Neon Tetra Disease (s) and Implications

Hello all! Currently in the process of restocking my 29 gallon after moving my fish around in my other tanks. You can see the tank below after it was just rescaped. I am going to have Vals and Anubias primarily once my LFS gets some new plants in. I like the idea of having a nano schooling fish with vibrant color against a green backdrop, so naturally I thought of neon tetras. I haven’t kept neon tetras in years. When I was growing up they were considered very hardy and now I am aware of some terrible genetic issues they have like the infamous NTD. This has always scared me away from getting them. I have heard I should look for “jumbo or large” neon tetras as those are better but I’ve looked for weeks now and have never seen any labeled as such. So my question is: how concerned should I be about NTD or columnaris- I know neon tetras are now predisposed to getting both and I have never successfully treated columnaris unfortunately. If this is a pervasive issue, can someone recommend a hardier nano schooling fish that can populate the tank?


the tank

 

Neon tetras are very sensitive and can suffer from multiple diseases because of their weak genes. I would get my neons from a experienced breeder or high quality LFS. If not then cpds, chilli rasboras or ember tetras would be a better option. Ember tetras with some honey gouramis is a good combo IMO.

 

It is a toss up, to be honest.
Blue Neons were my first fish three years ago, purchased from PetSmart. Admittedly many of them died, not from Columnaris or NTD, but from naivete on my part. But the 20 that survived are still with me, some are big to giant sized, some turned out to stay on the smaller site. But they are holding their own, and are beautiful.
Now, the Tetra family has so many members. Ember Tetras are gorgeous, and now I just added Black Neons. These guys are swimming more in the middle to top of the tank, which I really like.
So if you have your heart set on Blue Neons....go for it.

 

Neon tetras are very sensitive and can suffer from multiple diseases because of their weak genes. I would get my neons from an experienced breeder or high quality LFS. If not then cpds, chilli rasboras or ember tetras would be a better option. Ember tetras with some honey gouramis is a good combo IMO.

Ember tetras are beautiful I’ve had a hard time sourcing a good sized school locally though

It is a toss up, to be honest.
Blue Neons were my first fish three years ago, purchased from PetSmart. Admittedly many of them died, not from Columnaris or NTD, but from naivete on my part. But the 20 that survived are still with me, some are big to giant sized, some turned out to stay on the smaller site. But they are holding their own, and are beautiful.
Now, the Tetra family has so many members. Ember Tetras are gorgeous, and now I just added Black Neons. These guys are swimming more in the middle to top of the tank, which I really like.
So if you have your heart set on Blue Neons....go for it.

I am just worried they will carry some parasite or disease that will put my tank entirely out of commission

 

I am just worried they will carry some parasite or disease that will put my tank entirely out of commission

Then add them first at once

 

Then add them first at once

Or quarantine. Since my first and only ich outbreak 3 years ago, I am a firm believer in quarantine. I know that is a very personal decision.

 

Or quarantine. Since my first and only ich outbreak 3 years ago, I am a firm believer in quarantine. I know that is a very personal decision.

Adding them all at once with no other fish for a few months is kinda like qt

 

Adding them all at once with no other fish for a few months is kinda like qt

I would prefer to QT them in a separate tank because I’m worried they will carry NTD which can live without a host for months, meaning the tank would have to be stripped and sterilized which is not ideal for me

 

I recommend Green Neon Tetras; my favorite tetra species. They're small (you can keep lots in a 29,) hardy, fairly easy to find, smarter than your typical neon, and cheap (neons are $1.50 - $2.75 ea. Green neons are $2.75 - $4.00 ea. Worth it, in my opinion!) They're not as prone to diseases. Ich is a problem for all fw, sw, and brackish species.

100 in a 75G were a delight and never had ich, ntd, or columnaris. They were hardy, intelligent for a tetra species, and fun to care for

 

I recommend Green Neon Tetras; my favorite tetra species. They're small (you can keep lots in a 29,) hardy, fairly easy to find, smarter than your typical neon, and cheap (neons are $1.50 - $2.75 ea. Green neons are $2.75 - $4.00 ea. Worth it, in my opinion!) In my experience they're not as prone to diseases. Ich is a problem for all fw, sw, and brackish species.

100 in a 75G were a delight and never had ich, ntd, or columnaris. They were hardy, intelligent for a tetra species, and fun to care for

Can’t find these locally not worried about ich in the slightest honestly lol I’m only worried about a disease like NTD that would require sterilization of my tank. I think I might just try and find another small tetra species

 

Can’t find these locally not worried about ich in the slightest honestly lol I’m only worried about a disease like NTD that would require sterilization of my tank. I think I might just try and find another small tetra species

I've never had ntd with green neons...or columnaris, or ich.

They're easy to find online, but I got mine from my local petco and lfs

 

I think I might just try and find another small tetra species

Then try ember tetras

 

Adding them all at once with no other fish for a few months is kinda like qt

No argument there, but treatment in a QT is easier than in a display tank.

 

NTD is called that way cause it was the first fish it was ID-ed. ALL FISH have the same chance this rare, lethal untreatable disease. So scrap that one.

There is a species specific strain of columnaris in the neons. Simply get healthy ones without any signs of this disease. QT them for a while and go.
Green neons don't show this specific strain so are safer to get (and more beautiful IMO)

 

NTD is called that way cause it was the first fish it was ID-ed. ALL FISH have the same chance this rare, lethal untreatable disease. So scrap that one.

There is a species specific strain of columnaris in the neons. Simply get healthy ones without any signs of this disease. QT them for a while and go.
Green neons don't show this specific strain so are safer to get (and more beautiful IMO)

Thanks for the info! I would love green neons maybe I will ask my LFS to get some in for me because I’ve never seen them locally