# what is wrong with tetras?



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I set up a 5 gallon Q tank using a sponge filter that had run in my 20 gallon tank for a couple of weeks. I also added in a couple of large plants and some gravel from the 20 gallon. I used Stability every day for a week after I added 4 little glow light tetras.
After 1 week I had no ammonia and some nitrates plus a low level of nitrites. I monitored the nitrite readings daily. They began to rise and the nitrates dropped to zero. So I continued with the Stability and added a bit of aquarium salt. The tetras did not seem stressed. Today the nitrites are finally at zero after a number of water changes.
With Stability I have noticed that often there is no readings of anything until after you stop using it . so the odd readings are not particularly alarming except that the nitrites got stuck. I am advised on the forum that possibly the use of prime as a conditioner stalled the conversion but I wonder if those bacteria in the Stability for some reason were weak or dead.
( I have found that stability once opened deteriorates fairly quickly.)
Anyway the tetras were going along fine and so yesterday I added them to the main tank.
Today one of them is dead having a large bloody area on her side. The other 3 females have their top fins torn into shreds with the tips missing. They are flashing like mad and twitching all over.
These are female fish and they were added into the tank with some pre-existing older males.
The weather is stormy.
I have been looking at them with a magnifying glass and I can't see any spots at this stage. They were also in Aquarisol during Q and there is Aquarisol in the main tank. The males aren't flashing.
I phoned Big Al's and asked for the best guess- they say probably intestinal parasites and the female that died probably bashed herself on the decorations trying to rid herself of them.
They suggested I give Seachem anti parasitic food and treat with Kanaplex.??
THis makes no sense to me as kanaplex is an antibiotic.
I do have Jungle antiparasitic food and Jungle antiparasitic fizz tabs which I have added to the tank.


it seems odd that they were ok for 2 weeks and now would show signs of parasites.
I don't think the problems are from the elevated nitrites or maybe I would have seen them earlier.
they are egg laden I think from the size of them.
I don't like the flashing and shuddering althought it may just be nothing.

Any ideas?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

This is why we quarantine. You can't always SEE what is wrong, and sometimes it takes awhile for problems to reveal themselves.
The Jungle fizztabs for parasites are pretty good, and should help quite a bit for what my guess is the flukes causing your main problem. Trichodina is my second guess. 
Some antibiotics, by the way, actually do work against protozoans.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

far less flashing today- just the one female.
The weather has settled nicely too. the storms have past- all tanks are quiet today.
Will do a water change tomorrow and retreat with anti parasitic tabs.
too bad we don't have any more choices than Big Al's or Petsmart to buy from. We used to have 5 different fish places here but are now down to 2. My friends who keep tanks continually are buyng fish. They seem to only last a couple of months at best.
Don't know if it is in the breeding of the fish that is the problem or what. We all do our regular water changes yet have so much problem with any new fish we buy.
Perhaps the dreaded tetrahymena is at work!
What do you think of kanaplex for parasites?


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## JimW/Oscar (Jul 4, 2010)

mousey said:


> I am advised on the forum that possibly the use of prime as a conditioner stalled the conversion but I wonder if those bacteria in the Stability for some reason were weak or dead.


Stability is designed to work with Prime. Prime shouldn't stall the growth of nitrifying bacteria, it converts the ammonia into ammonium which nitrifiers can still consume but which isn't as toxic to fish. I know that Prime in higher doses will also neutralize nitrites though I'm not sure how but perhaps this could slow the progress of the bacteria which converts nitrites to nitrates?


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