[Firesong]

Hi,

I haven't been here in a long time but I am at a loss as to what to do. I had an outbreak of neon tetra disease in my heavily planted dirted tank that has wiped out my cardinal and black neon schools - still finding infected fish daily and euthanizing them. I had a school of 20 black neons and 20 cardinals - now have 12 black neons and 7 cardinals remaining. I also have 4 true Siamese algae eaters in the tank. It is a 75g tank, cycled, maintained at 80F, water parameters 0/0/0 (nitrates have always been 0, tank is heavily understocked and heavily planted). The NTD got in via my impatience - I did not quarantine a batch of new tetras long enough (10 days only).

I am wondering what to do now... my stocking plans have to be on hold until I figure it out. I can't tear down the tank (at least not for months because of the time required to do that and re-start it); can I leave the tank with the SAEs (they have been fine through this nightmare), do large water changes for a month and then slowly reintroduce tetras?

Any advice appreciated. Have never dealt with NTD before...

 

[Discusluv]

What symptoms did you see that made you believe it was neon tetra disease?

 

[Firesong]

First the black neons began to mysteriously die. I’d find a body every day or two. They’d be swimming and eating normally and then turn up dead the next day. No ick or lumpiness visible, but spine sometimes appeared kinked. After a few days a cardinal turned up dead. Then another. With the cardinals, there was loss of colour maybe 12-20hrs before death. Then the most robust cardinal in the school began looking off. With this one there was actually lumpiness visible. I’ve been dosing Melafix and Pimafix. Would use General Cure but must order from the US as it’s banned in Canada.