Deformed Neon

I never have any luck with Neon tetras for some reason - they all seem to either die or need euthenaising (sp) due to illness.

Today I have noticed that my last remaining neon has a deformed spine. If you look at it with the head facing you it is an S shape, and its abdomen is distended.
It is swimming ok, and eating, but obviously something is wrong, and I will probably have to put it to sleep. I have to go and buy myself a net so I can catch it.

All other fish are active and healthy, and the water params are spot on 0-0-15.

Anyone any idea what wold cause this deformity (it hasn't always been like this) and why neons would be such a problem in my tank.?

The same thing happened with one of my Black Neons but it died soon afterwards so at least I was spared the trauma of euthanizing it. I don't think it's necessarily your tank that's the problem, maybe that crop of neons werent 100% to begin with. '

According to my book of fish diseases, skeletal deformities have three main causes:

1. Collisional injury
2. Bacterial infection
3. Genetic deformity

I think it's most likely to be the third cause in your case since one by one, your neons have succumbed to all sorts of bizarre fates...

It's weird Mary - but I have decided once this one goes I will not be getting any more as no matter how often I replace them they all die sooner than they should, even though their tank mates are healthy.

I hope its not some bacterial thing that could affect the others though!

Have you bought the Neons from the same LFS each time?

I have but the first lot were bought 2 years ago - they were the ones that went all Alien on me! The second batch came from the same lfs and have just slowly disappeared over the past few months - had 5 now have just got the bent one.

That sounds like my experience with Black Neons. My original five all died one by one but I've replaced them with another five so fingers crossed for this batch.

Well It is a shame, but, looking at the positives, it does mean I have bags of space for a bit of a restock.

I need to get some playmates for the mystery fish (microrasbora erythromicron) which I think sounds like an antibiotic, and am going to add maybe a couple of rams or gourami's or somthing like that.

I also want to re do the planting which is all looking a bit sad, so look out for questions on that - you being the plant expert

Well I wouldn't quite call myself an expert as I've had mixed success in my tanks. I still don't know why the plants in the three foot tank haven't thrived as they've had exactly the same maintenance regime as with the other planted tanks...

I've had a major splurge of restocking lately - adding more Cherry Barbs, Black Neons and Hatchetfish to the 90L tank. Finally, it's fully stocked and showing some activity at last. For a while there, it seemed like there was no fish in the tank...

I also added Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish and more Otos to the 165L tank. Just a shoal of Congo Tetras, another Bolivian Ram and a Queen Arabesque plec (having trouble finding either species) and that tank will be sorted too.

sorrry to hear of your neon problem diana never heard of this sort of thing before
very sorry you are'nt getting any more.


dekker

now you know why i wasan't keen on having a community tank again
all this grief and hassel

i must have been very lucky i have a shoal of 11 neons had them for 18 months now
i get all my fish from harlingtons near doncaster have you been chez.



dekker

dekker wrote:

sorrry to hear of your neon problem diana never heard of this sort of thing before
very sorry you are'nt getting any more.


dekker

Well, at least there are plenty of other fish out there I can choose deks

and when you do some pics plz diana look forward to seeing what you choose.


dekker

Diana wrote:

Well, at least there are plenty of other fish out there I can choose deks

That's the spirit. The bright side is a trip to the LFS...

dekker wrote:

i must have been very lucky i have a shoal of 11 neons had them for 18 months now
i get all my fish from harlingtons near doncaster have you been chez.



dekker

No really no need to go anywhere now with just having E.
We go in viscum but i don't look at the fish..lol
I Darnt...lol

Neons are very fussy about the water (so ive been told) - cardinals are much more robust.

I have a female cherry barb who is similar (spinal thing) but ashe feeds, swims and generally acts the same as the others so i havent done anything about it.

As most of my neons were free (well - swapped for baby BN's) im treating these as an experiment - if they do do well, then great, if not, oh well.

Ive heard that too Rich but dont see that being a problem - I do regular water changes and all tests have never been a problem. I might have a think about cardinals because they are nice colours and look good when there is a lot of them.

Decisions, decisions!

i bet when you go to lfs the decision want be too hard to make diana.




dekker

Problem is deks, every fish I see I think "That's nice................Oh, I like that one.................Oooh, look at them there!"

I always end up going with a list and come back with something totally different

thats the joy of a visit to lfs nothing better.



dekker

Praecox rainbows are lovely lively fish Diana or Odessa Barbs?

I'll put them on my list of fish to get indi. At this rate I am going to need a 6ft tank - and a bigger house

It must be a me thing
I Have been in 5 aqua shops this weekend
and I Can truthfully say i have never l@@ked at the tanks..........
only today with the Gourami in and the marine>which i l@@ked through one eye.
don't get me wanting these..............
community really don't interest me.
After finding E. I Just love Cichlids species tanks..
and I Can't see me wanting anything else.
each to there own,, it must me a me thing...
I Know i'm a funny C*W Bunny........lol

I Know what it is.!!!!!
I Like things that bite back..lol
E Bites Megs nips ...lol it will be that
GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT.!!!!!!!!!!!!

As long as you are happy with what you have got chez, thats the main thing. When I first got into this hobby I wanted a peaceful tank where all the fish got on and could cope with being looked after by a complete novice.

All the recommendations were that I go for the guppy, platty community fish types so thats what I got

I think if I were starting out now though I might look at cichlids, and even might consider marine, although the cost of going down that route might put me off that!