Neon tetra losing some color

[nymm1t]

Hey guys,

I have a 29 gal with 6 neon tetras. They've been in the tank for about a week and a half. They recently got used to the tank and started swimming around more actively. One of them however, started losing its bright blue line (I attached one of my normal tetras for comparison). He is also kinda chasing a lot.
I have 0 ammonia/nitrite. Only like 5ppm nitrate. Water temp is at 78. Ph is 7.2.

Cause for concern? Should I separate this guy from the tank?

Was originally 10 of them but 4 of them died within the first two days. Planning to get more soon.

 

[Rocky998]

I would wait for someone with more experience but this could be NTD (Neon Tetra Disease)

 

[itiwhetu]

Stress related I think, do you live plants in your tank, your pH is a little high, these guys like acid tanks with lots of plants. I don't think it is a disease, but it is hard to tell from that photo. Do you know how hard your water is?

 

[outofwater]

If it was ntd it probably would've killed it by now, at least in my experience that's been the case, by the time signs show, it's a death sentence.

If possible, I'd separate him to a proper quarantine tank and observe. Try a mild "medication" like melafix if you have it on hand. It won't hurt and it might help (you'll find very divided opinions about it).

Pay attention to your other neons too, see if they show any abnormal behavior or if they self segregate from the group, as that almost certainly means a sick fish.

Stress related I think, do you live plants in your tank, your pH is a little high, these guys like acid tanks with lots of plants. I don't think it is a disease, but it is hard to tell from that photo. Do you know how hard your water is?

 

[nymm1t]

Stress related I think, do you live plants in your tank, your pH is a little high, these guys like acid tanks with lots of plants. I don't think it is a disease, but it is hard to tell from that photo. Do you know how hard your water is?

No live plants. And yea I definitely understand about the ph. My water is also pretty hard so I tried my best acclimating them very slowly. He actually went back to his regular colors for a day or so. I noticed that when they were all eating, I wasn't able to tell them apart anymore... Then the next day, he would be dark again and I'd be able to differentiate him. Another thing was that one side was dark, the other side had that regular bright neon green/blue color.

If it was ntd it probably would've killed it by now, at least in my experience that's been the case, by the time signs show, it's a death sentence.

If possible, I'd separate him to a proper quarantine tank and observe. Try a mild "medication" like melafix if you have it on hand. It won't hurt and it might help (you'll find very divided opinions about it).

Pay attention to your other neons too, see if they show any abnormal behavior or if they self segregate from the group, as that almost certainly means a sick fish.

That's good to know about NTD. I haven't separated him yet but he has been eating well and acts pretty normal. His color also seems to come on and off (see above). I'll keep an eye out for any weird behavior.

Thank you guys for the replies!

 

[Rocky998]

Acclimating wont help with water hardness... Softwater fish get kidney/organ failure when kept in hard water and the same with hard water fish in soft water

 

[Lynnzer]

Acclimating wont help with water hardness... Softwater fish get kidney/organ failure when kept in hard water and the same with hard water fish in soft water

Yeah, I go with that. Water hardness up to 175ppm and a pH of less than 7. I lost a few myself in hard water and I now keep them in a water mix of tapwater (treated at 420ppm) and rainwater and bottled water of 115ppm. Mixed in right volumes to achieve the right water parameters.
Also Neons are a schooling fish and need a decent amount to feel comfortable or they get stressed and don't display well.

 

[nymm1t]

Acclimating wont help with water hardness... Softwater fish get kidney/organ failure when kept in hard water and the same with hard water fish in soft water

Yeah, I go with that. Water hardness up to 175ppm and a pH of less than 7. I lost a few myself in hard water and I now keep them in a water mix of tapwater (treated at 420ppm) and rainwater and bottled water of 115ppm. Mixed in right volumes to achieve the right water parameters.
Also Neons are a schooling fish and need a decent amount to feel comfortable or they get stressed and don't display well.

Alright might not be as high as I was thinking. It's at 180 ppm GH and 40-80 ppm KH. Anyways, I guess I'll wait to see if the tetra develops any other symptoms. Thanks for your inputs! And yea I'm planning to get more soon.

 

[Essjay]

180 ppm (10 dH) is not hard - it's right at the upper end of soft, verging on middling.

However - if you measured your GH with strips, some of them only measure up to 180, so a reading of 180 could be that level or anything higher.

 

[nymm1t]

180 ppm (10 dH) is not hard - it's right at the upper end of soft, verging on middling.

However - if you measured your GH with strips, some of them only measure up to 180, so a reading of 180 could be that level or anything higher.

Got it. I'll check with another test.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Your ph is just fine for tetras...do reply back with a different hardness test

Neons tend to be overbred and can have many different issues; I would just keep an eye on it...don't go changing water params or throw chemicals in recklessly, just for one fish

 

[DoubleDutch]

Acclimating wont help with water hardness... Softwater fish get kidney/organ failure when kept in hard water and the same with hard water fish in soft water

Got some info about this ?

 

[Rocky998]

Got some info about this ?

People here try to keep cichlids... We have soft water. They always die. Also, softwater fish get mineral blockages inside of their organ systems at times and die. And hardwater can lower the lifespan as well in a softwater fish

 

[DoubleDutch]

People here try to keep cichlids... We have soft water. They always die. Also, softwater fish get mineral blockages inside of their organ systems at times and die. And hardwater can lower the lifespan as well in a softwater fish

Yeah I read that, but do you have some (scientific) info about that ?

 

[Rocky998]

Yeah I read that, but do you have some (scientific) info about that ?

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