Sick Neon Tetra Needs Help

[catwoman]

OK, I have been trying to save some fish at work that have been at the mercy of a non-caring coworker. I have done 4 25%+ water changes on this tank since last Wednesday to reduce the nitrate level which was over 200ppm before I intervened. Anyway, one of the neons was pale last week - very faded colors and a dark purplish spot on top of her head (normal?) and somewhat lethargic. I thought she would improve with water changes but now she is worse. She has a pimple like thing on her side (white in the middle with red circling it and raised) and some very small red streaks on her other side. The center of the pimple thing is very white and almost looks like fungus. No other symptoms but I'd say still lethargic, pale, and dark spot on top her head. I am at work and can't do much research as I should be working. I can take her home to my hospital tank but I need to know how to treat her. I have Melafix and I think some Fungus Clear Tabs but that's about it. I don't have my water test kits here today so I can't give water parameters. On Friday, the ammonia & nitrite were 0 and the nitrates were maybe down to 50ppm. The water temp right now is 75deg and I am guessing the water ph is similar to my home water which is around 7.6.

 

[sylvia]

Take her home but use her own tank water. Any more sudden changes will just stress her out - probably to death.

I'm afraid to say she might not make it. Neons are rather fragile...

Take her home and raise the temperature (gradualy) in the tank to around 79 deg F. Add melafix - it won't do any harm and consider a little salt.

I can't identify the disease but melafix and salt are pretty much general-purpose

If she is still ok after a couple of days, start to gradualy change the water until the parameters are good. The change may stress her but if she survives the good water will help her fight the disease/parasite or whatever.

 

[WILDER]

The red streaks are septicemia and it is hard to cure, you use antibiotics but you would have to issolate the fish, but I don't hold out much hope as their are second infections there aswell.

 

[catwoman]

It would be hard to use her tank water as I have no way to get that home from work unfortunately. I agree she probably is a goner but I thought I would try something. I can treat her whole tank with Melafix but with the 4-day holiday coming up and I'd hate to leave her at work if she is still alive on Wednesday. Can the infection she has spread to the other fish? I guess other neons have already died recently and it sounds like the same thing. There is one neon left, 2 cories and 3 danios. all look ok so far. needless to say, I feel like strangling my coworker who is on a business trip and left the tank in this state after I told him he was killing his fish.

 

[sylvia]

The infection can probably spread (not familiar with it personaly) but I think the danios should be able to hold up against it and cories are quite resistant to disease. I still think you should isolate her and take her home where you can keep an eye on her. Could you not take some old tank water from a water change in a bottle and mix it with your own water at home? At least that'll lessen the shock for her.

 

[catwoman]

Well, she is home now and looking pretty bad. Seems like she got even worse from the ride home. She has already been floating upside down in the cup in her own water before she even went in the tank. Her abdomen looks swollen and very red and swollen around the gills. I tried adding some water first from my tank into the cup and letting it sit awhile. I finally just put her in with all her cup water too. I should have brought more water home but I didn't. I just took some fish out of the hospital tank so it isn't sparkling clean water in there anyway. Thanks for the help. When I bring the other fish home, I will try to bring more of the old water home too and maybe I can at least save the last neon. I really don't expect this one to last the night.

 

[WILDER]

Can you post test results in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph,

 

[sylvia]

Can you post test results in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph,

The neon is owned by someone else. The water that neon was in originaly was terrible so it is best not to alter that suddenly. That's why I've said to take some of the neon's old water home. So nitrates aren't brought too low too fast and result in shock. I think that answers your question though I don't know the exact numbers as I don't have the neon .

Well, she is home now and looking pretty bad. Seems like she got even worse from the ride home. She has already been floating upside down in the cup in her own water before she even went in the tank. Her abdomen looks swollen and very red and swollen around the gills. I tried adding some water first from my tank into the cup and letting it sit awhile. I finally just put her in with all her cup water too. I should have brought more water home but I didn't. I just took some fish out of the hospital tank so it isn't sparkling clean water in there anyway. Thanks for the help. When I bring the other fish home, I will try to bring more of the old water home too and maybe I can at least save the last neon. I really don't expect this one to last the night.

Sounds like she may have an internal parasite or bacterial infection. See if you can treat her for those if she does survive. Good luck!

 

[WILDER]

You have columnaris with septicemia,red gill high nitrites, and swollen tummy could be dropsy or swim bladder,the fish is in a bad way and the tank they have come from want's a gravel vac and a water change, as this is where all the deseases come from, also I would ask your friend to add some salt to the tank to help the fish out with bad water quality.