Green neon tetra sick... still...

[Karen B.]

My green neon tetras an not doing any better.

Really hoping for some insight @Cory

I have a community tank.

Population : 1 honey gourami, 10 green neon tetra, 10 chili rasbora, 7 false julii cory, 4 nerita snails.

 

Cycled, planted, temp about 75, ph 7.6, kh 4, gh 11, 0/0/(between 0 and 30). 

WC + gravel siphon every week or 2 weeks depending.

 

On the first week of june, I noticed 3 of my green neon tetra had white patches on their tail. Just some kind of discoloration but no fuzziness.

 

Then a kind of blister appeared on the top of the head of one of them, as well as a white fuzzy patch behind it’s dorsal fin. They all still swim and eat. And none of the other fishes caught it. 

 

I treated the whole community tank with Maracyn + Ick-X, nothing happened.

 

I then moved then 10 hreen neon tetra to a 2 gallons hospital tank. I treated them with salt (1 tbs/gallon) and supratect (some natural meds based on garlic) + 50% wc every 2 days (and redosing salt) for 2 weeks. No improvement but it didn’t get worst either.

 

I was suggested kanaplex which I ordered but won’t get for 3-4 more days still. Meanwhile I tried Melafix and the symptoms on my fish got much more worst. 

 

More fuzzy patch appeared. The anal region of the fish with a blister on its head is red, the blister is red and white. One fish that only had mild symptoms now is covered with fungus and seems deformed.  I am starting to wonder if it can be curable at all or if I should put them out of their misery.

 

I moved them in a quarantine 10 gallons. Some of the other fish are starting to get cotton mouth so I am treating again with Maracyn + Ich-X until I get the kanaplex.

 

At this point, should I sort the sick fish vs the healthy one or just keep treating them all?

 

And just to top the cake, one of my otocinclus in my 20 gallons community tank is having fungus on one of its pectoral fins... So I moved him with the green neon tetra.

 

It’s upsetting because the main cause of these diseases seem to be water quality but I do 30% wc + gravel siphon at least once a week. I may overfeed but my corydoras eat the remains and there is never rotten food or anything at the bottom of the tank.

 

Starting to think I am a bad fish keeper and should just quit the hobby if I cause them more harm then good no matter how well intentioned I am. 

 

[Colu]

Looking at your new pictures it could be neon tetra disease your fish have

[Karen B.]

On 7/5/2021 at 8:29 PM, Colu said:

Looking at your new pictures it could be neon tetra disease your fish have

But I was told green neon tetra didn’t get it?

[Odd Duck]

Maybe it’s just the way the light is hitting, but some of those nodules/blisters look like they might have a tiny worm inside them.  I would try some levamisole at 2 mg per liter.  Treat once weekly for 3 weeks in a row, then skip a week and treat once more.

To treat, do a 50% water change and removing as much detritus is possible, turn the lights out and make the tank as dark as possible (can treat after lights out), add the meds.  Wait 24 hours, then do another 50% water change removing detritus again.

If your fish got some parasites, it can weaken their immune system and make them more vulnerable to secondary bacterial infection at the site of the parasites and just in general.  If you can clear the worms (and they can get under the skin like this), then the bacterial infection should clear more easily.

[Cory]

It looks like an internal parasite to me. I'd try some para cleanse.

[Colu]

On 7/6/2021 at 1:40 AM, Karen B. said:

But I was told green neon tetra didn’t get it?

Other species of tetras can get neon tetra disease looking at the pictures again I missed what look like parasites it could be anchor worms treat with levamisole as @Odd Duck suggest or hikari pond solutions cyropro

[Colu]

Aquarium co-op stocks  cyropro or you can get levamisole from select aquatics

Edited July 6, 2021 by Colu

[Karen B.]

On 7/5/2021 at 9:29 PM, Colu said:

Other species of tetras can get neon tetra disease looking at the pictures again I missed what look like parasites it could be anchor worms treat with levamisole as @Odd Duck suggest or hikari pond solutions cyropro

@Cory

@Odd Duck

@Colu

I started them earlier today with maracyn/ick-x (before I posted)

Cory said to use paracleanse so I just added that.

Is it too much for the fish if I follow the maracyn, ick-x and paracleanse protocol all at once?

Or should I just keep going with paracleanse and in 5 days use Levamisole?

Or can those be done at the same time? 
 

[ARMYVET]

I think the levamisole is used separately …I cannot remember the dosage @Cory recommends or the website to the people you get it and the dosage.  

[Colu]

All 3 meds are used together in the med trio but ick x does require daily water changes some I would just treat with paracleanse and maracyn

[Karen B.]

On 7/5/2021 at 9:47 PM, Colu said:

All 3 meds are used together in the med trio but ick x does require daily water changes some I would just treat with paracleanse and maracyn

Thanks! So maracyn every day as quote in the instructions ans paracleanse on the 3rd day. Poor fish. They are troopers because they went through so much.

[Colu]

On 7/6/2021 at 2:59 AM, Karen B. said:

Thanks! So maracyn every day as quote in the instructions ans paracleanse on the 3rd day. Poor fish. They are troopers because they went through so much.

Yes

[Odd Duck]

Paracleanse and CyroPro are not going to get that type of parasite.  You need levamisole.  Paracleanse is just herbal extracts and CyroPro only triggers slime coat production, which would help protect existing wounds but neither will kill the parasites.

Those are worms that are visible under the surface layer of the skin.  Levamisole is taken internally and should kill that type of worm.  It will take time for the fishes immune system to clear them once the worms are killed, plus there can be worms in different life stages within the fishes tissues, which is why you need multiple rounds of dosing to be fully effective.  Just imagine lesions like those surface blisters inside a tiny fish liver or kidney!  It’s no wonder they’re feeling crummy!

You may see open wounds as they heal but the blisters should go away about the time the second dose of levamisole is due, then any remaining wounds should be healing at about the time the third dose is due.  At least as long as there isn’t a secondary skin infection, which is where the Maracyn may be useful.

I hate to contradict anybody, but you need to kill those worms as your best, first step.  Then monitor for any worsening of lesions which might indicate the need for Maracyn.  Don’t be surprised if blisters turn to ulcers between 7-14 days.  Make certain your water is pristine and the skin lesions should heal and may, or mat not, need any other treatment.

[Kenneth Thornton]

Unfortunately is does look like neon tetra disease but in the photos I did not see the typical curvature of the spine. syphon the substrate well maybe a couple of times and guarantee any futher tetras for 3 weeks before adding to display tanks. they are usually tough fish. I have 6 year old cardinals and 5 year old green neon now so don't give up on the hobby it always has its trial and tribulations but many many rewards

[Colu]

On 7/6/2021 at 6:34 AM, Odd Duck said:

Paracleanse is just herbal extracts

Paracleanse isn't  herbal  extracts it's active ingredient is metronidazole and praziquantel 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Colu

[Odd Duck]

@Colu hmm.  That wasn’t what I saw with a search.  I had thought it was prazi, but that didn’t come up when I searched.  Still, prazi isn’t likely to get the type of worms I can see under the skin of these green neons.  Levamisole would be more likely to work on these,

Edited July 6, 2021 by Odd Duck
Fix typo

[Odd Duck]

@Colujust searched again and it popped right up with the prazi and metro!  Thanks, google, for nothing!  🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️
 

Still going to stick by levamisole, though, since prazi is for tapes and flukes.  These look far more likely to be a nematode/roundworm type.

[Colu]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:56 PM, Odd Duck said:

@Colu hmm.  That wasn’t what I saw with a search.  I had thought it was prazi, but that didn’t come up when I searched.  Still, prazi isn’t likely to get the type worms of I can see under the skin of these green neons.  Levamisole would be more likely to work on these,

I would still treat with paracleanse till you can get holed of some levamisole 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Colu