Cardinal lost colour

[GrubbyGirl]

One of my cardinals has lost it's red colour over the last 2 weeks. It doesn't appear to be ill in any other way, is schooling with the others and eating and pooping as normal. Nothing has changed in my tank for months so nothing for it to be stressed about. Water perameters stable and ok ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10, pH 7.2, 25% water changes weekly. It seems fine apart from colour. I didn't want to quarantine because if he was stressed to hoik him out would probably add to the stress and see him off. But then I decided to start looking things up, and to my horror, although I thought that cardinals were immune, neon tetra diseas often starts with loss of red colour in neons! I know how devastating neon tetra disease is so I've taken the risk and quarantined. I am now hoping that he pulls his socks up and colors up again. Of course if he dies I wont know if it's because I've quarantined him or if he had NTD.

Anybody got any other ideas?? I believe there is no treatment for NTD?

Angela

 

[JackGillett]

if its feed and shoaling then its probabily ok. one of mine lost colour, but seemed fine.

 

[MiB1986]

a couple of mine lost colour when they had internal infections, treated with Interpet 9, and they were back to normal in a week or so.

only an idea... but see what other people think, i personally think its a sign hes ill.

 

[GrubbyGirl]

a couple of mine lost colour when they had internal infections, treated with Interpet 9, and they were back to normal in a week or so.

only an idea... but see what other people think, i personally think its a sign hes ill.

I agree, they don't lose colour for no reason. Justr in case it's false NTD (as you say and internal infection) I've started him on myxazin and pimafix, hopefully 5 days of that will do the trick!

 

[Doodles]

How long have you had the cardinals?
Personally I agree with MiB, that there is a problem

Theres two types of NTD, one that is parasites and another is bacterial and referred to as false NTD. They both share similar symptoms. NTD as you have found out is pretty much impossible to cure, and any meds that mention NTD on the bottle DO NOT cure it. false NTD on the otherhand is curable which is why some people will mistakenly think they have cured NTD.

chances are what MiB had was false NTD and treated with the interpet med which worked.


Something I read from some who experienced a NTD wipeout was that during feeding does the tetra regain any colour? if not, theres a good chance its NTD.

 

[Doodles]

sorry i was probably writing whilst you got that above post in lol

 

[GrubbyGirl]

How long have you had the cardinals?
Personally I agree with MiB, that there is a problem

I've had them about 18 months, all healthy from the word go and didn't lose any. They are all nice big chunky fish though admitedly this one is the smallest so maybe it's been brewing something for a while

Theres two types of NTD, one that is parasites and another is bacterial and referred to as false NTD. They both share similar symptoms. NTD as you have found out is pretty much impossible to cure, and any meds that mention NTD on the bottle DO NOT cure it. false NTD on the otherhand is curable which is why some people will mistakenly think they have cured NTD.

chances are what MiB had was false NTD and treated with the interpet med which worked.


Something I read from some who experienced a NTD wipeout was that during feeding does the tetra regain any colour? if not, theres a good chance its NTD.

No he doesn't regain colour when feeding. I decided to get him out just in case it is NDT as I read that it's mainly passed on when cysts burst or when other fish eat the dead ones. I'd rather play safe before it starts showing any other symptoms. I took a pic of him in his quarantine (apologies for the background my quarantine tank was a bargain kids set up I got from pets at home - it's served me well!) The pic does represent his actual colour, but he's amazingly healthly and active considering!!

 

[Doodles]

Also forgot to say, i don't know what the life span of cardinals is these days but a loss of colour can also be an old age thing, and if he is a runt then maybe an even shorter life span

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Well hopefully he's like me and going grey with old age!

 

[Doodles]

Hope so, if you have had them that long, i don't really see how they would get NTD:dk:

 

[GrubbyGirl]

well he's still alive this morning so the stress of him being alone hasn't killed him - that's a good thing at least!!

 

[GrubbyGirl]

OK, after not being worried I am now worried as I've come home to find my largest torpedo on the bottom twitching like crazy and breathing hard. He's now in quarantine too. Not bloated, no marks on it and still a very good colour. Clearly something is going on in my tank. I'm tempted to do a broad treatment (Esha 2000 and exit) on the whole tank now before I lose any more. I have some old fish in there that I would hate to lose, plus 3 of my L144's!!

Should just say I tested the water again and it's all the same as yesterday. There is plenty of oxygen in the tank as I have a diffuser on my external and an internal with a venturi. Just about to do another water change. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Doodles]

Whats in the tank altogether?
whats changed in the last week or so?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Whats in the tank altogether?

2 angels
1 pearl gourami
5 torpedos
4 rams
3 L144s
8 cardinals
1 roberts catfish
2 Bamboo Shrimp

whats changed in the last week or so?

Only thing that changed was the intorduction of an external filter 2 weeks ago. It was brand new so nothing passed on from anybody else. Filter has all the old media in and I've been testing the water daily just to be sure all is well and there have been no problems

 

[GrubbyGirl]

oops I nearly forgot, 3 tail spot cory's and a figure 8 puffer (I know you don't need to tell me he shouldn't be there but he came with the tank with the cory's and he's proven to be a gentleman and a good community fish and he thinks he's a cory)

 

[Doodles]

ok how has the torpedo been since being in the q tank?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

Not good, still on bottom twitching. I'm very seriously considering euthanising it but I haven't got any ice so I'm having to make some.

 

[Doodles]

Have you no clove oil?

 

[GrubbyGirl]

no i don't

 

[Doodles]

I have a Siamese algae eater( a proper one), he thinks he is the boss of any tank he goes in. He was in my 180 litre and spends most of the day light hours either hiding or looking like butter wouldn't melt. My rummynoses have been pretty stressed. Ive observed him in the evenings and he picks on the smaller plecos. Night time, who knows what he was doing. Moved him to the big tank with my common plec. Since then the rummys have settled down, def not stressed and the plecs are coming out more.

I spose my point is, a fish can look gentile and on good behaviour during the day but turn into devil fish at night like my SAE lol. A continually hassled fish will eventually take a down turn.

I might be barking up the wrong tree completely but its food for thought anyway.