Neon Tetra Disease?

[Aqua Andy]

Hi,

I think I have finally worked out what happened to my school of Flame Tetra's. I originally had a group of six, five of which only lasted about 4 - 6 weeks. The sole survivor which now has an obviously bent spine is displaying the same symptoms as the other Flame Tetra which were having difficulty swimming and restlessness. I'm pretty sure that they succumbed to Neon Tetra disease.

I now consequentially have a few questions:

I have read that NTD is incurable and that I should remove and euthanize the fish ASAP. Is this true? and if so how is best to euthanize the fish? I have had to euthanize one of the other Flame Tetras and I used the decapitation method which I found upsetting (I'm a big girls blouse I know but I can't hurt a fly).

Also I have read that NTD has been known to affect Rasboras as well and I have a school of five Harlequins in the same (and the only one I have) tank. Apparently the parasitic spores that cause the disease will stay in my tank indefinitely? Is there anything I can do to eliminate the possibility of further contraction of the disease?

Would all of the Flame Tetra's that were in the same batch at the LFS eventually have contracted NTD? I can't think of how they would have contracted the condition after purchase as they were my first ever fish?

As always your replies will be extremely appreciated.


Andy

 

[WILDER]

I've had ntd and it's awful, did they lose colouration in the red stripe, clove oil and vodka to put a fish down with, or just the vodka, not the writer of this information below.

Pleistophora (a.k.a. Neon Tetra Disease)



Symptoms:

Pleistophora is also called Neon Tetra Disease because of its high prevalence among Neon Tetras, although it has also been reported to infect most Characins, Cichlids, Cyprinids (i.e., danios), and all the carp-like fishes. It is characterized by a loss of coloration and pale, white patches of skin, particularly the strip of skin beneath the dorsal fin. Other symptoms may include spinal curvature, emaciation, fin deterioration and erratic swimming behavior.



Cause:

The microsporidian parasite Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. Pleistophora live in the muscle tissue of infected fish and cause degeneration and wasting of the muscle. The parasites travel through the fish’s blood, quickly spreading to all areas of the body. Pleistophora not only affect the fish’s muscles but all its internal organs.



Treatment:

There is no effective cure for this illness, partly due to the fact that by the time diagnosis is confirmed the fish is too weak to be saved. If more than one fish in your aquarium succumbs to this parasite, the entire aquarium should be emptied and dissinfected. Some aquarists suggest the use of a diatom filter to trap the spores of the parasite and thus clear them from the tank.

Pleistophora can easily be mistaken for False Neon Disease, which is a bacterial infection and presents with the exact same symptoms. For this reason, it would be wise to remove the infected fish to a hospital tank (while disinfecting the main tank) and treat them with a broad spectrum antibiotic.

 

[Aqua Andy]

The Tetra's I had were Flame not Neon so they do not have a red stripe.

Do you just put the fish in a glass of vodka and it slowly passes away?

I don't have any vodka, would any spirit do? say whiskey? or white spirit/turpentine?

What a way to go, drowned in a single malt!


Andy

 

[WILDER]

Sorry the answer has been slow, site playing up, well if that's all you have, you can also overdose the fish with a bacteria med, not nice, no nice way of doing it i'm afraid.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yeah, NTD is awful. TBH, it really is better to let them go quickly now rather than watch them slowly waste away

 

[Aqua Andy]

It is done. I feel auwfull

It's taken me until now to psych myself up to do it.

I didn't like "playing God". The poor little fella was fighting for it's life and I make the decision to "euthanize" him.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry i no it's awful, and iv'e done it, and it's up setting, but he couldn't of carried on with a bent spine and he might of been in discomfort, sorry, R.I.P.

 

[Arfie]

You have my sympathy, I had it in my tank last year and its a B******.

The best and quickest way for me for euthanising them, was drop them on a paper towel and stand on them, there is no quicker way and no residual brain messages or pain as they are mush in a split second.

Arfie

 

[john5748]

Sorry to hear about this disease in your tank, but just a question to those who know about this disease.

How is neon terta disease normally introduced into a tank and does it affect other fish in the tank?