Tetra losing color

[MeganL3985]

So one of my neon tetras seems to have a lot less color than the others and i'm afraid he's sick. The last time one of the neons lost color, he bloated up and died a few days later. I dont want to sit and do nothing, but i'm afraid to add meds and stress out all the other fish....and I only have a bowl to seperate him in if I needed to do a "med tank"....which I imagine wouldn't give him much oxygen. I think it would stress him out more to be seperated.
What do you all suggest I do? There are no other signs of disease or illness. Just starting to look very pale.

[cocoa_pleco]

if hes pale and his neon stripes are gone, i would remove him. its probably neon tetra disease. if he dies and other fish peck at him the pecking fish can get the disease and die. neon tetra disease is rarely the owners fault, and theres no known cure for the disease

[MeganL3985]

Wouldn't this have already killed him? I've had him since June w/o any problems. The stripes aren't gone, they're just dull.

[markbob]

I'm sorry to hear that Meg, I'm at work right now but I'll look in my book for ya when I get home and see if I can find anything.

[MeganL3985]

He was hiding in the plants earlier today, but for about an hour now, he's been in the front with the other fish and ate also.

[Incredulous_Ed]

Could be neon tetras disease. If he continues to hide away or if the other fish start picking on him, you will need to remove him, otherwiose all your neons may die.

[shultz]

Megan,
sorry I can't offer advice for treatment... I had the same thing happen to one of my neon's about a month ago. The fish went from healthy looking color, swiming about with the others and eating well one day too PALE washed out looking colors, hovering over a plant the next. On day two I noticed it was not eating... day 3 there was no change and I ALMOST pulled him out of the tank for fear of the rest getting sick... I figured one more day won't hurt... well he died on day 4. I purchased all of the neons at the same time 6 months or so ago... the rest seem to be doing fine so I HOPE it was not NTD. At any rate I would follow the advice of the others and remove the sick neon.

John

[markbob]

I looked up the symptoms in the book (Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pondfish) and it sounds like NTD. I know that everyone else already diagnosed it but you gave me an opportunity to use my book and its nice to know how it compares to the opinion of others who have seen this kind of thing before. It says that there is no treatment and the fish should be removed immediately or risk spreading the protazoan to the others. Sorry I couldn't get to it sooner.

[mitcore]

i have had my glow lights lose their colour
but the lfs said it is normal to have them lose colour as they adjust to the tank water is this correct?
they have been like this for awhile now and are still alive,
i have had these glowlights for 1 year

[markbob]

All of them or only one of them? If its all of them, it could be due to chlorine concetration. Did you recently do a water change?

[lasm]

I was wondering...

Megan has had that fish since June.. I'm right Megan???

So, if it's neon tetra disease... how long would it take to the fish to die?

[MeganL3985]

Yes i've had it since June. Still swimming around normally today with the others....no change in its behavior...just faded color.