Embra tetras

[Anthony81]

Evening all.
I have 20 embra tetras in my tank with amarno shrimp and red cherry shrimp but noticed today that one of the tetras has a tail missing.
Is it heard of that another tetra could be tail nipping it or could it be a illness?

 

[alto]

Unfortunately it looks more like disease than traumatic injury (which would be unlikely in a group of ember tetras, if I had to guess a most likely culprit in your livestock mix, it would be the Amano shrimp)

Daily water changes improve most fish health issues
- though this particular fish doesn’t make my “most likely to survive list” ... once damage extends through the fins into the body, there is often significant internal infection as well
And looking at the photos I suspect Columnaris and would remove this fish to a hospital tank (any food safe bin with a sponge filter and 20 - 22*C, no substrate, daily water changes, some general antibacterial remedy (which will help reduce secondary infections) such as eSHa 2000 (this contains copper so although several report no issues with shrimp, use with caution))


How long have you had these fish?
Any new additions in the last few weeks?
New tank? Or is there some history of illness in the tank?

Aquarium details???
Temp
pH
Hardness
Maintenance routine
Planted (I assume re livestock)

 

[Anthony81]

Unfortunately it looks more like disease than traumatic injury (which would be unlikely in a group of ember tetras, if I had to guess a most likely culprit in your livestock mix, it would be the Amano shrimp)

Daily water changes improve most fish health issues
- though this particular fish doesn’t make my “most likely to survive list” ... once damage extends through the fins into the body, there is often significant internal infection as well
And looking at the photos I suspect Columnaris and would remove this fish to a hospital tank (any food safe bin with a sponge filter and 20 - 22*C, no substrate, daily water changes, some general antibacterial remedy (which will help reduce secondary infections) such as eSHa 2000 (this contains copper so although several report no issues with shrimp, use with caution))


How long have you had these fish?
Any new additions in the last few weeks?
New tank? Or is there some history of illness in the tank?

Aquarium details???
Temp
pH
Hardness
Maintenance routine
Planted (I assume re livestock)

The tank has been set up since the start of December from new. All 20 tetras went in the first weekend of February and they was the last thing added. The shrimp in stages a few weeks before the fish but all from the same shop.

My maintenance is 60-70% water change every Friday with a light clean of the hard scape, glass and any new water added is brought to tank temp and treated with seache Prime water Conditioner.
The tank is juwell lido 120l heavily planted with the juwell bio filter and a eheim 350 skimmer.
C02 injection with a medium colour green.
Fertiliser is TNC complete
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate around 40-50
6.5 - 7ph
Temp is 23

 

[alto]

All 20 tetras went in the first weekend of February and they was the last thing added

I would suspect fish came in with some issues given that time frame, while ember tetras seem to mostly arrive in good condition, I have seen some come in with similar body lesions (sorry I can’t recall how well that shipment did)
They can be somewhat ich sensitive, so watch carefully for any symptoms (any changes in fish activity, food response, respiration, fish color intensity etc)

Good supportive care goes along ways to improving fish mortality rates, so daily water changes, also ensure good water oxygenation (make sure there is some surface agitation - the Eheim surface skin can ensure this, just make sure that none of the embers get trapped in there, it’s OK if you need to slightly increase CO2 injection to keep plants happy)

Are nitrates from Tap water or fertilizer addition?

I’d likely keep temperature in the 22-23*C
It’s fine if temperature drops a couple degrees during water change (though when fish may be ill, I prefer to match it fairly closely)

 

[Anthony81]

I would suspect fish came in with some issues given that time frame, while ember tetras seem to mostly arrive in good condition, I have seen some come in with similar body lesions (sorry I can’t recall how well that shipment did)
They can be somewhat ich sensitive, so watch carefully for any symptoms (any changes in fish activity, food response, respiration, fish color intensity etc)

Good supportive care goes along ways to improving fish mortality rates, so daily water changes, also ensure good water oxygenation (make sure there is some surface agitation - the Eheim surface skin can ensure this, just make sure that none of the embers get trapped in there, it’s OK if you need to slightly increase CO2 injection to keep plants happy)

Are nitrates from Tap water or fertilizer addition?

I’d likely keep temperature in the 22-23*C
It’s fine if temperature drops a couple degrees during water change (though when fish may be ill, I prefer to match it fairly closely)

Really appreciate your help. I'm currently trying to sort a smaller tank to put it in. Worried about a new filter not being cycled. What would you recommend I treat the fish with?

 

[zozo]

I had Ember tetras for years together with Amano and they got along fine.


Your fish seems to suffer from fin rot.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Definitely looks like fin rot to me too.
Treat with eSHa 2000

 

[Anthony81]

I had Ember tetras for years together with Amano and they got along fine.


Your fish seems to suffer from fin rot.

I've never seem any of my live stock not get on so I can only assume it's a illness.
Hopefully I can get it into it's own tank this evening and find out how I go about treating it and its tail grows back and makes a recovery

 

[Tim Harrison]

It usually resolves with treatment, if it's caught in time. Obviously the earlier diseases are spotted and treated the better. Fin rot usually starts with tiny splits and some cloudiness along the fin edges. If it's allowed to continue untreated it will reach the caudal peduncle and eventually expose the vertebral column which will also become infected. Fin rot is a bacterial disease, I think you're better off treating the whole tank. Use the eSHa product above, and don't forget to take the capacity of your external filter in to account and to remove absorbent media. eSHa 2000 is shrimp and plant safe.

 

[Anthony81]

It usually resolves with treatment, if it's caught in time. Obviously the earlier diseases are spotted and treated the better. Fin rot usually starts with tiny splits and some cloudiness along the fin edges. If it's allowed to continue untreated it will reach the caudal peduncle and eventually expose the vertebral column which will also become infected. Fin rot is a bacterial disease, I think you're better off treating the whole tank. Use the eSHa product above, and don't forget to take the capacity of your external filter in to account and to remove absorbent media. eSHa 2000 is shrimp and plant safe.

Thank you.
I have ordered the eSHa 2000 which will be with me tomorrow. I'll get smaller hospital tank running tonight and remove the fish and have a close look at the others. Once the treatment is here I'll treat both tanks and keep you posted on its progress. I think I'll keep the hospital tanks foam filter in my main tanks filter once undone with it so it can build up bacteria just incase I need it again.

 

[Anthony81]

Just got home and the tetra didn't make it .
The eSHa 2000 will be hear tomorrow so I will treat the whole tank when it arrives and keep a close eye on things. I'll do a water change tonight and my maintenance day is Friday so a bigger water change then aswell