# Neon Tetra disease... Help



## Dare.2.dream28 (Feb 4, 2011)

Hi I have a 20 gallon tank which is currently over planted. In the tank helping to cycle it I had 4 neon tetras. I'm about 90% sure that one of them just died of neon tetra disease. Now here's the thing I wanted to add other fish to the tank but I'm wondering if that will be safe now that the diseased fish has been swimming around in the water there, I know there is no treatment for it. Also I'm not sure if my other 3 little fishies now have it, they look fine but who knows. Finally I was hoping to take some of the plant life I currently have growing in there and add it into my other tank where I have 6 black phantom tetras a lone plattie and a cory. I'm wondering can I introduce the disease into my other tank by moving the plants? If so how can I disinfect my tank/plants do I need to start all over?

Thanks


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Dare.2.dream28 said:


> Hi I have a 20 gallon tank which is currently over planted. In the tank helping to cycle it I had 4 neon tetras. I'm about 90% sure that one of them just died of neon tetra disease. Now here's the thing I wanted to add other fish to the tank but I'm wondering if that will be safe now that the diseased fish has been swimming around in the water there, I know there is no treatment for it. Also I'm not sure if my other 3 little fishies now have it, they look fine but who knows. Finally I was hoping to take some of the plant life I currently have growing in there and add it into my other tank where I have 6 black phantom tetras a lone plattie and a cory. I'm wondering can I introduce the disease into my other tank by moving the plants? If so how can I disinfect my tank/plants do I need to start all over?
> 
> Thanks


You cannot cycle a tank with neons well you can try. Neons need an established tank. What makes you think they have a disease. Do you have a test kit do you know if the tank is even cycled plants do not cycle a tank. Take out some media from your old tank swish it around your new tank then put it in the filter this will give you good bacteria in your new tank.


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## Antoine Doinel (Dec 20, 2010)

You shouldn't be cycling with fish, especially neons. I'd remove the remaining neons, do a large water change, and start over. This time, use pure ammonia. You can get a big jug of it at Walmart for a couple dollars. Brand name is Goldex.

As Pat mentioned, use some material out of your old tank to help seed the new tank. Should make things go much faster.

BTW, neon tetra disease is fairly rare, and not contagious. I think the only way to get it is for a fish to bite the infected one.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Yes, neon tetra disease only spreads when fish eat the corpse of a fish that was infected after it dies. So there's nothing "swimming around in your water" except fish that might be carrying the disease waiting to die.

Sick fish should be removed and quarantined in any circumstance. In the case of neon tetra disease, euthanization is probably the best option, since there is no cure or chance of survival.

As stated by others, cycling with neons probably wont work out.


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