How to Avoid Neon Tetra Disease

[GodFan]

I understand NTD is incurable and will spread to other species. I also understand the only way to be rid of it is to nuke the tank and start fresh.
So my question is how to avoid it? I do not have a qt so that isnt an option. I was going to get neon tetras but am worried.
Would I be safer with green neon tetras? One of my LFSs had NTD and it killed an unholy number of fish. I still dont buy out of that one system because I am not sure its gone.
Any help?
Thanks and God bless!

 

[Old Scales]

I had an outbreak of NTD after getting 4 neons to add to my school. After much research I found that watching them closely during the day and as soon as one started showing the distress swim, catch and remove it from the tank ASAP. I read that it can be spread by the healthy fish nipping or eating on the sick/dead fish and getting the bug in their digestive tract. I'm not sure if this is true but it worked for me that time. I lost 4 neons and two rummys but all the rest are still OK after 7 months. Our regional wholesaler for this area is horrible with diseased fish. I've started buying from private breeders and have yet to get a diseased fish from them. Good luck. OS.

 

[GodFan]

I had an outbreak of NTD after getting 4 neons to add to my school. After much research I found that watching them closely during the day and as soon as one started showing the distress swim, catch and remove it from the tank ASAP. I read that it can be spread by the healthy fish nipping or eating on the sick/dead fish and getting the bug in their digestive tract. I'm not sure if this is true but it worked for me that time. I lost 4 neons and two rummys but all the rest are still OK after 7 months. Our regional wholesaler for this area is horrible with diseased fish. I've started buying from private breeders and have yet to get a diseased fish from them. Good luck. OS.

Thanks! Hopefully this will work for me as well! I will buy from the better LFS but he sells fish the day they come in alot of times.

 

[wildroseofky]

I believe a QT tank is indispensable when getting new fish. I used a 10 gallon as a QT tank when I started buying my neons. I lost half of each batch I bought but now have a healthy school of 8. I bought 4-6 at a time. Your QT tank doesn't need to be fancy. Anything that can hold 5-10 gallons of water works. You can keep a sponge filter in your main tank to pull out when you need it. They are really cheap. You could use a plastic storage tote in a pinch. You do not need decorations or substrate. You could throw in a few fake plants to give the fish some hiding spots. Other than QT the only thing you can do is follow the previous posters suggestions.

 

[GodFan]

I believe a QT tank is indispensable when getting new fish. I used a 10 gallon as a QT tank when I started buying my neons. I lost half of each batch I bought but now have a healthy school of 8. I bought 4-6 at a time. Your QT tank doesn't need to be fancy. Anything that can hold 5-10 gallons of water works. You can keep a sponge filter in your main tank to pull out when you need it. They are really cheap. You could use a plastic storage tote in a pinch. You do not need decorations or substrate. You could throw in a few fake plants to give the fish some hiding spots. Other than QT the only thing you can do is follow the previous posters suggestions.

A qt is currently not an option for me maybe one day

 

[Delapool]

I read that cardinal tetras are resistant to the disease. I got one by accident with neons and think they look great.

The neons have been in a QT for three weeks sorting out some sort of bacterial infection (touch wood none lost so far). The cardinal looks fine - perhaps it is just a lucky fish

 

[Brookster123]

What are the signs of ntd? I have 6 and have never heard of this until now

 

[GodFan]

I dont want cardinals really because they getbso kuch larger.
To he honest you will need to google it because I cant remember lol

 

[Brookster123]

I just did some reading, I've had my neons for over a month and they never really schooled up, now they all have a spot and only school Up during feeding, no other symptoms though, anyone encounter this type of bevy or before?

 

[wildroseofky]

That seems to be a common behavior. I have 8 neons and they seem to only school during feeding and sleeping. I have a couple that stay together but only school during those times. I have had them for many months. I also found they have one particular place they like to rest. I find them in the same corner of my tank when the lights are off.

 

[Brookster123]

Well that makes me feel better, thanks, I'll have to peek in during lights out to see where they sleep.

 

[Delapool]

The disease sounds pretty nasty. I've read other fish can get it as well.

I've got 13 and they mostly school but will break off to investigate something.

 

[wildroseofky]

I had one of my neons start to look sick in my last batch of 4 fish. He went through QT and never looked healthy. His color was faded but he swam and ate like normal. He just looked skinny and washed out. When it was time for him to come out of QT, I moved his tank mates but left him in QT a week longer. I finally chanced it and put him in my main tank. He stayed faded and skinny for months but then suddenly started to improve. None of the other fish ever got sick. He is now back to normal and I never could figure out what was wrong with him. I have lost several neons to the disease and it is pitiful. That is why I QT.

 

[flitabout]

I have never heard of it. I have one neon in my school of cardinals. It came in my last batch and it schools with the cardinals. The only reason I knew I had a neon was his stripe didn't go all the way across his tummy. What are the symptoms?

 

[wildroseofky]

Here is a link to an article about neon tetra disease Neon Tetra Disease If you do not want to read it here is a breakdown. The fish stays by itself and doesn't eat. Color fades. The fish looses weight and begins to look more and more poorly. By the time symptoms show, the fish only has a few days at best. It is caused by a parasite.

 

[CalvAL5]

I had a few young neons that got the disease and showed the white spots. I flushed them but can I be sure that it will not be contracted by my other fish? The reason I'm asking is because now any time my fish act funny I panic thinking it's the disease!

 

[Brookster123]

White spots could be ich

 

[CalvAL5]

It's was not ich im sure. Had a big white patch across its spine and was all bent out of shape and swimming funny

 

[Delapool]

It's was not ich im sure. Had a big white patch across its spine and was all bent out of shape and swimming funny

I've had that on the worse one but am pretty sure it was a bacterial infection. Did it still eat and school with the rest? Just learning it myself, I gather it can go to other fish but the symptoms sound pretty traumatic and rapid? Mine were just a slow infection creep over 3 weeks with white patches/colour loss and white growths on a few around the mouth. I used everything I could find in the shops but I think the heat in the room didn't help.

 

[Brookster123]

Sounds pretty bad, I spend twice as long now starring at my neons.