[MichelleN]

So I had an old 15 gallon tank setup sitting around. Since my year old daughter just loves looking at the fish anytime we go to the store, I decided to set up a nice colorful tank for her. After doing some research I settled on a betta, 6 neon tetras and a clown pleco. I filled the tank and turned on the filter and heater and let it cycle for close to a week. I was planning on getting the tetras first since they were the largest number but wasn't able to so I got the betta. Put him in there and everything was fine.

About two weeks later I finally got 6 neon tetras. They seemed to settle in ok. The betta took a few jabs at them but left them alone in the end. But almost immediately I noticed one of the fish separated from the others. I thought it was odd but didn't worry too much over it. Long story short 5 out of the 6 tetras died within three days. At that point I was feeling like a fish killer but wasn't sure where I had gone wrong. Well this morning, about two days after tetra #5 died, I noticed my betta was acting off. He was staying at the top of the tank and his lips were all white. Great...so a quick check online showed it might be something bacterial. Well by the time I had done some research and gotten some water treater, he was just laying on the bottom of the tank. So I quickly got him into clean water. Five minutes later he was dead. I noticed his eyes were all white and seemed to have some white spots on his body. So now it looks like ich? But I've never seen it act so fast.

Basically I have a lone neon tetra that seems perfectly healthy and a tank full of maybe ich? My question is, I'm feeling pretty incompetent with aquariums right now and don't know where to go. I really want a tank but I can't seem to do it right.

 

[whitedevil]

pics help alot if its ich, turn the heat up to around 88 degrees and add aquarium salt.

 

[fishaid]

maybe the one neon was a carryer of some sort but, it does sound like ick or stress.I know that this may sound like a long shot but overcrowding can cause a breakdown in water quality next time if you plan to keep the fish around for a while you should have a quarantine tank.all you need is another tank it does not need any thing but a painted back and bottom with a dark no glossy paint or plan backround sheets.nothing in the tank only the new fish(es) you want to introduce to you're primary tank and PVC pipes (you will need you're common machines: fliter,heater,air,temp reader(80),and thats it no lights of any kind).add 1or2 bacteria filled sponge filters.the new fish(es) should be placed here for about 4to6 weeks to give you time to spot any disease,do this only if you already have fishes in you're main tank...hope this helps!