peas, and frz brine shrimp for constipation? Some of the fish go for the peas, hardly any go for the brine shrimp(!), which makes me wonder if there's something wrong w/ it...(tho they're not familiar w/ either). Something happened to the live brine shrimp stock in the area and ev.body's been out for weeks. I switched to bloodworms n flakes in between just to make sure they eat something. The guy in ques. has been eating, but I'm not sure 'bout yesterday, and don't think so today.
My guesses: swim bladder/constipation, bacterial infection, dropsy, neon tetra disease...??
The tank had gone 'bout 4wks since a cleaning. Parameters measured great last wk (saa,'cept nitrAte was 5.0), but I read something about some bacteria always being present, but if the environment swings in the bacteria's favor, it may attack a weakened fish. What with trying to feed the peas n brine shrimp, much left uneaten, I'm thinkin' even tho it didn't affect water levels, maybe this was the case?
re: swim bladder. He doesn't really seem to have lost his equilibrium, but sometimes seems to be a little at an angle, I think head-up. Right now, he's level. Like I said, tried to feed 'laxative' foods, which at one point or another he ate some.
dropsy. doesn't exactly look like a pinecone, but as before, a bit of bloat.
neon tetra disease. About four weeks ago, I lost a black phantom. His case: bloated, stomach area seemed whiter than normal, one side seemed lumpy. Fed only peas 3days. He seemed to take a nibble the first day, then nothing. His size went back to normal, but a few days later I saw him toward the top of the tank at night (usu. hang out at the bottom), and next a.m., he was stuck to filter intake...gone.
Last night I was reading something about fish can look lumpy w/ NTD.
Although, wasting away was not the case.
But the fact that other fish are having prob's leads me back to some kind of bac. infection. Which brings me to fish #2...
Another H&TL. He has like a white strip at the top, not quite half-way down, just before the dorsal. I believe he had this in Jan., but quarantine was not an option as I was treating a diff. fish for a completely diff. problem, and hoped it would go away, which it did. At the moment, it looks like it *may* be healing, about half of the area looks a grey color, maybe the scales growing back? His behavior is fine, eating.
Fish #1 is hanging out toward the top a bit, maybe an inch or two below. Think I'll put him in quarantine today, and give the main another good clean.
I may have mis-read or confused the various info on the above diseases in relation to symptoms.
Appreciate any thoughts/suggestions.
Medicate or just wait and see if clean conditions straighten him out?
Med's on hand: Spectrogram by Aquatronics (Kanamycin Sulfate & Nitrofurazone), Antibacteria by Mardel (Sulfadimidine and Trimethoprim).
Are these safe for tetras? I only used the latter once, on a H&TL with a huge open wound, and I think this med did him in, but I dunno...
And a liquid would be easier for me to dose---quar. tank is 2gal.
Tho I prefer not to medicate...wait to see what u think.
I'm sure I've posted way too much, just trying to get it all in...
...prob. could've just listed his symptoms and said 'Help'. So...Help? 
Temp: 80-82*F (little higher than I'd like, think I need new heater)
4/H&TL's, 3/Ulrey's, 1/Black Phantom, 1/Dwarf pleco
One of my H&TL's is not so well. Kinda bloated, more toward the front end, below the gills, 'chest' area. It's hard to tell, but the scales may be standing out in this area. Been a couple o' weeks. First symptom was rapid breathing. Tried feeding peas, and frz brine shrimp for constipation? Some of the fish go for the peas, hardly any go for the brine shrimp(!), which makes me wonder if there's something wrong w/ it...(tho they're not familiar w/ either). Something happened to the live brine shrimp stock in the area and ev.body's been out for weeks. I switched to bloodworms n flakes in between just to make sure they eat something. The guy in ques. has been eating, but I'm not sure 'bout yesterday, and don't think so today.
My guesses: swim bladder/constipation, bacterial infection, dropsy, neon tetra disease...??
The tank had gone 'bout 4wks since a cleaning. Parameters measured great last wk (saa,'cept nitrAte was 5.0), but I read something about some bacteria always being present, but if the environment swings in the bacteria's favor, it may attack a weakened fish. What with trying to feed the peas n brine shrimp, much left uneaten, I'm thinkin' even tho it didn't affect water levels, maybe this was the case?
re: swim bladder. He doesn't really seem to have lost his equilibrium, but sometimes seems to be a little at an angle, I think head-up. Right now, he's level. Like I said, tried to feed 'laxative' foods, which at one point or another he ate some.
dropsy. doesn't exactly look like a pinecone, but as before, a bit of bloat.
neon tetra disease. About four weeks ago, I lost a black phantom. His case: bloated, stomach area seemed whiter than normal, one side seemed lumpy. Fed only peas 3days. He seemed to take a nibble the first day, then nothing. His size went back to normal, but a few days later I saw him toward the top of the tank at night (usu. hang out at the bottom), and next a.m., he was stuck to filter intake...gone.
Last night I was reading something about fish can look lumpy w/ NTD.Although, wasting away was not the case.
But the fact that other fish are having prob's leads me back to some kind of bac. infection. Which brings me to fish #2...
Another H&TL. He has like a white strip at the top, not quite half-way down, just before the dorsal. I believe he had this in Jan., but quarantine was not an option as I was treating a diff. fish for a completely diff. problem, and hoped it would go away, which it did. At the moment, it looks like it *may* be healing, about half of the area looks a grey color, maybe the scales growing back? His behavior is fine, eating.
Fish #1 is hanging out toward the top a bit, maybe an inch or two below. Think I'll put him in quarantine today, and give the main another good clean.
I may have mis-read or confused the various info on the above diseases in relation to symptoms.
Appreciate any thoughts/suggestions.
Medicate or just wait and see if clean conditions straighten him out?
Med's on hand: Spectrogram by Aquatronics (Kanamycin Sulfate & Nitrofurazone), Antibacteria by Mardel (Sulfadimidine and Trimethoprim).
Are these safe for tetras? I only used the latter once, on a H&TL with a huge open wound, and I think this med did him in, but I dunno...
And a liquid would be easier for me to dose---quar. tank is 2gal.
Tho I prefer not to medicate...wait to see what u think.
I'm sure I've posted way too much, just trying to get it all in...
...prob. could've just listed his symptoms and said 'Help'. So...Help? 
