meg1220

So, of the 6 neons I got in late Jan., early Feb., 2 have died, it seems most likely from neon tetra Disease. The first started with poor color, very fast gilling, and then a large cyst. I euthanized that one. Then, another started with the very fast gilling. I immediately put it into a breeder net that evening, after chasing it around the tank with the net for a while, then bought stuff for a QT the next day. I figured I'd try to treat with antibiotics on the chance that it wasn't NTD and was something bacterial, but the fish was dead in the breeder net when I got home with the qt stuff. Now, a couple of weeks later, two of my remaining 4 are showing faded spots in their red stripes, which I've read is one of the signs of NTD. I set up the qt, but started to have doubts about treating. Would it just cause too much stress? If the fish are probably going to die, anyway, would it be better just to let them live their last days happily? I tried to catch the two obviously ill ones tonight, but they are too quick and good at hiding, and it seemed like chasing them was just stressing them out too much. I can't treat the tank that they're in because I've got shrimp- don't want the antibiotics to kill them. So, what to do? If I let this disease run it's course, I'll probably lose all my fish. If I catch them and try to treat, I'll still probably lose all my fish, especially adding the stress on top of the disease. And then I'll have a diseased tank. Won't I have to break it down and sterilize everything if I want to have fish in it again? It's pretty heavily planted, so I don't know if that's possible, without losing a bunch of plants that are either new or just getting established. I'm sort of thinking of just leaving it to the shrimp. But I am really sad about probably losing all of my neons.

Lucy

Hi Meg
I'm really sorry you're losing your neons. It sounds like it could be NTD, but it could also be False NTD.
False NTD is a bacterial infection not parasitic like NTD and can be treated with an antibiotics so it would be a good idea to put them in the q tank and try to treat them.

Good luck, I hope they recover

meg1220

Yeah, I had considered the possibility that it was false NTD. That was why I was thinking qt and antibiotics. But the fact that the second fish died after I put it in the breeder net when it had no symptoms other than fast gilling made me think: would the "treatment", and the resulting stress, be just as bad as the disease? It seems like I'd have to tear apart the tank just to catch them. Then they'd be in a relatively bare qt, getting dosed with meds for days... It all seems pretty terrible for them. Either way, really.
Thanks for the sympathy.

aquarist48

Hate you're having problems Meg. I'm with Lucy, do what you can for the sick fellows and see what happens. I hope they all get well soon.

Ricardo_NY1

My advice .........I'm not sure how you feed your fish, but try feeding them by holding the food between your fingers underwater at one corner of the tank..........feeding only once a day to keep them hungry for a few days..........

When they are used to coming to your hand after a few days, feeding time would be the perfect time to scoop them all out with a big net. I have neons, and they ball up pretty tightly during feeding. You might miss some, but you should get most using this method.

meg1220

That's a great idea. Thanks for the tip.

meg1220

Well, I got home from a long shift at work to find the two ill ones looking worse. I managed to get them out, after removing a piece of driftwood and tearing out the lobelia and micro swords that were just starting to become established and put out new growth. I was going to try and get all four, but it was so difficult to get two, and I'm exhausted from work and have to get up early again tomorrow, so I decided I was lucky to get the two obviously sick ones. They are in a bag acclimating now. I fear that whatever disease they have might be too far in its progression, but at least I'm giving it a shot, I guess. I might just stick to shrimp with this tank; at least they are happy, if all the eggs they are carrying are any indication. /end babbling/

cerianthus

Sorry hear youre having problems with neons. Out of curiosity, what is your pH of tank and tap water. if have GH/KH test kits, what are the readings? Were they everr exposed to ammonia (NH3) and nitrite (NO2) for prolonged time?

meg1220

The pH of my tap water is about 8. The pH in my tank is generally right around 7 (couple of pieces of driftwood, lots of plants to keep it down a bit). I've never tested GH/KH. I cycled fishlessly and used to test all three parameters very frequently- never had positive readings for ammonia or nitrite while they've been in the tank. I do water changes every week.

ABCDemily

One of mine is suffering from this right now unfortunately, so I feel for you.
I'm not sure if it's age related, as in they are more susceptable as they age, as my Neon is about four, almost five.
It's horrible watchingthem suffer, but I can bring myself to euthanise.
Good luck with your Neons, they are such wonderful fish.