The main diseases of neon tetras include ichthyophthiriasis and neon tetra disease.
Ichthyophthiriasis, also known as white spot disease, is a parasitic disease caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. The pathogen of this disease belongs to the family Ophryoglenidae, genus Ichthyophthirius, and species Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. The larvae of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis invade the skin and gills of fish, especially on the skin more commonly. In the early stage of the disease, white spots will appear on the pectoral, dorsal, caudal fins and the skin of the body surface. As the disease worsens, white spots will spread all over the body. The fish loses its activity ability and often appears sluggish, floating on the water surface, moving slowly, losing appetite, becoming emaciated, and the skin is accompanied by bleeding spots. The course of the disease is generally 5 to 10 days, and the contagion speed is extremely fast. Treating ichthyophthiriasis usually involves raising the water temperature to above 28 degrees Celsius and combining it with drug treatment, such as using a mixture of malachite green and formaldehyde solution, or soaking in salt water.
Neon tetra disease, also known as Pleistophora disease, is a parasitic disease caused by sporozoans. The typical symptoms of this disease include irregular swimming and emaciation of the fish, as well as the appearance of pale areas under the dorsal fin and their spread. In the early stage of infection, the fish will show irregular swimming, and then become emaciated. Pale areas will appear under the dorsal fin and gradually spread. The signs of neon tetra disease infection include emaciation of the fish, pale muscles under the dorsal fin, and the caudal fin, pelvic fin or dorsal fin turning white and gradually rotting away. Currently, there is no definite method to cure this disease, but the condition can be controlled by keeping the aquarium clean, using a mixture of new antiparasitic agents and organic silver compound treatment agents, and disassembling the accessories of the aquarium and thoroughly disinfecting the aquarium.