# Black skirt with mouth rot?



## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

So i recently overhauled my main tank giving me the opportunity to inspect each fish as i placed them back into the tank. To my dismay, one of my black skirt tetras seems to be ill? I had not noticed any change in its behavior but when i closly inspected it, i saw the dark areas around the mouth and gill. Searching online has yielded me no clear answer, it sounds like a chemical burn but could also be a bacterial infection. could anyone help me? I have attached pictures of the fish below. They are a little blurry, but my camera is terrible at close-ups.


----------



## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't know what it is, but it looks like what one of my Lemons Tetras got. It spread to my other fish after awhile. I would isolate the fish until you can find out what it is. Careful about treament. Tetras are very sensitive to meds.


----------



## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

I dont know how long this fish has had it, its in a little container now im changing the water daily until i figure out how to cure it. if its a chemical burn it should go away on its own after a while, if not then im really hoping someone here will know what i can do :-/


----------



## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

so i just realized i probably did not give enough information for anyone to really be able to help so i will add it now:

Tank: 46g Freshwater
Tank is kept at 78-82F
Moderately planted
Filtered with Fluval 305 w/ surface skimmer addon, media baskets only have physical and biological filtration media (ceramic cylinder things and foam)
No additional equipment other than heater and filter for tank.
Water not been tested recently, just overhauled so old parameters do not apply anymore.
Been set up for >2yrs

The other tankmates are 2 Bolivian rams, 2 other Black Skirts, 6 pristella tetras, MTS. Most inhabitants been in tank for over 2 years, Bolivian rams have been in for 2 months. Almost all adult sized now.

The sick fish is not in quarantine, tiny container like the ones they use in petstores to transfer fish. Water for it is changed daily with tank water.

Tank recieves very diffused sunlight during daylight hours from shaded window ~120ft away. Tank lights 6000k and rosette HO T5 bulbs, on for 8 hrs a day.

Water is changed ~once every week or 2 weeks, ~10% with gravel vac.

Food is tetra flakes once a day in the morning with occasional treats like freezedry brine shrimp, frozen bloodworm.

Fish has not exhibited any unusual behaviors.

Fish has not been treated for anything. 


If anyone can help, please do. This fish has been with me for over 4 years now.


----------



## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

This is a hypothosis I have about the cause.

Stress - it is the same cause of the diesase my Lemon tetra got. The unknown diesase seems to happen when the fish isn't in a properly sized school. You only had 2 other BST, your sick BST was insecure. Without the proper number (6 minimum) the fish is much more likely to catch a diesase.

I had my first tetra for 2 weeks. It caught this strange diesase and died pretty quickly. I just got rid of the diesase afew month ago (I hope). The diesase died with my last mature swordtail male. Being kept in a school too small has terrible effects on school fish. I think all tetra are school fish, and they all need to be kept in a group of 6 or more.

I know that it is terrible to treat tetras, especially if you don't know exactly what it is, but my Lemons had that diesase for 4 or 5 months. The diesase died when I treated them with an Anti-Parasite Med. I don't know if that is a good idea or not, but it might be worth a shot.

I sure hope your BST gets better. In the meantime, please get about 4 or 5 BST to make yourself a nice school.


----------



## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

well the situation is that i do not want to increase the number of BST because i am waiting for them to die. I know that sounds horrible and i love my tetras a lot but i want to switch to a different type of fish, ive had these 3 BST all for at least 4 years, the oldest one maybe 5 years now. I tried to give them away but i cant find anyone i know who wants them and my LFS is a petco that wont take any fish unless they are an "approved vendor."

Im hoping they will die naturally of old age and die peacefully which is why i dont want this BST to die from some illness. Does this make any sense? i feel like a terrible person saying this...


----------

