Neon Tetra Disease Identification

[learnedhand]

First post here, so be gentle. 😉 I think I have neon tetra disease but am no expert by any means. I did a 7-day ich-x treatment because I noticed white spots on my tetras. The spots have not disappeared after treatment. I am assuming the spots are NTD. I do have some spine curvature, tetras are hanging out at bottom, and not showing interest in food. Am I right about my tetras having NTD? Do I need to euthanize my tetras? 
 

Pictures of tetras and 2 of whole tank included. 

I started with 11 tetras and lost one. I added kuhlis, a hillstream loach, and gourami a couple weeks after the tetra died.
 

I also have 8-9 kuhlis, a hillstream loach, and a 3-spot gourami. I’m worried they will get NTD. I read it spreads by eating carcass of dead fish. Does it spread through the water column as well?  I have noticed white spots on one of my kuhlis.

• pH - 7.7
• Nitrates - 5-10 ppm
• Hardness - 400-500 Tds 
• Nitrite - 0 
• Ammonia - 0 
• KH/Buffer - unknown 
• Water Temperature - 78 f

Please share your thoughts and advice. Thank you in advance. 

[Tony s]

Could be, could also be something like epistylis. @Colu hopefully has an answer. 

On 8/28/2024 at 12:36 PM, learnedhand said:

 I have noticed white spots on one of my kuhlis

If it's on your kuhli's. It may be too late to cull the neon's. Hopefully something else. Any other symptoms?

Edited August 29 by Tony s
accidental, inappropriate typo. Don't' ask me how

[Colu]

I don't think that's neon tetra disease it could be the start of epistylis   that feeds off of gram negative bacteria on the slime coat of your fish and spreads more quickly at higher temperatures what I would do is keep treating with ick X and do a course of maracyn2 in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days combination of maracyn2 a broad spectrum antibiotic and ick X is effective at treating epistylis @learnedhand

[learnedhand]

@Tony sand @Colu thank you both for the prompt responses. I am grateful that it might not be neon tetra disease. I really like the neons and I was dissuaded from getting any others after this experience. I am hopeful I can treat them with the medicated food. 

Tony, other than hiding under rocks, branches, and plants, I haven’t noticed any different behavior from the neons. They were friendlier before I did the itch treatment so that may have spooked them? They used to shoal across one end of the tank to the other but I haven’t noticed that since I started itch x. 

I will treat as Colu advises. I ordered the meds and will give you two an update a week or so after treatment.

Thanks again. I really appreciate the help and guidance. I am new to the hobby and am grateful for both of your experience and wisdom.