# Cardinal neon questions



## Markrieger (Jan 15, 2011)

I added 4 cardinal neons to a newly established tank that had 4 guppies and 1 platy in it. The tank had been established about 10 days prior to adding the neons and the neons have been in the tank for 4 days. Prior to adding the neons the platy and guppies had been in there 7 days. Everything was going fine through last night. This morning I noticed all four neons covered with tiny brown spots. Any ideas what's going on?

Water levels have been extremely consistent since tank start up: temp 78-80deg, ph 6.8-7.0, amonia .5, nitrites and nitrates 0.

The fish folks at the pet store assured me that the amonia level was normal for local tap water and not to be worried but did sell me some additive for the filter, a small bag of whittish pebbles that was suppose to reduce the amonia which it hasn't. Any ideas here on what's going on? Did they tell me the wrong thing and sell me cardinals before it was time?


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## e048 (Dec 23, 2010)

Can you upload a picture, it's easier to id what's going on through pictures, also how long has the tank been running? 10 days or so? Do the brown spots move? are they fuzzy looking? The only thing to get rid of ammonia is to do a 10% water change every day or every other day until the ammonia is gone. Your tank is going through an ammonia spike because of the new fish you added, and from what I can tell, a new tank.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The pebbles are made of Zeolite, and it really does absorb ammonia. However, they were also right about that level being normal in a new tank, and the use of zeolite will only deprive the bacteria of the ammonia they need to get established. This is a bad thing. Once they are grown, the ammonia will be eliminated .

Tiny brown spots?
Hmmm.. that sounds like a disease called Velvet. It's nasty stuff.


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