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Neon Tetra Disease (NTD)
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Symptoms
This disease was originally described in Neon Tetras, but can affect many other species of fish. In Neons,
one of the early signs of this disease is a loss of the red colour, and difficulty swimming
Note that there is a so-called "false neon disease", which is bacterial, and shows very similar symptoms.
It is impossible for the home aquarist to determine for certain the difference between NTD and false NTD
on the basis of visible symptoms alone, without laboratory backup. This disease has also been confused with
Columnaris.
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Causes
The disease is caused by a microsporidian parasite. The disease is most likely to be passed on from newly acquired fish,
which have not been quarantined.
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Possible cures
These parasites are very resistant to medications, and there are no proven effective treatments. Some anti-parasite
medications claim to treat this disease, but their effectiveness is debatable. Some apparant 'cures' may have been the
result of successful treatment of false-NTD. The best course of action is to isolate sick fish quickly, and maintain
good water quality to reduce the chances of more fish succumbing to the disease. The use of a diatom filter, which can
reduce the number of free parasites in the water, may help.
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