# Neon Tetra - sick or carrying eggs?



## Pjpython (Aug 12, 2021)

Hi all,

pretty new to the aquarium scene - can you please tel me if this neon tetra is sick or is about to lay eggs? It swims around no problem at all - not as active as the others though. It’s been like this for a week or two.





















thanks,
PJ


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## ML5280 (Jul 15, 2018)

Interesting! She does look like she would be carrying eggs when compared to confirmed pregnant pictures. I would be cautious though because neons are typically pretty hard to breed because they require such specific conditions. If you're not trying to breed them then I would say it is unlikely, but possible that your tank may have been in the right conditions and/or if they were newly acquired may have already started the process (I once bought a guppy who popped out 3 babies without even looking pregnant). in either case, keep a close eye on her, time will tell. Some other advice is that if she continues like this (a week or more after this post), she is not pregnant. Females will carry eggs for 2 weeks. I would isolate her after this because something is very wrong.


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## dornblaser (Sep 8, 2020)

Google Neon Tetra Curved/Deformed Spine disease, the body is deformed, look at the blue stripe. I would remove that fish from your tank as soon as possible.


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## Freshfishguy (Apr 7, 2021)

Best practice in an ideal world would be to quarantine the fish until you know what is wrong with it. However, most often an issue like this is not due to Neon Tetra Disease but rather just a harmless genetic defect. If the fish continues to eat and act fine, then I wouldn’t worry about it. Look up Neon Tetra Disease and Columnaris just so you can watch for symptoms, but most likely the fish just has a genetic defect and will be fine since it looks healthy otherwise. Neon tetra disease manifests other symptoms too, not just a bent spine, which is why I’m fairly certain that is not the case.


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## Pjpython (Aug 12, 2021)

Thanks all appreciate the advice


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