# Please help :(



## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

I just got home to find one of my black neons dead and many of my neons, a couple of my glowlights with white spots. I called petsmart and told me I need to medicate the whole tank! But they just told me my water was fine. My fish are only 4-5 days old.

Should I take my fish out and re-do the whole tank? Suggestions please, I am so upset


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## congar15 (Dec 6, 2011)

It appears you have ich. Up the temperature and add aquarium salt accordingly. That should help. Also, is this tank cycled? Have you read up on the nitrogen cycle? And take advice from online and people here, petsmart and petco suck


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

As far to my understanding yes. I have the carbon, zolight, activated charcoal. I had the tank running for three weeks prior to adding any fish, and I treated the water with conditioner, clarifier and ammonia. I also had the water tested and everything read were is should, no red flags at all. I am still experiencing the Bactria bloom. I have done one water change and that was yesterday, a very small amount. I have a heater and a bubbler as well.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Remove the carbon and charcoal, and treat for ich with a dye based medication. Using salt isn't best as it is hard to remove after, and you have salt-hating fish. It'll be easier to get a dye based med out, which will be better for the fish once the parasite is done.
Don't remove the fish, treat them. They are being attacked by a freeswimming parasite that goes for weakened fish - chilled, or recently moved. You have to go for stability - no changes. And with a good medication, you should be able to stop the parasite. Raise the temps to 85 f to speed up the life cycle of the ich, add your meds and stay the course. It should be okay - you have a common disease in there.

A lot of people suggest salt thinking it's natural, but for an Amazon fish like your tetras, it's as unnatural as any other chemical. Go for stability and don't mess with the hardness and pH, as salt will. I can't suggest a med because I'm in another country, and brand names are different. They all work about the same, as long as they say they are for Ich.

If you used salt in the meantime, no panic. It can be fixed.


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks guys ) My fiance and I went out and bought a dye based medication, took out the carbon and charcoal like you said. We are doing more research as well in the meantime. It says to add every 48 hours. I hope I don't loose more fish, but I am prepared to loose a couple. Odd my guppies seem unaffected. I also wonder if they are adding to the stress, they are swimming like they have batteries attached to them.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

ich is from temperature swings, and stress. in the future be careful to watch for temp swings, and drip acclimate the fish. It really helps cut down on instances of ich, in my experience.


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

I lost one of my glowlight tetras today ( The Guppies are still unaffected and it seems my pelco has a slight case of it now. Staying positive that it will all work itself out soon. I was talking about it here at work and just found out my supervisor used to keep huge tanks of tetra etc, so he is helping me out too. He says he wishes he told me to put fish like goldfish in the tank the first minute he heard me talking about starting my new tank to help the cycling.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

It is very advised against to put feeder fish in a tank to cycle it. Feeder fish or even gold fish are very dirty and are more likely to harbor diseases. The most advised way is fishless cycling. There won't be any harm to the fish, and no deaths. 

As far as your ich goes, your pleco will get the brut end of the ich because it spends most of it's time on the bottom, closest to the substrate. Cover your tank so no light can get through(with a blanket or something that will block out light). The ich parasite(when in it's free swimming stage) finds it's hosts by sight, so taking the light away increases the chances of the parasites being killed by the medication before finding a host. Keep up with the medication, and keep us posted.

Ich starts out in an egg form in the substrate, then when they hatch, they become free swimming. When they find a host, they attach themselves to the fish, creating the white spots.


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

The temperature is now around 81 degrees and I have now lost a total of 9 fish. All of my black neon tetras, two neon tetras, and two glowlights. It seems one of my cobra endlers has the ich now, but the other guppies are still ich free.

I have decided I will not replace any of these fish until the tank is free of ich and fully/correctly cycled. The next dose of medication has been added and a 25% water change per the instructions. It looks clear for a change.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

81 is still a comfort zone for the parasite - 85 is the start of the kill zone. You want to accelerate its development, causing the white cysts to burst and send out weakened freeswimming parasites. At that point, out of the cyst, they are exposed to the meds. That's the only time you can kill them - in the cyst, they can feed on your fish with absolute protection.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

^ +1


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks for all your help everyone. So far no dead fish today and the water seems to be clearing up. So I will take it step by step and do what I see on here vs. what petsmart tells me, seeing how that ended up (


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

I wouldn't take advice from chain pet stores like Petco and PetSmart...they're in it for a profit, and will do anything to get you to spend more money. You've got people with good advice helping you here, and just keep following it, and you should come out with a healthy tank. After that, it's just a matter of slow and steady recovery :3


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Glad to hea that tings are gtting better, let's hope for a full recvery


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Wow, do yourself a favor and pick up some quick cure med. Will usually clear all signs by the 4th day. Natural method is great, but when a med works that good and fast I will use it every time.


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## aerithny (Apr 8, 2012)

Well, here will be my last update on this thread. I am down to six fish out of 24. I have my pleco, 1 fancy tail guppy, 2 cobra endler guppies, a neon tetra and a glowlight tetra(who is about gone). This experience has been horrible! After having goldfish most of my life and having such success I never was expecting this. Funny after all of this the cloudiness is finally gone. At this rate, I will leave the water so it continues to cycle, but I will be cleaning the plants and replacing some of the decorations to better smaller sized ones. The collusum I have I love, but it is too big and five dead fish were in it decomposing without my knowing about it. I was starting to get concerned with how dirty it was looking and that was why. So I will clean the gravel with a vacuum, the plants, a new decoration to provide shelter and hiding and then wait. My fiance and I bought a five gallon tank to turn into a quarantine tank for the future fish. Although if these last six die, then there will be no point in have the q tank. I guess my last question is:

What fish should I get to go along with the guppies and pelco? I love the tetra, but after seeing how stressed they get, I really want to avoid this from happening again. Petsmart told me they are super hardy and would have no issue. Also when I returned the dead fish today, the same man who sold me all of these fish at the same time, said if anyone came in buying so many fish at a time, he would advise them not too, only to do four or so at a time.....funny you sold me 24 at once. ~sigh~ I will continue to post the process on other threads and look for input along the way.

Thanks!!


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

aerithny said:


> Well, here will be my last update on this thread. I am down to six fish out of 24. I have my pleco, 1 fancy tail guppy, 2 cobra endler guppies, a neon tetra and a glowlight tetra(who is about gone). This experience has been horrible! After having goldfish most of my life and having such success I never was expecting this. Funny after all of this the cloudiness is finally gone. At this rate, I will leave the water so it continues to cycle, but I will be cleaning the plants and replacing some of the decorations to better smaller sized ones. The collusum I have I love, but it is too big and five dead fish were in it decomposing without my knowing about it. I was starting to get concerned with how dirty it was looking and that was why. So I will clean the gravel with a vacuum, the plants, a new decoration to provide shelter and hiding and then wait. My fiance and I bought a five gallon tank to turn into a quarantine tank for the future fish. Although if these last six die, then there will be no point in have the q tank. I guess my last question is:
> 
> What fish should I get to go along with the guppies and pelco? I love the tetra, but after seeing how stressed they get, I really want to avoid this from happening again. Petsmart told me they are super hardy and would have no issue. Also when I returned the dead fish today, the same man who sold me all of these fish at the same time, said if anyone came in buying so many fish at a time, he would advise them not too, only to do four or so at a time.....funny you sold me 24 at once. ~sigh~ I will continue to post the process on other threads and look for input along the way.
> 
> Thanks!!


yeah, I'll admit you've had a rough ride there. At least now you have a chance to get things settled and restart. Best of luck to you.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

From what I can see, you are a new aquarist who (logically) trusted a store where the clerk may not have had any more experience than you. A wipeout like the one you experienced is discouraging, but it can teach some valuable 'perspectives'.
First, trust yourself - get your own info. Once you know enough, you can evaluate whether the person you are buying from also knows his/her stuff. The clerks at the best local store here are nice young guys with charm, the gift of the gab and no idea of how aquariums work or fish live. They're learning, but they are also students trying to get by. 
Second - slow and steady wins the race. Your tank is a garden, and the growth curve is part of it. Add slowly, read up on each fish and its needs, and build it, and it'll be great fun. 
I see a lot of people on this forum throwing totally inappropriate fish into small tanks. The stores won't stop them, why should they? A lot of times, people buy a fish and then ask how to keep it, when 7-10 seconds on google would have put excellent info at their disposal, with no stress or guilt at killing the poor creatures.
A little prep plus a little patiences equals a lot of pleasure.


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