Fully cycled for just shy of 5 months 10 gallon. 4 embers 3 females and 1 male. This one laid eggs last month but all were eaten. Also have 4 neons of which 2 are females who have laid eggs twice in the last 5 months. 1 assassin snail. Parameters are 0 ammonia 0 nitrites 10-20 nitrates gh4 kh5 ph7.8 checked every week before 35% wc and 50% gravel vac. I use api liquid tests. Please tell me it’s just a scratch. She had it a couple weeks ago but it seemed to get better but now it’s back same location. She eats and swims and acts completely normal. None of her tank mates have any marks either.White patch on ember red tetra
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Fully cycled for just shy of 5 months 10 gallon. 4 embers 3 females and 1 male. This one laid eggs last month but all were eaten. Also have 4 neons of which 2 are females who have laid eggs twice in the last 5 months. 1 assassin snail. Parameters are 0 ammonia 0 nitrites 10-20 nitrates gh4 kh5 ph7.8 checked every week before 35% wc and 50% gravel vac. I use api liquid tests. Please tell me it’s just a scratch. She had it a couple weeks ago but it seemed to get better but now it’s back same location. She eats and swims and acts completely normal. None of her tank mates have any marks either.
My usual advice is to change more water more often. That can work wonders! Really! Try for even lower nitrates. Check your tap water vs your tank water parameters & post all your numbers please.
I can't see the white area very well. Can you try for a clearer pic? Does it seem to be on the surface or deeper into her body, maybe like a small lump? It doesn't look like a surface "scratch" but it might be. Do you have rough rocks or wood that could cause that? Have you seen her rub or scrape against them often, more of a quick dash against something. That can be from any irritation, not just ick (you've had them too long without new changes for that to be likely & no salt-like "sprinkles").
Not in her gills...It can be very hard to tell but it doesn't look like the white area is close to them. Nor do I see reddish irritated gills. Try for a whole tank pic or 2, maybe there's something there...
It could be a seasonal change in your water source, but I'm thinking not so much.
Fish diseases are hard to accurately guess even with very clear pics. Sometimes it's more a case of what it's NOT with vague terms. Fuzzy? Slimy? Bumpy like cauliflower? White, brownish or grayish?
Isn't this fun? We will always have more questions but not maybe good answers. We'll all keep trying to help as best we can...
I can't see the white area very well. Can you try for a clearer pic? Does it seem to be on the surface or deeper into her body, maybe like a small lump? It doesn't look like a surface "scratch" but it might be. Do you have rough rocks or wood that could cause that? Have you seen her rub or scrape against them often, more of a quick dash against something. That can be from any irritation, not just ick (you've had them too long without new changes for that to be likely & no salt-like "sprinkles").
Not in her gills...It can be very hard to tell but it doesn't look like the white area is close to them. Nor do I see reddish irritated gills. Try for a whole tank pic or 2, maybe there's something there...
It could be a seasonal change in your water source, but I'm thinking not so much.
Fish diseases are hard to accurately guess even with very clear pics. Sometimes it's more a case of what it's NOT with vague terms. Fuzzy? Slimy? Bumpy like cauliflower? White, brownish or grayish?
Isn't this fun? We will always have more questions but not maybe good answers. We'll all keep trying to help as best we can...
It’s very hard to get a clear picture because my tank is round and it makes it blurry. The wound seems to have a tiny raised spot. It’s not completely flat. She had become very territorial over a corner in the tank below the heater when she was about to lay eggs. This rock
was creating a small cave in that corner where the jagged edge was about an inch from the curved glass of the tank. She would dart up out and nip any neon who got too close to her “nest?” Then straight back in. She only came out otherwise to eat until she laid her eggs which I was lucky enough to witness. This is why I thought maybe it was a scratch so I took out the rock once I saw the mark.
my tap doesn’t fluctuate at all it seems. It reads 0 ammonia 0nitrite 0 nitrate. It also has ph 7 with 0kh and 2gh. My tank holds at 7.8 and 4kh 5gh because I have crushed coral in the filter to specifically bring up the kh. Ph does not drop unless I do 50% or more wc. But even then it only drops a little and bounces back within an hour. Even the mopani didn’t budge it although my water is pretty brown by the end of the week.
they are the best fish I’ve had. They come straight to the front to say hi every time I come close. They are not skittish at all. I can even hold my hand in the tank while cleaning and they swim right into it. She acts completely normal. Swims all over but not frantically just like leisurely stroll. Groups with the other tetras. No scratching or rubbing. It’s behind her gills and no red irritation. Hasn’t acted territorial or nipped since removing the rock. I hate to think something is hurting her and that the others might get it too. If it was a scratch how long would it take to heal? If it was something worse would it necessarily cause her to die or is it possible for her immune system to fight it? I know lots of questions without definitive answers. Thanks for all your advice. You are greatly appreciated!
Well, that rock does look rough so it could be a scratch/rubbed area.
Try to do some extra water changes as often as you reasonably can (every other day? twice/week?). Keep a close eye on the wound. Hopefully you'll see it get smaller in a week or 2 but maybe not completely gone. Watch for any redness, fuzziness or if it looks like it's getting larger/more raised. If that happens it may be time for an antibiotic. For now go with clean fresh water. Good Luck!
Oh, & pretty tank!
Try to do some extra water changes as often as you reasonably can (every other day? twice/week?). Keep a close eye on the wound. Hopefully you'll see it get smaller in a week or 2 but maybe not completely gone. Watch for any redness, fuzziness or if it looks like it's getting larger/more raised. If that happens it may be time for an antibiotic. For now go with clean fresh water. Good Luck!
Oh, & pretty tank!
Thank you. I’ll clean up tomorrow and probably again on Thursday or Friday. Luckily It’s not hard to change some water. My tank is small 
That's the right answer!! 
Smaller tank, larger WC, healthier fish. Do the best you can as often as you can. I pretend it's an upper body work out even in small tanks...no, I'm not very buff , but I'm old...You should do better! We could have a challenge, lol, but all my tanks are much larger & I can't do pics easily...so you'll have to do it for both of us ...GO, do it! Good luck!
Smaller tank, larger WC, healthier fish. Do the best you can as often as you can. I pretend it's an upper body work out even in small tanks...no, I'm not very buff , but I'm old...You should do better! We could have a challenge, lol, but all my tanks are much larger & I can't do pics easily...so you'll have to do it for both of us ...GO, do it! Good luck!A friend offered to give me a couple doses of api stress coat +. It says healing power of aloe Vera , reduce fish stress and replaces slime coat. Does this sound like it would be beneficial to her? It is also a dechlorinater so if you think it’s good I would wait until the next wc to use it.
I am not a big fan of Stress Coat. Fish can replace their slime coat fairly easily...& it's just my thinking that aloe is, yep, slimy. But it'll go all over the injured/sick fish including the gills, over the other fish, their gills & decor too. Does it interfere with gill function? I don't know...I don't freak out if a LFS adds a squirt of it to a bag, I'm not allowing shop water in my tanks if I can possibly help it...& it's only for 30-60 minutes or so. Aloe also irritates my skin...is that maybe how it "helps fish slime coat" by irritation (again, gills ?)?
If she doesn't look to be improving after a week or 2 of frequent clean water (what can be more "natural" than clean water?) &/or starts to look worse, I'd go with a real antibiotic drug not a "natural product". (disclaimer, my husband is a retired organic ag/pharma chemist. We believe in proven drugs not wishful thinking)
If she doesn't look to be improving after a week or 2 of frequent clean water (what can be more "natural" than clean water?) &/or starts to look worse, I'd go with a real antibiotic drug not a "natural product". (disclaimer, my husband is a retired organic ag/pharma chemist. We believe in proven drugs not wishful thinking)
Ok great. I completely agree. I was hesitant from the beginning and that’s why I was asking your opinion 
I did a 4 gallon wc today and she still has that little spot but she is still acting normal. She likes to play in the stream of fresh water coming in the tank. I let it in real slow and she jumps and dives over and over in it. Reminds me of a salmon going up stream lol. The neons sit a few inches away watching. I imagine them shaking their little fish heads at her shenanigans. Such a silly fish.
whats your thoughts on biofilm? I’m almost positive she’s eating some off my mopani. She also ate a bladder snail. I didn’t know tetras did that.
I did a 4 gallon wc today and she still has that little spot but she is still acting normal. She likes to play in the stream of fresh water coming in the tank. I let it in real slow and she jumps and dives over and over in it. Reminds me of a salmon going up stream lol. The neons sit a few inches away watching. I imagine them shaking their little fish heads at her shenanigans. Such a silly fish. whats your thoughts on biofilm? I’m almost positive she’s eating some off my mopani. She also ate a bladder snail. I didn’t know tetras did that.