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I am considering getting 6-8 of either Neons, Cardinals or Black Neons. I have seen references to Neon Tetra Disease. How prevelant is this disease? Is it preventable? Are Cardinals and Black Neons susceptable to this disease? My preference are Cardinals but I've never seen them here in central Maine, USA -

From what I've seen and read about NTD, it isn't very prevalent at all. It usually only occurs in highly inbred tetras, though it can rapidly spread to any and all tankmates. I wouldn't be too worried about it, unless you see signs that the fish you plan to get may have the disease. Sadly though, it is not preventable, and is apparently untreatable.

Neon and cardinal tetras are the fish most likely to have NTD, though other tetras can have it as well. As I said above, there isn't a super-huge chance that you will encounter sickened specimens, so you shouldn't be overly concerned.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

This is interesting information. I have been wanting Cardinals for my aquarium but Neons are quite prevalent and Cardinals are MIA. I was afraid of Neon Tetra disease so much that I hadn't given them serious consieration. Perhaps I will get Neons after all. What does Neon Tetra Disease look like?

Also, is it contagious to other fish in the tank?

Yeah, it is contagious to other fish in the tank -- and not just other tetras, either. I'm hearing conflicting reports about the range of fish that can get it -- there is frustratingly little about it on the Web -- but from my personal experience I can confirm that cyprinids (barbs and rasboras) can get it. Again judging from my own nightmarish run-ins with it, however, tetras seem to vary in their susceptibility to it -- Glowlights and Cochu's Blues seem especially susceptible, Red Phantoms seem almost wholly resistant, and Cardinals (surprisingly) can get it but seem to be a lot more resistant than Neons.

The main reason Cardinals are better, however, is that -- being wild-caught, rather than raised in collective pools on fish farms -- they are tremendously less likely thatn Neons to be carrying it when they arrive in the stores. Other people on this list have had less trouble than I have -- but judging from my own experiences over the last few years, and those of other people I've talked to, I would honestly recommend that you avoid Neons like, well, the plague. If this devilish disease gets into your tank it is almost impossible to get out -- it's incurable once the fish shows symptoms, and I can't even say firmly that any drug has yet been developed than can even kill off the free-swimming organism to prevent it from spreading to your other fish (although they more frequently pick it up by eating diseased corpses). Unlike its cousin Whirling Disease, you can't even kill off the organism by raising your water temperature -- and it also forms almost indestructible spores. The only way to be sure that you've eliminated it from a tank is to sterilize it.

As for the symptoms: whitish areas develop on the fish's skin where it's losing its color, but without any obvious change in the skin's texture. The fish frequently develops a deformed spine, and it always starts swimming around the tank in a staggering and frequently corkscrewing way. There is, I gather, at least one bacterial disease that mimics some of its symptoms -- but the defomred spine and staggering are giveaways. My own philosophy, once I see any fish with those symptoms, is to instantly remove and euthanize it.

If it DOES get into your tank and you don't want to euthanize all your fish and sterilize the tank, you might try one or two drugs that may -- repeat, may -- have some ability to kill the free-swimming organism and thus at least prevent it from spreading further (although the dormant spores will remain). One possibility is nitrofurazolidine; another is quinine -- both kill some protozoans, of which NTD is a close relative.

Also, I've just been told by a very skilled aquarium store assistant that they've found that a 50-50 mixture of neomycin and nalidixic acid can efficiently kill the free-swimming organism and prevent it from spreading, although it cannot save a fish that shows symptoms. I have yet to get the chance to try this, though -- and be very, very careful when dealing with nalidixic acid. It has sometimes been recommended in the past as a drug for this disease, but it's also the only fish medicine I've ever encountered that can be seriously poisonous to your fish -- I used the recommended dose once during a duel with NTD and ended up poisoning 2/3 of the fish in the 50-gallon tank. The clerk says that it's for this reason that he uses a mixture of half the recommended dose of nalidixic acid with half the recommended dose of neomycin.

I don't mean to sound apocalyptic, but I honestly think it's worth your while to hold out until Cardinals are available. This is, by far, the most Satanic fish disease I've ever encountered, and it's rapidly getting commoner.

To answer your other question: Cardinals, as I say, are susceptible to it but seem somewhat more resistant than Neons. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the susceptibility of Black Neons to NTD.

ive had 20+ neons come and go into my tank...i currently still house 13 neons. this is a 75g tank with LOTS of other fish.i have never gotten or seen NTD in my tank or the LFS tank. NTD is like anything else, its brought on by stress and bad stock. if you know your fish shop is good and you trust them i see no issues with getting neons. this disease isnt like the common cold it doesnt happen very often. Discus have a disease similiar to this and people keep them all the time.

if you truely enjoy neons i say get them. dont be afraid and go with out something just because NTD "Might" happen to you.