Do fish have Neon Tetra Disease?

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

I’ve had 5 Neons since I first got my tank, which was back in November of last year (2005). They’ve been doing fine ever since, but yesterday I noticed that 2 of the fish look strange. They’re both acting normal, but one looks really skinny. The other one isn’t skinny, but is losing some coloration. I looked up Neon Tetra Disease, but I’m not so sure that’s what it is. All of my other fish seem fine. Has anyone who’s ever had Neons ever encountered this?

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

Sounds like it could be NTD. Can you post a picture?

-Chelle

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

Ok, I took some pictures, but I don't know how to get them on here. Can you tell me how?

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

Here's a link to the picture's. The one picture of the emaciated Neon is pretty good, but in the picture's of the other fish it's very hard to see the discoloration, which is in the red area of the fish. I can see it alot better in person.
http://hometown.aol.com/oneill074/index.html

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

Yeah, that does look like NTD. Unfortunately, there's really no cure. Sad

-Chelle

Cleo1668 · Member Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 53 Location: NJ

Does it look like NTD in both of the fish?
Why are they both showing two different symptoms?
Are they going to infect my other fish that you know of, because I read on the internet that they can.

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3437

The emaciated one doesn't really look like NTD. I'm not really sure what it is. Could be some kind of internal parasite or could just be sort of a chronic wasting thing (I had that with a couple of africans, they just got thinner & thinner, but ate normally and acted find otherwise - never did figure out what it was).

And yes, NTD can spread to the other fish. Basically it's a small parasite that kills the muscle & other tissue (the colorless patches are basically dead tissue). So if the other fish nip at the infected one, they can get it. You can either separate the infected ones and let them live out their lives (however long that may be) or euthanize them. Here's a good article on the humane forms of euthanazia:
http://www.oscarfish.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=13

-Chelle