# Tetras Changing color?



## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

Ok, so i've seen this more and more often. My tetras have been sort of freaking me out with these color changes they keep having.
Personally I think its kind of cool, but i'm worried it might be a sign of something.

So, every so oftern I look in the tank and my happy blue/red tetras are purple. Its a strange glowing purple too, not that it actually glows cuz I turned off the lights and nothing, but its really distict and obvious. and its not just the neons that do it, the cardinals have recently been copying them and doing the same.
I'm just worried that this might be a sign of stress or something since I do happen to have somewhat of a crowding issue. 

Also, one of them has developed this weird white spot on its lip, and I automatically thought Ick, but its been over 2 weeks and nothing has happened. The fish also seems perfectly healthy and showing no signs of trouble so i'm ruling out tetra disease.... If it is a parasite, is there some medication that won't mess with my bottom feeders or the river darter?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

How long has the tank been set up? what size tank? how many fish? How often do you feed? What are water readings for ammonia,nitrites, and nitrates? what type of bottom feeders? How long have fish been in the tank? how often do you change the water? how much do you change? what type of dechlorinator do you use? what is the temp of the tank? what chemicals,meds,fertilzers,salt,or other additives are being used. If you provide answers to these questions pehaps there are those who can offer more assistance. I will say that BEFORE iIused any medications in the tank I would want to know were it me, what water tests indicated. If you do not have a test kit then perhaps fish store would test your water if you brought them a sample.


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## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

Tank is about a year old with fish, 3 years old since I got it, 10 gallons, 16 fish. I feed 2c a day, 1 helping of flakes in the morning and half a cube of blood worms later on. No water readings, need a kit. 
Bottom feeders include Dojo, large pleco, and I guess the river darter counts as a bottom feeder. Also about 10 feeder ghost shrimps keep the algae under control every 2 weeks.

All the fish except 3 diamond tetras and 2 rainbows have been there for at least 8 months. the tetras came in 3 months ago, the rainbows a month ago. I used to hold 2 turtles in there till I got them a larger tank, then I moved the fish in from the 5 gallon. Water changes are weekly 25% and I use "chlor out" and every 3 months I do a 50% change. Temp. is about 72. I also put a bit of aquarium salt in after every water change.

Current inhabitants: 2 neon tetra, 2 cardinal tetra, 3 diamond tetra, 4 cherry barbs, 1 sunset gourami, dojo, river darter, pleco, peacock eel.
I also have 4 plants, 2 small 2 large.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

You have quite a few fish for a ten gal. but then you know that. were it me I would invest in a test kit that uses liquid drops rather than the test strips that have given me and others inaccurate results. The API freshwater master kit is used by many. I would also find a new home for the large pleco they have no place in a ten gal tank and are serious poop producers which you don't need in the ten gal for excess poop and or uneaten food = ammonia which at elevated levels will stress if not outright kill your fish. Also while it is ok to use salt temporarily to treat some ailments in fish it should not be added on a regular basis for it does not dissipate or evaporate in the water but rather builds up over time and this too can stress the fish and at high enough concentration kill as well. Your water change routine sounds good unless you keep the pleco which I would not . Not all dechlorinators are the same I would were it me, and it's not, use a dechlorinator such as PRIME or AMQUEL+ they detoxify ammonia, chlorine, and chloramines. Some water conditioners or dechlorinators only deal with one or two of the afore mentioned. It is my belief that possible elevated ammonia levels combined with regular doses of salt could be contributing to the fish changing colors due to stress or poisoning. I would also cut feeding to once a day until i could test the water and feed sparingly.


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## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

I have Amquel, but its always worried me changing brands because of a certain incident..... which ended up in me having to destroy 2 fish personaly and 4 others dying horrible deaths, that was enough of an experience never to want it again. How quickly does Amquel neutralize? Also, to give a certain measurement, the placo is 5 inches. Is that really too big? He does a great job durring his nightly runs of keeping the tank very clean, its just he can't really get at the smaller plastic plants and such, which is where the shrimp come in.

Also, I turned on the light a minute ago and what did I find but a hitch hicking snail had made it into my tank.....
What do I do about it? There seems to only be 1. I don't know if snails can breed alone...
Its got a tan long spiral shell, and its mass is black. Its not tiny, but not very large.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Amquel+ will make tapwater safe for fish immediately but should be added to the new water that you add to the tank before you add it. Also try and not add new water that is too cold or too warm to the tank as this can shock the fishes who are used to the temp in the tank. You do not say what kind of pleco you have but if it is the common pleco, see www.planetcatfish.com for info on plecos and all things catfish. Then it is capable of reaching twelve to sixteen inches in length. They are not all that good at eating algae and they don't eat poo. I have seen common plecos that were kept in tanks too small and their spines were permanently curved for the tanks did not allow them to turn around.


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## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

That site confuses me, but yea, i'm pretty sure its a common. Also, i've seen live how large they can get, but I uno what to do with him. I could put him with the turtles but he is still too small and they'll chow him. Also, what can I use to clean?

Also, that snail scares me. Can snails breed alone?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

Eclypse said:


> That site confuses me, but yea, i'm pretty sure its a common. Also, i've seen live how large they can get, but I uno what to do with him. I could put him with the turtles but he is still too small and they'll chow him. Also, what can I use to clean?
> 
> Also, that snail scares me. Can snails breed alone?


 What can you use to clean what? Squish the snail.


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## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

Whats a good bottom cleaner to replace the pleco with?


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Yikes! You have a ton of fish in that tank! High nitrates can definitely stress your fish, and with only 25% weekly water changes with all of those fish that could be what's bothering them. The tetras in particular are sensitive to high nitrate levels. As 1077 said, the pleco will get too big. There are some smaller species like bristlenose or clown plecos, but odds are unless you went out of your way to buy something like that you have a common pleco, which can reach 18" in length. They also produce a ton of waste. The peacock eel will also need a larger tank and might start eating your smaller fish as it grows. The dojo loach also grows too large for a 10g and is also a coldwater species and shouldn't be kept at tropical temperatures. If you lose the dojo, the eel and the pleco you would still have a decently stocked tank but your nitrates would accumulate much, much slower.

There's no such thing as any sort of animal that will "clean" your tank. There are certain creatures that will eat food that lands on the bottom or algae off the walls, but all of these contribute additional waste to the tank and thus place additional stress on your biofilter. I'm not an expert on darters, but he might do a decent job of eating food that lands on the bottom. A mystery snail might also be helpful and wouldn't add nearly as much to your bioload as even one of the smaller plecos would.


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## Eclypse (Dec 17, 2008)

Hmmm, i'll have to keep tabs on the nitrite and nitrates, I don't really wish to do away with the dojo and eel.... i'll hopefully be able to upgrade to a 20 next year so they'll be fine for a while. But if they get too big I can give them away or something.

The Pleco on the other hand is a different story..... 
I know it gets big but I just can't bring myself to let it go. It is the oldest fish I have. Actually, it was the very first one I ever kept. Ya its not the prettiest, but it is by far the most durable fish I have known. It even survived a chlorination incident. 

The tetras are the only ones who seem to be having problems actually.... everyone else is pretty much just wanting to make babies as of late. The cherry barbs are extatic about the new plants, and even do a bit of "gardening". The male rainbow keeps chasing the female arround and flashing his fins, but she doesn't seem interested, and everyone else is life as usuall, incuding the diamonds who are by far the hungriest fish I know.

I'm also getting a really nice filter since this one is annoying me with its epic fail. Its a standard 15 gallon Aqua-tech. I wanna get a nice 30 gallon Aqua-Clear system.


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