# Overnight death



## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

Ok I have a hundred gallon setup for tetras and other community fish. During the day the fish are active and healthy, but at night I tend to find 1 or more swimming perilously in the tank. I also have a relitively large pleco about 8 or 9" in the tank. I was wondering if he could be the culprit. I figured most of the tetras go domn to the bottom and enter a sleep like state and the pleco is just getting started. Could he be stumbling across these tetras and damaging them. Some disapear and some I find in the tank dead? 


Thanks for your Time,
jeffdart


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

there appears to be a virus that some tetras such as neons are prone to. It is said that it is untreatable and can be transmitted to some community fish. The cardinal tetras do not appear to be affected by this virus sometimes called neon tetra disease. If the tetras you speak of are not neons then much more info would be needed . See the notice at top of freshwater emergencies and disease section.


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

neons, glowlights, silver tipped, pristellas ect. only occurs at night. temps and ph are good, water chemistry is pristene.


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## Amphitrite (Sep 8, 2006)

Can you tell us exactly how many of each species of fish you have? What is your water change routine, how much do you feed, and what exactly are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

I don't buy any less then 7 of each, my purpose in setting up a hundred gallon wasa to do this. Ive been at this for about 12 years just never had this problem before.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

are all of the different types of tetras being affected?


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

Yeah and it seems to only be happening after the lights go out, there isn't any severe temperature drop. It isn't the sudden shutoff of the lights either.


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

Ok new data. I am ruling out pleco. I have discovered two tetras today finally get a look at what is going on. A neon and a glowlight seem to have something growing on or near there head. The neon has a sort of white substance growing behind it's head it kind of looks like a scar. Its head looks a little swollen as well. The glowlight has something on top of its head that kind of looks like a mohawk. I noticed that they will stay stationary because if they start swimming they lose control! Any ideas? If so what should I treet it with? This is very frustrating.


Thank you


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

What kind of pleco is he? Most are vegetarians, and unless he is not being fed well enough, the larger varietys will feed on fish's slime coat.


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

it is a butterfly pleco the average, at every pet store. Im ruling him out cus of my last post. I found some other evidence leaning away from pleco.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

This Butterfly Pleco? Butterfly Pleco - Dekeyseria Brachyura

Each said says it needs wood, and occasional meat matter. Have you been supplying him enough algea and wood latley? 

It also sounds like the fish are just getting a fungus. What are your water parameters?


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

sorry my bad its a trinidad, i was just reading about the butterfly plecos and my mind is all over the place with my fish problem. I stress as easy as they do. It seems to be mainly effecting their heads. What kind of treatment do you recomend?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

As stated some tetras especially neons are prone to disease named after them. This disease can be transmitted to other fish. You do not post exact water parameters so we cannot be certain as to what "pristine"means. We do not know how long all of these fish have been together so we cannot rule out new fish that may have been diseased from the outset. Were it my fish I would quarantine the affected fish or fishes to avoid possibly having to treat a whole tank full of fish rather than just the affected ones. A simple rubbermaid tub with sponge filter and heater could serve as a quarantine or hospital tank. you have chosen not to share the information asked for at the top of the section Freshwater Emergencies and Diseases It is difficult therefore to do little more than speculate as to what could be affecting your fish. I fear there are few willing to do that and those that would I would be suspect of.


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## jeffdart (Oct 17, 2008)

It happens too fast to even quarentine. One second there fine then gone. My ph is about 6.8 temp is 76.6. Amonia and Nitrite levels are fine. Im thinking the same thing now a fish that brought it in my tank. I acclamate my fish using drip method. It only effects my tetras not my hatchets or goast cats. Is that enough info?


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