Columnaris or Neon Tetra Disease

[CassCats]

got this guy, beat up by the other neons in the tank, started off with nips and missing scales but has now got faded patches.

Been treating with tannins until I can catch the little guy and hospital tank him with neomycin in case its bacterial.

But I am unsure if it is in fact bacterial or if this is a case of neon tetra disease

 

[Aspen35]

got this guy, beat up by the other neons in the tank, started off with nips and missing scales but has now got faded patches.

Been treating with tannins until I can catch the little guy and hospital tank him with neomycin in case its bacterial.

But I am unsure if it is in fact bacterial or if this is a case of neon tetra disease

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This video should help you out. It breaks “neon tetra disease” into different parts, so you can figure out what’s really wrong with your fish. Best of luck!

 

[CassCats]

This video should help you out. It breaks “neon tetra disease” into different parts, so you can figure out what’s really wrong with your fish. Best of luck!

I think based on the video, I can rule out neon tetra disease...

This is an older fish, I've had him for several months and got him off of another fishkeeper who was retiring their neons. So he's not a young fish, nor is he new to my tank.


That said, I've been struggling with a severe heat wave for the last month. Heaters are off, but tank temperatures sitting at 79-86 depending on the day, for the last month and they were all healthy before all of this.

 

[CassCats]

some history:

--Started with 2, from another fishkeeper who had them for a couple years.
Increased to 6. Then increased to 10 total. Been 10 for several months now.

--Tank was established and mature when tetras were added.

--Temperatures NORMALLY at 76F but in a heat wave I cannot get it cooler than 79F. Heat wave temperatures sitting at 79-86F for the last month.

--gh 90-145 ppm, pH 7.5

--ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 20

--they are the most aggressive fish kept in this tank! Tankmates: cories, pangio loaches, dwarf gourami pair, farlowella catfish, black neon tetras.

--Tank size 46 gallons, planted tank, some tannins.

 

[FishGuest5123]

That’s not NTD. He has definitely been bullied and picked on. That’s usually done to weaker fish so he may have an internal issue or bacterial. I would just keep him alone for a bit with good clean water changes. You can add 1 teaspoon per gallon of aquarium salt too on additional dose. After that, do 50% water change daily with 1/2 teaspoon of salt per gallon. Dissolve the salt in a little tank water first. Tetras don’t like salt so I’m giving you a low dose to use. I have some in it right now too.

 

[CassCats]

That’s not NTD. He has definitely been bullied and picked on. That’s usually done to weaker fish so he may have an internal issue or bacterial. I would just keep him alone for a bit with good clean water changes. You can add 1 teaspoon per gallon of aquarium salt too on additional dose. After that, do 50% water change daily with 1/2 teaspoon of salt per gallon. Dissolve the salt in a little tank water first. Tetras don’t like salt so I’m giving you a low dose to use. I have some in it right now too.

I have to net the crafty little guy to hospitalize him, its not been easy. Been trying over an hour a day to catch him but he's sneaky.

Once I get him, salt was gonna be my first go-to. Medications are really hard to get a hold of here in Canada, so what little medication I have in my med box, I'd like to save as much as possible

 

[FishGuest5123]

If you get a small cup, you can sometimes chase it into the net with that. Good luck!

 

[CassCats]

That’s not NTD. He has definitely been bullied and picked on. That’s usually done to weaker fish so he may have an internal issue or bacterial. I would just keep him alone for a bit with good clean water changes. You can add 1 teaspoon per gallon of aquarium salt too on additional dose. After that, do 50% water change daily with 1/2 teaspoon of salt per gallon. Dissolve the salt in a little tank water first. Tetras don’t like salt so I’m giving you a low dose to use. I have some in it right now too.

also, these tetras are MEAN little things. My skirt tetras are way nicer to each other.
These things rip the heck out of one another. He is the second one in the last 2 months to be beat up bad. One had his face bitten off, its healed but disfigured.

 

[Byron]

My advice would be to leave the neon tetra where he is. I never isolate fish but let nature go its way, it is easier on all concerned. Chasing this fish around the tank for an hour, or less even, is severe stress and this has now weakened it significantly. Subjecting it to medications will make that even worse.

 

[Colin_T]

Neon tetra disease is a bacterial infection. However, I am unsure if that fish has an infection. I would add salt and do big daily water changes and gravel cleans for a week.

Add 2 heaped tablespoons of salt and keep salt in the water for 2 weeks.

 

[CassCats]

Neon tetra disease is a bacterial infection. However, I am unsure if that fish has an infection. I would add salt and do big daily water changes and gravel cleans for a week.

Add 2 heaped tablespoons of salt and keep salt in the water for 2 weeks.

Planted tank and with cories and loaches who are salt sensitive, so i do not salt the tank.