# Neon tetra bloated and swimming odd



## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

Alright, make that *TWO *neons that I am concerned about. The other isn't as bloated, but it definitely is swimming the same way.


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## Trickerie (May 10, 2012)

Check out the scales of the bloated one. Are they popping out like a pine cone, or raised even slightly? 

If not, watch their poop. Is it white? If so, then they likely have an internal infection or parasite. You may want to get some Kanaplex and start treatment right away.


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## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

I went to my LFS to have my pH checked (my pH test kit only does up to 7.6) and he said I have a pH of 8.2! :icon_eek: I checked my tap water pH and it's pretty high at around 7.6, but nothing like 8.2. I am really concerned about this as well. It just seems like these problems keep adding up.

He suggested I should dose Melafix as a precautionary medication in case it is bacterial, so I will. Any suggestions on how to get the pH down? I will keep you guys updated.:frown:


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## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

*NOTE: *I don't have any shells that could be contributing to this higher pH. I do have Mystery snails, could that be the source? Sorry if that's a dumb question, I'm just at my wits end with this tank.


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## Trickerie (May 10, 2012)

Could be many things. Do you have a ridiculous amount of surface agitation? Oxygen has the opposite effect as co2 on water. Whats your substrate? Whats your KH and GH?

Most fish can adapt to a wide range of ph values, as long as they arent ridiculous. My tap is 7.5 and my fish regularly dive to 6.4-5 with my co2 on.

Melafix can't hurt, I guess, but likely wont solve your issues.


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## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

Trickerie said:


> Could be many things. Do you have a ridiculous amount of surface agitation? Oxygen has the opposite effect as co2 on water. Whats your substrate? Whats your KH and GH?
> 
> Most fish can adapt to a wide range of ph values, as long as they arent ridiculous. My tap is 7.5 and my fish regularly dive to 6.4-5 with my co2 on.
> 
> Melafix can't hurt, I guess, but likely wont solve your issues.



I don't know what my KH and GH are. My substrate is the black Eco-complete plant substrate. I have a lot of surface agitation from my filter (marineland 350B), but only where the outtake is. The rest is just a steady circular flow around the tank.

He also suggested that I add this stuff called pH Down, made by API. Since it's a 55 gallon tank I had to add 110 drops of the stuff, so I did. I tried using it once before (3 weeks ago) but it had little effect.

Since adding the Melafix and pH Down every fish is kind of staying near the bottom of the tank and staying in one place, which isn't normal for my rasboras at all (usually swimming mid to top part of the tank).

Something that is also puzzling is that the neons that were doing that downward motion 3 hours ago now are at the bottom swimming regularly with the other fish. They are still bloated. I looked up the bloating and it said it could be constipation, but then again it could also be some kind of parasitic thing. Good grief. :icon_cry:

*Edit:* The filter does create quite a lot of oxygen bubbles in that one part of the tank. I am planning on getting an Eheim 2215 (I believe that's the model number), and replacing the Marineland filter with that so to even out the oxygenation. Another problem is that I don't have a ride anywhere for the rest of the week. Man.


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## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

Also, scales are *not* popped out. That's why it's odd. Coloration is great, but the behavior and stomach is weird.


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## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

... DO NOT USE PH DOWN



> Since adding the Melafix and pH Down every fish is kind of staying near the bottom of the tank and staying in one place, which isn't normal for my rasboras at all (usually swimming mid to top part of the tank).


Obviously they are not adapting well to it so stop using it. Throw that crap out. Get drift wood or peat if you want to lower your PH but chances are you won't even need to as the fish will do fine without it. Don't be surprised if those few tetras die but hopefully the rest will be fine. Do a water change and with your new water just put in tap water conditioner and nothing else.


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## Novum (Aug 15, 2012)

fusiongt said:


> ... DO NOT USE PH DOWN
> 
> 
> 
> Obviously they are not adapting well to it so stop using it. Throw that crap out. Get drift wood or peat if you want to lower your PH but chances are you won't even need to as the fish will do fine without it. Don't be surprised if those few tetras die but hopefully the rest will be fine. Do a water change and with your new water just put in tap water conditioner and nothing else.



Yeah mate you're right, I don't think I am going to use it anymore. The store I go to is a great, family owned business. I'm surprised they would sell something like that to me.

One thing that totally slipped my mind about pH was water hardness. Terribly sorry to the first responder to this thread when you asked for KH, I must have been tired or something! I had a few rocks in there that I had taken from my backyard a few months back. I did the whole vinegar test, (I know that it isn't a very strong acid) and it didn't fizz, so I thought it would be safe. I think that was what was causing my pH to go haywire, because those rocks were raising my water hardness.

I removed the rocks and I added some bogwood into the tank. Actually looks a lot better, and it made a lot more room for the addition of more plants. I haven't lost any fish, and what's odd is that the bloated neons aren't as bloated and aren't swimming weird anymore. Could it have been constipation?


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