Restocking the 'ol 5 gal

[goldenpuon]

With the salt you gave links to, it will say to add 1 tabelspoon per 5 gallons. For combating fish diseases like you seem to have now, I would add a little more since it helps destress fish and can help kill some paraistes/bacteria that cause fish to get sick. However, when your fish are healthy, you will probably want to add a little less.

For the salt, I'd say www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752205 (the conditioning salt) is better. However, I am not an expert on this.

And for a salt bath as Carl mentioned, you'd want to use epsom salt, not normal aquarium salt. Epsom salt can be found in basically anywhere like a pharmacy for instance.

Also, I have tried to get a hold of Potasssium Permanganate and it is a bit hard to find. I'm sure doing a google search would yield results though. I hope that helps.

[nathanp2007]

Here is a link to the pics i could take of the tetra (not great ones cause the camera focuses on the tank wall, not whats in the tank, so they are the only angle i could get) s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm198/NathanDP2007/Tetra%20Eyes/

[goldenpuon]

It is kind of hard to see what is wrong from your picture but the eyes do look like they are protruding a little. If it is pop-eye, you should see the fish's eye looks like it is bulging (like it is popped out) hence the name "pop-eye". Others symtoms are the fish's eye looking cloudy and off-color.

I'm sure others will be able to tell more from your pictures. Sorry I don't want to sayu it is pop-eye for sure and give wrong info.

[bikeguy33]

first off.....fin rot is usually stress related. as to the protruding peepers, i`d say pop eye. in this case i`d recommend setting up a quarantine tank for it and treat it with kanamycin. it is sometimes seen with cases of ich....but if there are no signs don`t worry about that. just the kanamycin will help. follow the directions for treatment as well. the pop eye may not go away since the tissues are damaged and stretched.....but at least with a lil luck this condition can be treated.ya just may end up with a fish that always looks surprised.good luck with this one....

[nathanp2007]

Lets say your right, 1 where can i find Kanamycin? 2 will my 5 gal bucket serve as a quarantine tank (3 how long does the fish need to stay in the "Q tank"?) 4-Even if i can treat the one tetra, whats to stop all of them from getting it? Will there be something i can apply to the tank to stop the disease ...this way seems to only fix the disease in the perticular fish that has symptoms

[nathanp2007]

NVM about question 1 its on carls website

[nathanp2007]

Ok kinda re thought something, even if i ordered the stuff to heal the tetra that has popeye, the fish wouldnt live that long(from previous experience of seeing signs/how long till dead ratio)
So , knowing that, what can i do to PREVENT any other fish from getting sick (popeye etc)? Do i buy the Kanaplex and just use it straight up in the tank rather than doing it fish by fish? (if i do add it to the tank, will that harm my Algae eater?)

It would be great if someone could straight up tell me (basically) what to do.

For example:
"Ok well buy this _____ and this ______ use as directed to stregthen all your fish and to cure any diseases they currently have, now to stop disease from happening again do 15-20%changes of water once every 4 days, feed the fish as instructed (tetras twice a day, algae eater-sparingly) etc etc etc..."

[Carl]

Oct 26, 2008 20:40:32 GMT -5 nathanp2007 said:

Ok kinda re thought something, even if i ordered the stuff to heal the tetra that has popeye, the fish wouldnt live that long(from previous experience of seeing signs/how long till dead ratio)
So , knowing that, what can i do to PREVENT any other fish from getting sick (popeye etc)? Do i buy the Kanaplex and just use it straight up in the tank rather than doing it fish by fish? (if i do add it to the tank, will that harm my Algae eater?)

It would be great if someone could straight up tell me (basically) what to do.

For example:
"Ok well buy this _____ and this ______ use as directed to stregthen all your fish and to cure any diseases they currently have, now to stop disease from happening again do 15-20%changes of water once every 4 days, feed the fish as instructed (tetras twice a day, algae eater-sparingly) etc etc etc..."

First EITHER salt that you sent links to is fine, they are both pure Sodium Chloride (NaCl) salt.
You can find Potassium Permanganate here:
Kordon Permoxyn

Bikeguy and Goldenpuon answered much, so I will not dupicate their answers.

You raised excellent points as Pop Eye can often be hard to treat and prevention is what is most important.
Your water conditions are good, although your slightly elevated ammonia level makes me wonder if there is some problems in your bio filtration caused by decay, over feeding, or similar.
A water change is definitely in order, and the addition of salt to your aquarium would be helpful ALTHOUGH not necessary for long term for Tetras.

I would recommend a treatment ina quarantine, even if this quarantine is a bucket, provided the bucket is heated (has a steady temperature), and has healthy bio filtration (such as a "seasoned" sponge filter added).

The medicated bath is definitely helpful for this problem as well using salts, Mehtylene Blue (or Potassium Permanganate).

I would look over this article, as Aeromonas Bacteria are often the cuase of Pop Eye (but not always, so I do not want to assume this either):
Aeromonas Infections

I would also look over the steps outlined in this article as to disease prevention, I have found when ALL stepps are followed, disease issues are dramatically decreased and even when most are followed, you will still see see at least some improvement:
Aquarium Disease Prevention

Carl

[nathanp2007]

K well idk about the quarantine tank thing cause i already have 2 tanks, and i dont have a sponge filter or heater or the space to have the bucket be set up like that. To be honest im ok with a few fish dieing cause they are sick, i just want to get my TANK stable so more fish dont die in the future. I know i can give bathes to the sick fish, but what can i do to make the tank stable and remove diseases from it. (retorhical)

I will read the articles though, a update is as of this morning all of my full grown tetras (there are 3 left) have bulging eyes, and all have the same slit down the middle of their tail fin, which 2 of them didnt have last night)

[Carl]

Oct 27, 2008 13:24:55 GMT -5 nathanp2007 said:

I will read the articles though, a update is as of this morning all of my full grown tetras (there are 3 left) have bulging eyes, and all have the same slit down the middle of their tail fin, which 2 of them didnt have last night)

This implies a systemic infection, rather than isolated problems such as an eye injury which can often result with fluid build up behind the eyes..

In this case, a whole tank treatment likely is best (as well as water changes before each treatment).

Here are a few considerations for treatment (in order of strength for the likely cause):
Minocycline (Maracyn II)
Nitrofurazone (Furan II)
Kanamycin (Kanaplex)
Kanamycin WITH Nitrofurazone.

The baths should also be used as well as temporarily ass salt to your aquarium at about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.

Carl

[nathanp2007]

glad to hear a whole treatment is best, cause baths (unless i can use a bucket that isnt heated and filtered) arent a option for me.

So maracyn 2 is the best ? do you have it for sale on your website?

So what the plan is (corerct me if im wrong)
---Buy one of those treatments you mentioned, also im gonna buy meth-blue cause that seems really useful. Im gonna buy the salt. When all of that arrives i will do a water change (20%) and add salt to the new water that i put in the tank, then i will add the treatment to the tank (or the added water, w/e the directions say) and follow the instructions for how many treatments i do. Once treatments are done, just continue to do 15% changes every 4 days , for about a month, to let it finish cycling and for my water parameters to stablize.

[goldenpuon]

For a quarintine tank doesn't have to be big, only 5 gallons, especially for tetras that can live in smaller tanks. Just so you know in case you try that.

Treating the whole tank is also a good idea if the disease is infecting your main tank.

Hope that helps!

[nathanp2007]

Ya, thats why i was having issues with being told use a quarintine tank , cause the disease or w/e it is, is infecting tetras one by one in my big tank, its not happening to just one. Ya i know thats not big, but i am 20 and live at home, so my room is all the area i got for tanks, and i already got a 40 and a 5gal in my room, and i cant use the 5 gal as one cause i just put a new betta in there. Thanks

[goldenpuon]

That's ok. Treating the whole big tank is fine. I was just giving you an alternative if you didn't want to treat your 40. I actually also have a 40 gallon at home only I have 4 goldfish in it. They're growing like crazy. They used to be in a 10 before I was corrected that that was WAY too small. You picked a nice size tank for your tetras too. I 40 gallon is very big for them vs. what some people put them in. I've even seen 5 tetras kept in a 2 gallon at someone's office which is way too small.

[bikeguy33]

some great answers carl. I wish i could explain stuff as well as you do....

[bikeguy33]

also.....not to take away from carl`s pocket here....but the salt and meds can be bought at most fish stores, although they will be a lil more money at the store. if nothing else tho.....get the salt right away and add as directed. that alone will at least slow the progression of the disease.

[Carl]

Oct 27, 2008 17:09:28 GMT -5 bikeguy33 said:

some great answers carl. I wish i could explain stuff as well as you do....

also.....not to take away from carl`s pocket here....but the salt and meds can be bought at most fish stores, although they will be a lil more money at the store. if nothing else tho.....get the salt right away and add as directed. that alone will at least slow the progression of the disease.

Thanks Bill!

Outside of Cichlid Salt, I do not even sell salt as it is so cheaply purchased elsewhere. Quite honestly the salt I sold in my aquarium store was simply large bags of medium grade waer softener salt that we repackeaged in 1 lb. bags for the average aquarist to use.
When is comes down to plain salt, it is ALL NaCl whether you spend the money on the fancy boxes that API or other aquarium suppliers sell or bulk water softener salt.
The Cichlid Salt is much more than salt being that it has essential minerals for osmoregulation as well as bicarbonates for KH/pH

Carl