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Please help me identify this mystery disease. A mystery disease has killed all the livebearers in my tank (1 molly, 6 guppies), but my neon tetras are completely unaffected. Most noticeable symptom are blood-red marks on their bodies (pictured). First, they hover at the water’s surface, and then right before they die they hide in dark areas and develop slight pineconing. They die 1-2 days after the mark(s) appear. The first time this happened, I waited 2-3 weeks before adding new guppies to my tank. In 3 weeks, the new guppies died with the same symptoms. Could something be “living” in my tank? Could the tetras be asymptomatic carriers? I’d add more guppies (my favorite fish) but it would just be inhumane at this point if they’ll just die the same way. I’ve tried treating with Aquarium Salt, Tetra Lifeguard, API General Cure, API Erythromycin, API Fin and Body Cure, and API Super Ick Cure. The only disease I’ve heard of causing red marks was bacterial/viral hemorrhagic septicemia, but photos online don’t look exactly like mine. Stocking and Parameters: 20-gallon long with 4 amano shrimp, 10 neon tetras, and (formerly) 2-4 guppies. Some pest snails. Ammonia: 0.25 (it’s never been 0 even after large water changes, so I think it’s a false positive.) My tap water also tests 0.25. Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 0 (tank is moderately planted, pictured) PH: 7.5

Yellow male guppy developed red spots today. He is on day 6 of quarantine with med trio. He is the only one in the tank with it. Currently being quarantined with 5 zebra danios, and another male guppy. I forgot to not feed them the first 4 days, so it is only day 5 that they didn't eat. I had planned to not feed them, but worried they would get nippy so gave them only a small bit, and then forgot to stop giving them any when I took the fry out. The yellow guppy was always a bit more shy and slower to eat, though both guppies were terribly slow compared to the zebra danios. However they became sluggish and extremely less active by day 2 of quarantine so I had doubts they would make it through. Now they have red spots that developed either today or some time yesterday. I believe they also have a bit of a bloated belly. Oddly enough their activity is more active today, which I haven't seen since the first day. There is a bit of red around gills of 2 of the zebra danios, but I suspect it is from the ammonia. The petsmart near me also gave us a deformed white cloud minnow that my mom and I couldn't bare to see be culled, and 2 baby guppies. The white cloud was given before we got any other fish and was with us for an additional few days. Bend seemed a bit worse when I brought him home, but wasn't sure if I was seeing things. A local fish owner and the store employee said they get ones from time to time with bends like that and was told it was most likely genetics. After keeping the white cloud alone for 5 days, I moved the baby guppies on day 2 of their quarantine to him since the white cloud has stunted growth and the zebras were getting nippy. This is when I started feeding white cloud and kept on feeding until day 5. Based on the activity level and normal actions of the white cloud, plus the way the spine deformed, and the opinion of a local fish keeper, I figured the deformity was from birth. I did get the guppy fry for free, and they were going to be left in with the guppies to be eaten up like the rest of their siblings, so I figured it was a better shot than leaving them with the zebra danios and guppies who were getting hungry. I had planned to get a divider to put them back in with group, but I was so busy with appointments this week and health, it slipped my mind. Also after guppy fry were moved in with the white cloud Little sort of light brown or clear stringy poop (hard to tell because indian almond leaf) appeared and by today it is everywhere. *after taking a poop out of tank it looks more clear or white* Guppies and white cloud still acting normal. Bend seems worse potentially from when I first got white cloud. Also a bit of bloat? Both are new to after adding guppy fry. I knew the trouble I'd be unboxing going to a chain store, but a bleeding heart and wanting to get my old 2 year tank with stock finally got the better of me. Before I go any further, I'd like to say I plan to buy from a local fish store recommended in my area from now on. Recommended by a local fish facebook group. They are the only locals that I have gone to that didn't have dead fish in the tanks. (Local petsmart, petco, and most local stores are just as bad. Petco had an amazing person working there 2 years ago taking amazing care of their tanks, but they are no longer there). Glad to find a new LFS near me. Time for the two tank breakdowns. 10 gallon: Guppy & Zebras Kept at 75.6-79° F with an airstone (the heater is preprogramed and I can't change it so at night it gets cooler). Ammonia: 0.6 ppm Nitrites: 0ppm Nitrates: 2ppm pH: 6.6 Kh: 1 drop very faded Gh: 4 drops, maybe 3 hard to tell. Also faded 10 Gallon: White Cloud & Guppy Fry Kept at 73.6-74F° with an airstone and 1 indian almond leaf Ammonia: 0.15ppm Nitrites: 0ppm Nitrates: 1ppm pH: 6.7 Kh: 1 drop faded GH: 2 drops faded For reference I have 0.25ppm ammonia out of tap. Also I have aquarium salt, kanoplex, metroplex, focus, & the med trio on hand. I can stop at the LFS later today to see if they have anything else I might need to pick up. I also have crushed coral on hand if my low kh is a concern. Do I restart the quarantine with no eating because I forgot? Also doing a water change now on the zebra danios & Guppy tank. Add salt? New meds? New treatment plan? I seriously tried my best to get pictures of both as best I could. Thank you so much for all the help. 😭🙏

Hello everyone, New to the forum, and getting back into fish keeping and planted aquariums after ~20 years off. I’m seeing something with some Glofish tetras (black skirt tetras) that I haven’t seen before and can’t find anything online about other than one or two other people having it. I’ve had three from a local fish store exhibit an orange “forehead” or between the eyes. After some initial stressed behavior they have acclimated to the tank and seem happy and healthy (though I have wondered about too small a number, hence this next part about getting more to build more of a school). I chalked the strange discoloration up to unknown but harmless reasons. See the attached picture, the orange spot is most pronounced with the light blue fish coloration. I recently bought some more from the local Petco. They weren’t in the best of shape to start out (bellies seemed a bit sunken, all were small), but I figured it would be fine. All three died in the quarantine tank within days of coming home, and had the between the eyes orange coloration show up. But it was also much worse, and seemed more like bruising or red discoloration as well. I have been speculating and researching as to possible causes, and want some of your ideas. I don’t expect that a disease would act that quickly, but who knows? I wonder if it could be shock because of high pH or GH. I have pretty hard water and have been working to bring it down by using distilled whenever I change water, and just noticed that some reference sites show black skirt tetras as preferring a somewhat acidic pH. I didn’t think to test the water from the fish store before mixing in some as part of the acclimation process, so perhaps the swing was too great? I have pictures of the dead fish for comparison as well, but leaving it off for now. Other fish were added at the same time as the initial tetras, and none of them have any of the same symptoms. Some worked through some ick; interestingly the tetras were the only ones never showing any signs of ick. All are happy now. Water parameters: temp: 76 F pH: ~8.2-8.4, now down to 7.8-8 GH: 180 ppm, now down to 120 KH: 150 ppm, now down to 80 ammonia, nitrite: 0 nitrate: ~20 ppm