Neon Tetra Disease (pleistophora hyphessobryconis)
Pleistophora hyphessobryconis is a
protozoan/parasite disease affecting many tropical fish and goldfish (those in
aquariums) Its common name is Neon Tetra Disease.
Pleistophora is spore
forming within the body walls and muscle tissues of the fish.
There
have been many new discoveries leading to (henneguya) from Brazil a gill
parasite (will be with us shortly) . Pleistophora can last for a long while as
a low level infection - this is how it spreads from fish to fish, but much
heavier infections cause the fish's colour to fade and show a whitish film over
the fish, very like costia or chilodinella, but a film appears under the skin
not on top.
The fish lose body weight as in hexamita or TB, which leads
to poor movement, lethagy - death soon follows.
I have only had some
limited success with treatment in which one drug stands out. Any fish found
affected should be isolated for several months as the infective spores will be
seeking new hosts. Do not add new fish to an infected batch of fish that have
shown symptoms for at least 12 months.
This disease also affects most of
the small tetras, cichlids and some barbs, rasboras and goldfish.
I have
not seen this disease in a pond upto now - it is often misidentified as costia
or columnaris.
Usiing a microscope you need high power and good lenses
to identify this disease - the spores are found after some searching in the
body muscle liver and
spleen.