Dead And Vanished Neons

[monkeyhanger]

Are my other fish at risk from NTD, or just really the neons? I know it's not just neons that get the disease, but how closely related to a neon does a fish have to be to get it?

Other fish are: Cory Sterbai, Betta, Glass Bloodfin Tetra, Platys

 

[WILDER]

I would do a search on what fish can be affected by ntd,

These are the fish than can get infected in the link I left.

Cichlids such as Angelfish, and Cyprinids such as Rasboras and Barbs, also fall victim to the disease. Even the common Goldfish can become infected. Interestingly enough, Cardinal tetras are resistant to the ravages of Neon Tetra disease. Caused by the sporozoan, Pleistophora

 

[monkeyhanger]

One more dead neon with it's belly eaten, and one missing when I got in. Had a rake through one of the plants, and found the missing one (not the original missing one that still hasn't been found). It was barely able to twitch it's bent tail, but just blowing where the current took it, still breathing but pretty much paralysed. I scooped it up in the net and it didn't have the strength to flip at all. I put it out of it's misery.

I then noticed one of the platys missing - she'd been fat and pregnant, but I found her dead under the mopani wood, looking very skinny and had a little fluffy white stuff on her. She was by far the greediest fish in the tank, she'd probably eaten a bit of the dead neon.

Everything else is very colourful and active. I'll continue with the meds.

Is it usually worth adding a small amount of Pimafix and Melafix into the tank the day before new additions, to kil anything they might bring with them, or will it be too much of a shock to the new fish?

I'm going to do a big change in water today, then again tomorrow (40% each day - so there should only be 36% of the original water left). I'm very regular with my changes anyway.

I'm hoping my recent losses have been NTD and a secondary Columnaris kicking in, at least that would make sense. Hopefully the Platy's death is from eating dead neon rather than something else lurking undetected.

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P.
Melafix is only good on cuts and wounds.
Any other fish have fluffy patches on them.
I would just do some water changes if other fish are ok.

 

[monkeyhanger]

2 more neons have the tiniest bit of grey/fluff on them. Everything else is happy. One of the platys is hiding a bit more than usual, but she's ready to give birth any time now, looking at the size of her and the white button protruding around the anus.

Will replace the neons with cardinals, the ones dead and any of the others if anything else fatal happens, in the meantime, the cardinals will hopefully shoal with the neons so they don't feel their numbers are down. The water is always so clean, I think i've just been a bit unlucky with this outbreak.

All of the rocks and mopani were out of the tub for a thorough scrub and rinse in tank water before putting back, along with a 30% water change and med top up yesterday.

 

[WILDER]

I wouldn't add any fish just yet. I would wait awhile to things settle down.
For columnaris in the uk myxazin by waterlife and pimafix.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Been dosing with Myxazin and Pimafix, but the neons look no better . They seem ok'ish, but every one in a while one of the neons will tilt 1/2 on it's side and then recover. Slight grey fluffiness around the top fin. Only have 3 of the neons left now - 1 disappeared overnight yesterday and again I looked in all the heater and filter intakes, had all teh ornaments out and gave the gravel a good hoover out - but no sign of a corpse - I must have some hungry and cannibalistic fish in there!

Gave my sponge filter a good squeeze into some drained tank water before putting back, and there's a lot less particulate matter around, even though the tank was always clean.

As someone without a quarantine tank to fall back on, would it be wise to put low dose pimafix and melafix into the tank with new additions (fish and plants)?

For someone in the process of filling their tank (usually new starters), would it be fair to assume that this is the riskiest time to get disease as fish and plants are introduced to the tank?

 

[WILDER]

If you think the neons have ntd I would destroy them.

There always a riisk adding new fish to a tank, thats why is really important to have an issolation tank.
I never risked buying neons after I lost a whole tank to ntd.

You need to steralise new plants before adding them to the tank.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Only have 2 neons left now. The last one that disappeared turned up. In saying that, the head and the tail were left, attached to the spine. It had been dug up - there was a big crater around what was left of it in the gravel. My best diggers seem to be the corys, and i've heard they're partial to corpses (seen them picking at dead fish in the "pets at home" tanks), although they rarely kill anything.

There was another neon that looked punch drunk and a bit fluffy, so I removed that one too.

So 2 left - both look healthy, so would you remove those 2 as well? On the one hand, they look ok, but on the other, is it just a matter of time (days or weeks) before they're knackered and risking the health of the whole tank too?

The meds don't seem to be doing much for the neons once they're showing signs of disease - would I be right in assuming that the apparent Columnaris is secondary to the suspected NTD?

Thanks for taking an interest - you seem to spend a lot of time on here to help people out.

 

[pippoodle]

i know this sounds horrible but i agree with wilder -- euthanise the remaining 2 neons , i know no one really likes doing this but if it's definately NTD then they're better to be done humanely than to go on and suffer and die

If you're looking to get neons again -- go to a different store in about 4-6 weeks time and quarentine them for 4 weeks before adding to your main tank , only buy them if they have vibrant colours , even if you have to look round several lfs like i did - took me 3 weeks and many many storesto find the best ones , they are out there

The neons i purchased had the most amazing metalicly blue stripe -- (neon) and bright red towards the tail - i purchased 12 of them and now have 13 (had 1 fry survive ) had no deaths what so ever

Good luck

 

[forby3]

where did you get the fish from like monkey

 

[monkeyhanger]

I'll go for the cardinals next, they're a bit dearer, but the general concensus is that they're bred better. From feedback on other threads it seems that it's hard to get good neons, and it's easier to get good cardinals.

Bought my neons from Peter Barratts and Pets at home before I discovered a few great local small aquatic shops for my other fish - the quality of the other fish has been far better than those 2. As a newbie I was mesmerised by the choice in the larger stores, not paying enough attention to the individual fish condition.

Looks like i'll have to get rid of the last 2 neons - i'll feel so guilty as they appear to be fine at the moment. For the greater good though.... (as on "hot Fuzz").

I almost hope to find those 2 a bit off colour to reduce the guilt in killing them off.

Forby - Got the neons from Pets at home in the metrocentre and Peter Barratts at Gosforth racecourse. Won't go back there again.

 

[forby3]

honestly mate i wouldnt buy fish any where else other than better aquaria in byker best shop in north tyneside like

 

[monkeyhanger]

honestly mate i wouldnt buy fish any where else other than better aquaria in byker best shop in north tyneside like

I now go to Gosforth Pets and Aquatics. They have lots of clean and uncluttered tanks, all the fish are in good condition and active/happy.

It's family run and they care about everything they sell. You'll quite often see the wifey with one of the chameleons out and crawling up her arm.

Prices are very good too on the livestock and average for everything else.

It's a bit out from where I live, but it's on the way home from work.

 

[WILDER]

Neons can get false ntd which is saddle back columnaris. If a fish is stressed it can soon break out in columnaris.
Columnaris bacteria lives in the back ground of your tank.

If neons have died of ntd they pass it onto all the neons in the tank and some types of other fish.