Just 1 Neon.....help please

[bobbdd]

Hello all. I have a 100 gallon tank with many apistogramma that are doing GREAT!

I added some neon tetras about two weeks ago, and they for the most part are doing fine........but

There is one neon that has a very small white bump on it's tail, right before the tail fin. The normal red coloration around the bump is faded to a pink color.

There is no other signs of injury or disease. It kinda looks like it may be an injury (apisto chase maybe)

The problem is this, The tank is heavely planted, so trying to chase him is pointless. All of the other fish are very healthy. Water paramenter are perfect. I do 40% water changes weekly. Ph is 6.0. temp is 78

Would you just watch and see how it does? I don't want to medicate a healthy tank......

I'm concerned about all the reasons you can think of.


There is a product called MELAFIX, that is a natural product that is made from Tea Tree Extract. I've heard very good things about it. It heals wounds, treats fin and tail rot, stops certain fungus and is reported to be safe for the plants...

and yet I don't want to add it (yet)....so, what is your advise??

 

[farm41]

QT that fish. I know it's hard in a planted tank, but it's a lot worse if you have to treat a large planted tank vs. a small QT. Use 2 nets and get some help if you need.

Does the bump look to be coming from under the skin?

 

[bobbdd]

Oh no, looks like more.....

Well, I was able to remove the one, but now it looks like one or two more are starting to show similiar signs....so, to treat or not to treat? And with what? Melafix is still in mind.

 

[Ghazanfar Ghori]

It may be Neon tetra disease. Untreatable as far as I can remember.
Search for the term 'neon tetra disease' and you should be able to
find more information.

 

[tjudy]

Sounds like classic neon tetra disease. I have never treated it successfully. I have stopped the spread (I think) in a store tanks using formalin. It comes in with the fish and is made worse by stress or poor water conditions. Usually it will run its course and kill all the neons in a tank. Using formalin I have managed to stop it from spreading to every fish... but I still lost 60-70%.

 

[bobbdd]

So...now in a mild state of panic

HELP, I'M HAVING A PANIC ATTACK!

Do I get rid of all of the neons, just to be sure??

Can it affect my cichlids?

 

[tjudy]

The good nes is that the only fish I have ever seen ti affect are neons, cardinals, glowlights and black neons. I have never seen it get passed to any other fish.

 

[fishdoctor]

"Neon Disease" is caused by a parasite called Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. The common name is because it is most commonly seen in the Neon Tetra. Contrary to popular belief, this parasite and its relatives can infect a number of fresh and marine fish. In the majority of fish this parasite will cause muscle necrosis and may cause an uneven look to the surface of the fish. It has not been shown to cause deaths in other species of fish, but I would guess that it would shorten the life span of the non-tetra species. It spreads in the tanks by the release of spores into the environment from a dead fish or from other fish cannibalizing the body of a dead fish. Sorry for the poor prognosis.

Terry Fairfield
a.k.a. "The Fishdoctor"

 

[bobbdd]

Good News?

Well, the one that seemed to have it, never died in the tank and was removed.

There "may" have been another one that looked like it might have some discoloration and ALL of the neons have been removed.

So, I'm hopeful that this won't be an issue any more!

 

[Eva32181]

I went through a bad battle with neon tetra disease myself. I removed all the neons, left the tank tetra-free for a while, and eventually reintroduced neons. However, I quarantined all new neons for over a month in a QT. The way the disease works, in my experience, is it will kill a bunch of neons rapidly, then a few others will catch it and suffer it slowly, and a few will never get sick. My rule now is: never let a fish die in your tank! Others will get sick if a fish dies in the tank.

HTH