# Curved spine on tetra



## ls84 (Jan 5, 2010)

bump?


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

I don't consider myself an expert on this, but the clock is ticking on your return, so here goes.



ls84 said:


> I just so happened to look it up and find that it could be genetic, vit. deficiency, Neon Tetra Disease, or TB.


Also possible it was a past physical injury.

Although I hear NTD can cause bent spine, every outbreak I've personally seen involved faded/whitish spots on the body, and sometimes a lumpy appearance.



ls84 said:


> Of course now I am wondering if I should place them in the quarantine tank and hope they are all fine in a few weeks to add to my main tank, or if I should just return all of them tomorrow.


You should *always* put new fish in your quarantine tank. 



ls84 said:


> Should I even risk keeping them hoping they will turn out to be healthy or just return them? Thanks!


If the fish are showing any other symptoms of TB, I would definitely take them all back.

If you want to be careful, you can take the one fish with a bent spine back even in absence of other symptoms; though I've kept such fish in the past and they've lead long and healthy lives.


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## ls84 (Jan 5, 2010)

Well the one with the curved spine is not showing any other symptoms. At the moment the only thing worrying me is a little guy hiding from the rest who looks like he's being picked on. But other than the hiding he has normal coloration and ate when the food floated down to him. The rest all look normal and are eating. What would be some other symptoms of TB, and should two weeks be alright for the quarantine period in determining that its not TB or NTD?


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 16, 2008)

I had a Glowlight Tetra for years that had a kinked spine. I figured it was probably a birth defect or just an old injury, but it never stopped him from eating and chasing the other tetras around the tank. If he's eating normally and not showing any other symptoms, I wouldn't worry about it too much


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

ls84 said:


> Well the one with the curved spine is not showing any other symptoms. At the moment the only thing worrying me is a little guy hiding from the rest who looks like he's being picked on. But other than the hiding he has normal coloration and ate when the food floated down to him. The rest all look normal and are eating. What would be some other symptoms of TB, and should two weeks be alright for the quarantine period in determining that its not TB or NTD?


Two weeks is a good balance between caution and practicality. In the absence of any sign of disease, I quarantine all new fish a week.

TB symptoms, copied from here. The full article is worth a read:



> Curved or Crooked Spine Skeletal deformity.
> Lesions on the body.
> loss of scales.
> Loss of appetite.
> ...


The presence or absence of one or more symtoms does not conclusively prove or disprove TB.

Some memorable comments I found while studying it:

* Out of every ten amateur diagnoses of TB by symptoms alone, perhaps only one actually is.
* TB is present in many aquariums, but it takes unhealthy conditions/fish to thrive and develop into disease.

So keep your tanks and fish healthy. Be aware of the symptoms, but not paranoid.

Since it's transmissible to humans, try not to expose cuts to tank water. And by all means if you get a strange lesion that requires medical attention, inform your doctor as to the possibility of fish TB, since many don't suspect it.


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