you have just rediscovered NTD
i haven't managed to stop it
i've tried furan-3 but it just came back after a few months
the concensus on the web is euthanasia and not keeping neons/cardinals in that tank
Does anybody else know this is and how to treat it? it looks like an abcess or pus which forms at the base of the tail. i'm not very sure whether it's contagious. usually one tetra gets it. it struggles with the pus for 2 weeks to 1 month before it dies. then randomly later, another tetra will kena. usually no more than 2 tetras will kena at one time. sometimes no tetras will kena at all. very puzzled
Cheers
Boon Yong
Cheers
Boon Yong
you have just rediscovered NTD
i haven't managed to stop it
i've tried furan-3 but it just came back after a few months
the concensus on the web is euthanasia and not keeping neons/cardinals in that tank
i see. NTD stands for neon tetra disease right? anyway, only my cardinals get it. but my rummy nose doesn't. as DEA stated, only neons and cardinals get it right?
Anyone can point out some links on NTD so that I can read up more on it?
Many thanks
Boon Yong
Cheers
Boon Yong
Saw this article somewhere else. Anyone disagree with the content?
Neon Tetra disease is more common than many aquarium enthusiasts realize, and affects species beyond neon tetras. Named after the fish that it was first identified in, the disease strikes members of the tetra family most often. However, other popular families of aquarium fish are not immune. Cichlids such as Angelfish, and Cyprinids such as Rasboras and Barbs, also fall victim to the disease. Even the common Goldfish can become infected with the disease. Interestingly enough, Cardinal tetras are resistant to the ravages of Neon Tetra disease.
Caused by the sporozoan, Pleistophora hyphessobryconis, the disease is known for its rapid and high mortality rate among neons. To date there is no known cure, the only 'treatment' being the immediate removal of diseased fish to preserve the remaining fish.
The disease cycle begins when parasitic spores enter the fish after it consumes infected material, such as the bodies of dead fish, or live food such as tubifex, which may serve as intermediate hosts. Once in the intestinal tract, the newly hatched embryos burrow through the intestinal wall and produce cysts within the muscle tissue. Muscles bearing the cysts begin to die, and the necrotic tissue becomes pale, eventually turning white in color.
Symptoms
Restlessness
Fish begins to lose coloration
As cysts develop, body may become lumpy
Fish has difficulty swimming
In advanced cases spine may become curved
Secondary infections such as fin rot and bloating
During the initial stages, the only symptom may be restlessness, particularly at night. Often the first thing an owner will notice is that the affected fish no longer school with the others. Eventually swimming becomes more erratic, and it becomes quite obvious that the fish is not well.
As the disease progresses, affected muscle tissue begins to turn white, generally starting within the color band and areas along the spine. As additional muscle tissue is affected, the pale coloration expands. Damage to the muscles can cause curvature or deformation of the spine, which may cause the fish to have difficulty in swimming. It is not unusual for the body of the fish to have a lumpy appearance as the cysts deform the muscles.
Rotting of the fins, especially the caudal fin is not uncommon. However, this is due to secondary infection rather than a direct result of the disease itself. Bloating is also a secondary condition that may be seen in Neon Tetra disease.
Treatment
None - separate or euthanize diseased fish
As previously stated, there is no known cure. To ensure that all fish are not lost, diseased specimens should be removed from the tank. Some species, such as Angelfish, may live for quite some time. However, they should be separated from uninfected fish to avoid spreading the disease.
Prevention
Quarantine new fish for two weeks
Maintain high water quality
Do not purchase from a tank with ill fish
The best prevention is to avoid purchasing sick fish, and to maintain high water. Carefully observe the suppliers fish. Do not purchase any fish from tanks where there are sick, dying, or dead fish present. Fish that do not school, or hang apart from the others, should be suspect.
Common Questions
Q: I've heard that just like ich, all neon tetras carry this disease.
A: No all neons are not carriers, however if the disease is present in one specimen in a tank, it may have already infected all other neons in that tank. Never purchase a fish from a tank where other fish appear to be sick.
Q: Does Erythromycin cure this disease? How about Nalidixic Acid, or Protozin?
A: There is no known cure for Neon Tetra disease. Erythromycin is primarily effective against gram-positive bacteria, and no evidence exists that it has any effect on Neon Tetra disease. Some owners have reported success in alleviating symptoms of the disease by using Nalidixic Acid, which is generally used to treat gram-negative organisms. However, this has not been substantiated in
Cheers
Boon Yong
I'm not entirely convinced that my cardinals have NTD. based on this article, the fish will lose its colour due to the white cysts. mine doesn't. it gets a white pus (i stress pus, looks just like the white pimple pus that we get on our face. yes it's gross but sorry, have to describe it truly[] ) at the BASE of the tail, not the middle of the body.
i guess best would be for me to take a pic but sorry no digital cam. sigh...
Cheers
Boon Yong
See this statement from another article:
"It is characterized by a loss of coloration and pale, white patches of skin, particularly the strip of skin beneath the dorsal fin."
The pus is at the tail (Caudal fin?) and not at the dorsal fin (that's the middle fin at the top right?)
Still not convinced that it's NTD
Cheers
Boon Yong
another note I saw. it says it's highly contagious, and will infect danios as well. My zebra danios were perfectly fine, and I've been having this sympton for close to 3-4 months already (considering first infected to current infected fish)
Cheers
Boon Yong
Could you post a pic? Best to have a pic so we can see what you are talking about.
Allen
well
you have to understand that cysts refer to abnormal membranous sacs containing a gaseous, liquid, or semisolid substance which in this case could VERY WELL mean pus
geddit?
as for the spreading period
no one can say for sure about the time period
what your first action should be is to isolate the afflicted individuals and observe
OK I've never had NTD in my tank, and so have never needed to deal with it... and to be honest, most of the literature I read on the net implies that it is very difficult to treat... more so when the patchiness already shows...
Anyway, I was fiddling around and I noticed that protozin from waterlife products claims to work agains NTD (available at C328 and petmart). I dunno how effective it is, but you could give it a shot. Since NTD is due to protozoa, it sounds like the right med as protozin is a anti-protozoan med... do check the precautions as there are some things which could be sensitive to the medicine.
Allen
allen
tried it before
worked against ich
not against NTD
ymmv
but it's always worth a try when all else fails
the waterlife med gave me the impression of being very mild
my harlequin and hengli are having whitish patches on their flanks, sounds like NTD?
why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica
white patches at side extending up to gills? difficulty breathing? still alive?
mostly on the black patch and back (just before dorsal fin), fish still alive but swim kind of slow and sian sian like that. and not really white but pale patches and some shiny scales.----------------
On 1/9/2003 2:33:59 AM
white patches at side extending up to gills? difficulty breathing? still alive?
----------------
why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica
pale patches
hmmm
what about the breathing? gills distended in any way?
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