Neon Tetra Gill Problem?

[Iron]

Hi,

I'm new to all this and I'm afraid I don't know the ph etc of my girlfriends' tank but I need some help.

We have 8 neon tetras only in a 12 litre tank. Most seem fine but one has seperated from the shoal and tends to just float instead of swimming. It was occasionally knocked by the other fish and it simply allowed itself to be pushed. It's now left alone.

It's gills appear large and it seems to be breathing rapidly. It also now has some white 'fluff' coming from it's gills. It tends to sit at a 45degree angle facing up.

Does anybody have any ideas? Could this be contagious if it is a disease?

Thanks for any help.

 

[WILDER]

The tanks to small for neon tetra just because they are small dosn' tmean you can put them in small tanks.
They are shoaling fish and need room to move.
Any other type of fish in the tank.
Water stats would be good in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
White fluff on the gills is columnaris are they sticky too.
You say the gills are enlarged it could be the columnaris, are they red and inflamed.

 

[Iron]

I'm afraid the fish passed away last night.

From looking at it it seemed to have white protuberances from the gills. It didn't seem to have major inflammation or red nodules.

We'll have to get a kit and check the levels in the tank, all the other fish seem fine but obviously don't want them to contract something or to be stressed out.

I'm afraid we must have been given duff advice as we asked a reputed specialist shop which fish would be good in a tank this size and we were told neons and guppy's, had we known they needed a lot more space we'd have gone with different fish, unfortunately we're not able to get a larger tank just yet though eventually hope to get large tanks later. What fish would you recommend for a tank this size, I obviously know that large tanks are always better but this is what we have?

As for the deceased, I couldn't say if the white strands were sticky. There're only neon's in the tank, 7 now. All seem pretty vivid and healthy at present.

 

[WILDER]

The white strands are you sure it wasnt a parasite coming from the gill.
Anchor worm is thin and will have a forked tail.

I would ask in tropical discussion about what you can keep in your tank size.
Usually its a betta.