New Neons dying fast

[Cluunox]

I just got 3 rasbora hets and 4 neon tetras and put them in the qt. The next day one of the neons color was gone on top from dorsal fin to tail. It looked like had nibbled the top layer of scales/skin off and he died by the next day. 2 days later a second neon looks the same way and is immobile cept for he is breathing hanging verticly at top of water. Still does not look like anything is on him more like he has been nibbled on but there is what loks like swelling on this one. Could it be the rasboras are after him? Have read they are ok with neons but this is happening so fast and to only one neon at a time.

Have tryed to get pics but just can't get any usable with my old camera.

Tank is 10g with 200gph CBM and aquaclear 50 hobs.
Lightly planted mostly bare bottom(plants in pots, Pics in my gallaery).
0,0,10 a,ni,na
ph 7.8
temp 78 f.
feed once a day
Lights on about 8 hrs per day

Know this is little to go on but camera sucks
Thanks for any help

 

[Cluunox]

Got a pic now it has progressed to where it looks like there is something there but it looks more like a slime coat from the head back.

 

[Hawaii Predator]

maybe neon tetra disease. no joke look it up. same thing happened to my 3 year olds that i lost last month. i think its supposed to look like fin rot but its not

 

[Cluunox]

i thought maybe that but does it go this fast?

 

[petluvr]

Unfortunately neons are not the best of stock anymore and even with good stock they still are lucky to make it for a long period of time.

 

[Cluunox]

yeh i understand that. what scares me is the 3 rasboras i need to try and figure out what this is so i can get it taken care of so they hopefullycan leave qt to the main tank someday lol. the condition in that pic is less than 24 hrs from looking fine to that.

 

[Cerianthus]

Although fish can adapt to wide range of pH, 7.8 seems bit extreme. It couldve been NTD but from my experiences with neon/cardianl in massive number (1000s), NTD is affiliated with stress (extreme pH). I ve seen few hundred tetras drop overnight.

You can always go back to where you bought them from and check the remaining Neons to see if lfs is experiencing same problems.

If not, have them check the pH of water where Neons are being kept.
Post the pH of lfs Neon tank. I'll try if I can assist further.

 

[jpappy789]

pH is minor compared to the TDS (total dissolved solids) of the tanks...As far as I know most neon stocks are still imported from the wild, so it would help to ask your LFS if they have any clue where their stocks are coming from. They might know but dont count on it. Also ask about the hardness (GH/KH) of their water as that will give you a better indicator of TDS.

Also, how did you acclimate??? That might be part of the problem as well.

 

[Cluunox]

The water at the lfs and my place are the same ph about 8, gh 180, kh 240+ closer to 300. I can see if they know where they get there stock from but being chain would doubt they do. I have lost neons to what I thought was ntd in the other tank and it did not progress this fast and it did not envelop the whole body this way overnight. I also have 3 of 5 neons left in the other tank that have been there since april so thinking it is to do with this batch of neons. Rasboras are still fine as far as I can tell. Ph and hardness being normal for our area does not mean it is not effecting them though if they are fresh caught and very stressed I agree. I may have been lucky and just now am getting fish from a batch that chemicals were used on to catch and they are just hurt beond their ability to deal with it under these conditions. Acclimation was bag float and small mounts of water added to about a 50/50 mix over about 1 hr. Fish were then netted into tank and water discarded.

 

[mel_20_20]

It looks like Columnaris to me. It can present with cottony patches, dull flat patches and even a thick filmy coating over the body of the fish that looks like the neon in the picture.

The batch of neons could be infected and were subclinical until the stress of the move to your QT from the store. Warmer temperatures increase the bacterial growth so I'd drop the temp to 75-76 degrees as Flexibacter grows like crazy at temps of 77 degrees and higher.

I would treat everyone in the QT with broad spectrum antibiotics asap. Medicated food containing antibiotics would be the best bet, however, often the fish are too sick to eat. Kanacyn is really good, but in lieu of that the combo of Maracyn and Maracyn II will work well. Hopefully the infection is not one of the more virulent strains of flexibacter.

Keep the temp below 77 and add oxygenation. Treat agressively with antibiotics.
Keep the water pristine in the QT. Do big water changes every 24 hours right before you dose the tank with the meds.

I go beyond the 5 days on the package insert and treat for 10 days. The two Maracyns are easy to find and cover gram neg and gram positive infection. Usually there is a secondary bacterial infection that develops with Flexibacter infections, aeromonas, and the combo of the Maracyns address both types of bacteria.

There is an excellent article about Columnaris which is caused by flexibacter, if you haven't read about it or are not very familiar with this infection. I can post a link to it if you would like, or I can paste it here.

Some strains of flexibacter move very fast, and unfortunately it sounds like you may have the more virulent strain if indeed this is Columnaris.

I can't say 100% for certain that this is what you have, but it looks like it to me and I believe immediate action is needed to save your fish that have been exposed and any of the neons that are still alive.

Remeber: Antibiotics, lower temp, increased O2, clean water: no ammonia no nitrites. Keep the room low light if possible, no noise. Medicated food if they will eat it (tetracycline if possible)