Probably Columnaris (was: Is this neon Tetra Disease?)

[SPACKlick]

Neon Tetra's I added on Saturday, that had looked perfectly healthy for 4 weeks of quarantine. One has developed a white/pale patch on their side. Looks like some sort of cyst to me.










I have new fish arriving tomorrow so if it's Neon Tetra Disease I'm not sure I should risk it going ino the quarantine tank with new fish. As far as I can tell all the other fish look fine. This fish is showing no odd behaviours.

[SPACKlick]

I have moved the fish to the quarantine tank. I'll make a decision on treatments and mixing new fish with him when the time comes tomorrow. I might have a small tank in the loft but I don't think I'll have time to set it up with the local elections and all... And even so I'd need the quarantine tank for the new fish and now I'm going to have to scrub that to rid it of whatever the neon had. This isn't going to go well...

I'm really anoyed this has happened over the 5 days since they've been in quarantine. Doesn't look like there are any symptoms on any other fish. But dammit.

[black ghost]

It’s not Neon disease. It looks bacterial like Columnaris…

[SPACKlick]

Any treatment you'd recommend for the quarantine and or main tanks?

[black ghost]

I’d probably treat them both with a bactericide (Myxazin).

[SPACKlick]

None of the LFS that list stock list that medication so I have it coming for Saturday. I've dug out an old an dbatterd 75L Glass tank and am checking it's water tight to quarantine the lemons.

I will need to move a filter from the tank that the tetra's quarantined in to avoid a cycle. Or maybe I just fish in cycle the quarantining Lemon tetras to avoid contaminating them from the neon tetra quarantine tank.

I have loads of bags of activated carbon to remove meds when the time comes (Lots of filters come with them, I've never used them. And I've pulled the small purigen pouch out of the main tank in advance of medication arriving.

I did a big water change and vaccum on the main tank this morning.

Should I be adjusting the temperature of either tank? I know with some diseases raising or lowering temperature can help reduce spread.

[SPACKlick]

This is why I don't throw anything away.

Two old filters, an old heater, a short t8 bulb and the glass tank I've been meaning to take to the tip. Some plastic decorations for shrimp to cling to and tada quarantine tank 2 dusty boogaloo. It's on the floor but it's upstairs so siphoning won't be an issue.



Just need to make a decision whether or not to move a cycled sponge from the tank that had the 18 neons in for 28 days and has been empty for 5 days and now has one sick neon in for 12 hours. Pro's are less stress on new fish from a cycle. Cons are risk of infecting new fish. I'm struggling to decide.

This is the first time I've had an infection in a fish in the main aquarium and previously it's only been parasites in quarantine and I'm freaking out a little because of the timing with new fish arriving same day.

[plankton]

It's either columnaris or lymphocystis, both are relatively common in neons nowadays.
Columnaris is one of the reasons I now quarantine for 6 weeks, just to make sure.
There is no treatment for lymphocystis, but the fish appear to survive quite happily with it and it's not contagious.
You shouldn't need carbon with the meds, they have a half-life of 48 hours (Waterlife do anyway).

[SPACKlick]

I have made the decision to move the affected tetra and one sponge to the new tank. I'll put the new fish in the established and cycled quarantine tank.

Have been reading up on columnaris and am considering upping the salinity in the tetra's tank. Does anyone have any experience with that?

[SPACKlick]

Advice around this sort of disease caries quite a lot but I did decide to up the salinity in EQT to 2.2ppm. And the Tetra is looking a little better this morning but hard to tell. Medication is arriving tomorrow morning and then I'll dose the main tank and the EQT.