suspicious looking neon tetra

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cawaltons

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Jan 8, 2005
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I got 12 neon tetras this week. I noticed this morning that one of them seems to have a reddish-brown spot/gash/something on one side (it looks redder than it does in the blurry photo). It is a vertical () shape. It also seems to look like it's a little dusty on top with a faint reddish brown dust. They rest of the neons look fine and it doesn't seem to be swimming erratically. Is it sick? Beat up? Ugly?

Thanks!
 

Ems

Betta lover!
Jan 4, 2005
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It's kind of hard to tell from the pic. You will want to quarantine the neon because it may be contagious. Possibly Neon Tetra Disease? Keep him isolated and keep an eye on it for a while.
 

cawaltons

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Jan 8, 2005
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not in the stripe

Ems said:
Possibly Neon Tetra Disease? Keep him isolated and keep an eye on it for a while.
I thought Neon Tetra Disease was limited to the stripes and this is above the stripe. I'll read up on it, though.

If I isolate him, I don't have a heater for another tank. ANy suggestions?
 

Ems

Betta lover!
Jan 4, 2005
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Do you know what room temperature is where the tank would be located? If it's too cold you may want to see if you could keep it near a heater in the house, but you'd have to make sure it doesnt get too warm. Another heater for the tank would work best, obviously.
 

cawaltons

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Jan 8, 2005
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a fatality and bubbles

This morning, as I was studying the neon with the strange coloration I noticed another neon tetra breaking from the school and making trips to the top of the tank. He stopped doing this and I could not distinguish him from the rest of the school.

When I came home this afternoon, my mom said she saw a dead fish at the top of the tank, scooped it out and flushed it. She said it had a distended belly and that the betta was nibbling on it. I suspected the discolored tetra but that one is still swimming normally. I now think it was the nonconformist from this morning.

All of these neons are new aquisitions in a cycled tank. The distended belly makes me wonder if this one had dropsy?

The other mystery is that when I came home, there were clusters of bubbles on the top of the tank. They seem to be coming from the current from the filter. We've had this tank since January 2 and this is the first time we've had bubbles. Could these be from the flakes or bloodworms we've been feeding the tetras?

Thanks for all your help!
 

Harlock

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Dec 15, 2004
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Fish can bloat up fairly quickly after death. It's hard to diagnose post-mortum for most hobbyists. At best it's simply an educated guess. Neon tetras just aren't as hardy as they used to be. Also, you might look into a quarantine tank in he future.

Sorry, I can't help on the bubbles. What kind of filter is it?
 

cawaltons

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Jan 8, 2005
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Millennium 2000 Wet-Dry Multi-Filter

"for aquariums up to 40 gallons" (I have what I thought was a 24 gallon but using the formula of l*w*d/277 it is a 22.5 gallon tank)

I suspect the flakes since I just used them for the first time this morning, but it is in the tank with the betta. Why would he make a bubble nest? There's no female.

Thanks again!
 

Ems

Betta lover!
Jan 4, 2005
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British Columbia
Even if he sees his own reflection or feels threatened, or feels he needs to "show off" to any other tank mates, he will build one.
 
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