Bright Red Spot. Happened fast

[Henry Weldon]

I just noticed one of my swordtail females lying on the bottom. Shen she turned to the left I noticed her tail. Yikes. I sit right in front of this tank all day long. This happened really fast. Thoughts?

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Was the tail red before and are you only concerned about the red spot?
Exact Water Parameters?
Is she breathing heavily?
Any other strange things that you have noticed?

 

[Henry Weldon]

Was the tail red before and are you only concerned about the red spot?
Exact Water Parameters?
Is she breathing heavily?
Any other strange things that you have noticed?

Her fin is always that dark color, but the rest of her is usually uniformly orange. The red is the concern. She is breathing pretty fast. Lying on the bottom. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20, Temp 79.3. I do add a little salt each time I do a water change. 4 other swordtails in the tank look and are acting very healthy.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Has the fish experienced possible bullying?
You water parameters look fine.

@Colin_T @Byron @itiwhetu may be able to help you.

@Essjay @Fishmanic Moderators, I think this thread needs to be moved to tropical fish emergencies due to strange red tail and fast breathing.

 

[itiwhetu]

The tank is a little warm for swordtails, and it would be nice to see the nitrate reading down close to zero.

 

[Henry Weldon]

Has the fish experienced possible bullying?
You water parameters look fine.

@Colin_T @Byron @itiwhetu may be able to help you.

@Essjay @Fishmanic Moderators, I think this thread needs to be moved to tropical fish emergencies due to strange red tail and fast breathing.

There are 4 females and 1 male. The male is doing pretty typical harassing. The 4 females all are pretty aggressive, but nothing that would cause something like that.

 

[Henry Weldon]

The tank is a little warm for swordtails, and it would be nice to see the nitrate reading down close to zero.

I thought that too. I did just turn the heater down a few degrees.

 

[emeraldking]

Seems that she's internally bleeding... But that's a big part of her that so red. What may have caused the internal bleeding remains a question.
And yes, swordtails would be better off when the temperature is a bit lower.

 

[emeraldking]

@Essjay @Fishmanic Moderators, I think this thread needs to be moved to tropical fish emergencies due to strange red tail and fast breathing.

I've moved this topic to the tropical fish emergencies.

 

[Henry Weldon]

Seems that she's internally bleeding... But that's a big part of her that so red. What may have caused the internal bleeding remains a question.
And yes, swordtails would be better off when the temperature is a bit lower.

That was my first reaction too. I just don't know what could have happened to case an injury that bad. When you looked really close it did not seem like it was something growing on the outside, so it was confusing. In any case she died already. The other 4 remain fine. Still a mystery.

 

[emeraldking]

That was my first reaction too. I just don't know what could have happened to case an injury that bad. When you looked really close it did not seem like it was something growing on the outside, so it was confusing. In any case she died already. The other 4 remain fine. Still a mystery.

Sorry to hear...

 

[Anon53]

Did you add anything new to the tank recently that you didn't disinfect??

It sounds like hemorrhagic septicima (I've had it) its super contagious and it takes a day or 2 to kill a fish use mardel maracyn 2 (I have had success with it)