Sick Neon Tetra

[TimCNX]

Hi everyone, 

I have a community tank with 10 neon tetras.

I noticed one of them has half of the tailfin covered in white with a part seeming to miss. I caught him and tried to take a good picture. I noticed another one with a tiny white part at it's side and a bloated belly and caught it as well, I placed both in another empty tank.

I watched a few videos and just ordered General cure online.

Any idea what it might be? If so, any kind of advice would be much appreciated!

It's the first time they have any issue, the tank has amano and neoc. shrimp, Kuhli and Hillstream loaches, Otos, a pea puffer, danios. I added 6 pigmy corys on the weekend and think it might be the reason? Only thing I changed recently as well is feeding baby brine shrimp once a week.

Temperature is always around 84, the tank has a lot of plants. I use CO2 as well. 

Ammonia at 0, N03 ~ 15, N02 at 0, GH between 6-8, KH at 3, PH ~6.5. 

Edited June 30, 2021 by TimCNX

[Colu]

It looks more like a bacterial infection I would treat with maracyn and aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 2 gallon that will help to protect your fish against fungal infection remember to only put back in the amount of salt you take out so if you do 2 gallon water change only put 1 table spoon back in 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Colu

[TimCNX]

Thanks a lot for the help, I wasnt able to find maracyn and started treatment with another product. 

[Colu]

Am not familiar with that med what the active ingredient in it

[Odd Duck]

This fairly likely may have started with fin nipping from the pea puffer.  They are not particularly well-behaved fish and typically not recommended for a community tank.

That being said, this looks likely be a secondary bacterial infection.  Any chance you have access to a microscope?  It would be immensely helpful to wipe a tiny bit of this material off and look at it under the microscope even if you don’t have any stains available.

I can’t find the ingredients for the medication you’ve shown, so have no idea what it might be or if it might work.  What color is the the medication?  Did it change the color of the water in the tank?

I would continue to look for Maracyn if you can.  If you have access to a povidone iodine solution you could use a cotton-tipped swab and paint it directly on the skin lesions.

Edit to ask:

Please post your water parameters.  Most fish won’t get bacterial infections from a single nip.  I’m concerned your fish may have an underlying issue like immune suppression from imperfect water conditions.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Odd Duck

[TimCNX]

Thanks for both answers! 

Well, I don't know the active ingredient as well, I went with pictures to the shop where I usually buy everything I need. They advised me to use that product. 

It's mostly in Thai. Until now all the meds worked, I had an Ich outbreak beginning of the year and solved it really easy. The one from the picture turns the water completely green. 

Unfortunately I don't have access to have microscope.

I don't think it was the puffer, I have lots of plants and cover and never saw even an attempted nip. All the other fish are fine as well. I will keep an eye on that, thanks 🙂

It could be caused by waterconditions. Apart from adding the pygmis, the only change to the tank was that I started to hatch and feed baby brine shrimp. Maybe I didn't rinse them properly? The parameters of the tank are all in the post above.

Thanks for the answers, its much appreciated!