fish shape???

Question
QUESTION: Background Info
I have 5 glow-lite tetras, two male guppies, as well as a few snails (that high-jackted their way in on plants) in a ten gallon(soon to be 20 gallon) tank. The tetras I've had for about two+ years, both guppies I've had for about one year. I perform 50% water changes about once a week with tap water that sits out overnight(allowing it to de-chlorinate) to which I add Prime, NovAqua+, Cycle, and aquarium salt. I gravel vacuum every water change. The temperature is about 80 degrees. I have successfully treated fin rot(only present on the guppies) with Maracyn-Two about 2 months ago when I moved home from college for the summer.

Problem.
Lately I've been noticing that the youngest tetra's body looks kinda curved? I don't if he's just like that? or if its nutritional? (I feed them flakes and occasionally blood-worms)or if he has something I should be worried about? his behavior is not strange at all. he acts perfectly normal and healthy. Please let me know if there's something to do.


Also... Most every live plant I've had has not done very well... any advice? I've tried water whisteria, money wart, and some other plant who's name is escaping me...

thanks



ANSWER: You could treat the tetra for internal parasites and maybe offer them brine shrimp... which will also help if they have internal intestinal issues.  The plants:  tell me what happened to the plants and I will do my best to tell you how to care for plants in the future... dave

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QUESTION: i see...

about the plants... most of them are or appear to be fine for a  while but eventually have segments that turn brown, loose the turgidity, and die.

ANSWER: If you have brown spots on the leaves... then you may have a chemistry issue... either pH or possible ammonia.  If the plant itself is turing brown and dying then you have a light issue.  Plants require specific colored light from the light spectrum to make chlorophyll so a plant bulb would be helpful.  The other thing to consider is what the plant has in the tank to consume.... in new tanks you have to fertilize as well as tanks that are heavily planted.  I prefer the tablet fertilizer that you stick into the substrate but many people are happy with the liquid variety.  Some plants break off their own leaves by allowing the tips to rot. This is how they propagate... tiny plantlets form on the tips of the leaves and then the parent plant will set them free by  breaking the tip off of its leaf.  does this help?  dave

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QUESTION: OPPS i may have posted my follow up information as a comment instead,... oh well i'll type it again


PLANTS: I think that the plant issue is probably a lighting issue due to your description...thanks!

FISH: I'm really worried! this evening when I went to feed my fish i found one of my guppies and the tetra with the curved spine dead! I've been searching the web and wondered if I might have neon-tetra-disease or its look-alike bacterial infection!(the symptomatology seemed to fit) if this is so is there anything i can do? most websites say that there is no treatment and high mortality !!!!! Please! I'll try anything! I don't want to lose all my fish!

Answer
There are a few reasons why fish would have curved spines... everyone seems to think that neon tetra disease is at stake but it usually only attacks neon tetras... not guppies.  Fish TB is another candidate and the treatment for that is almost impossible for the fish to survive.  Vitamin deficiency is also a major contributor because fish only get what comes in a can of fish food and while those are balanced in terms of protein and fats not necessarily vitamins and certainly not minerals.  Once fish die... things happen to them in the tank which will cause them to look like they have bent spines... such as being sucked up against the filter intake tube.  If you look down on your fish from the top of the tank you will see very clearly if they bent spines because as they swim their spine will not be straight it will have a hook in it.  Guppies and tetra when they get old... tend to do this as well as to not be able to swim with their whole bodies.  I have a male who propels himself with only the very tip of his tail and looks as though his entire spine if fused.  He is nearly three years old... and I expect I will find him floating one day soon...but in the mean time he is spoiled rotten.  Let me know what you see when you examine your fish's spines from the top of the tank... dave