neon tetra with a white fin

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
The top (dorsal?) fin on one of my neon tetras is a cloudy white instead of clear like the rest. It's extremely hard to tell, but sometimes it looks like it might be dimensional (i.e., it's not just cloudy but cloudy with something sticking out) while other times it looks like it's just cloudy.

Anyone experience something like this? It doesn't really look like ich. Maybe a fungus?
 

mel_20_20

AC Members
Sep 1, 2008
3,300
1
38
Deep in the heart of texas
Can you try to post some pics? This could help.
 

mel_20_20

AC Members
Sep 1, 2008
3,300
1
38
Deep in the heart of texas
Could you also post parameters. ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, ph, temp. How long has tank been set up. Water change schedule: requency and volume. Water conditioner. Type of filtration. Substrate and vacuum substrate frequency. Testing equipment: strips or liquid. How do you clean and/or maintain the filter.

It could be finrot. Frequent water changes with temp matched, conditioned water could help. A three dimensional spot, i.e., a blister or cyst-like lesion could still be fin rot, or bacterial infection, or even lymphocystis.

Pictures will be most helpful. I would do frequent water changes to keep their water absolutely pristine, espescially until we can figure this out.

Wishing you the best.
 

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
This one was hard to shoot.

This little fella just came to the tank. I bought three neons last week to beef up my school a little.

tetra 1.JPG tetra 2.JPG
 

KarlTh

AC Members
Feb 15, 2008
3,332
0
0
Could be bacterial, could just be a fin deformity. I'd keep it under observation.
 

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
Looking at it this morning, I got a really clear view of it from the side. It does appear that there is something sticking out now. I can't tell though if it's some sort of parasite (i.e. a worm/leech/ich that is hanging off) or if it's simply damaged tissue that is starting to come off, like maybe it was an injury and the "scab" is simply peeling.

I was thinking, in the instance that it could possibly be some sort of parasite, of netting the fish and putting a drop of that lovely blue ich medicine directly onto the white spot, waiting 10 seconds or so and then putting the fish back into the water. Do you think it would be bad for the fish to try this?
 

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
Interestingly, when I came in this morning the sick one still looks sick, but two other neons were dead. I think they may have been from my original stock, not one of the new ones, but it's hard to tell.

From what I can tell, the water looks fine. I had the pet store test it, although it was a strip test so it's not dead-on.

It came back with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, a hardness between 120 and 250, alkalinity at 240 and a pH around 8.0.
 

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
Whatever it is has now spread a little down the side of the fish, although the fin looks a little better. Another fish has started to get whitish spots on his side now though.
 

Kuhlifan

AC Members
Mar 28, 2007
904
0
16
Ohio
Here's the update.

The original sick neon is healing nicely. The top fin is now ragged, but no longer white. For a brief period of time, the white whatever it was had started to spread on him, but it's gone now.

However, the sick neon, which was one of three I bought to boost my school of four up to seven, passed it along to other neons. I'm back to a school of four now. I bought three, two died, I exchanged for two more, one died, exchanged for one more, it died, then another got covered in that whitness and died, and now the remaining four are healthy. That's what I get for trying to sneak past using a QT tank.

I don't know what it was, but it killed off the original four fish, I think. I'm going to wait a long time before I either get more neons or pick something else like a rasbora to put with them.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store