Fish are susceptible to
fish diseases just as any
other organism. There are hundreds of afflictions that can
effect the health of fish. Fish disease has remained a
rudimentary branch of veterinary medicine. The reasons are
their miniature nature makes tests more difficult and cheap
price of most fish exceeds expensive tests and medication
cost. Fish diseases can be referred to as etiology
organ/system most severely affected. Communicable disease
can easily affect most fishes in the aquarium due to limited
volume of water and increased number of fish compared to
natural environments. Many diseases in captive fish are
avoidable and preventible. Water conditions are important
factors. In spite of all precautions, disease episodes may
still occur in the aquarium especially when fish face
environmental stresses.
*Who hears the fish when they cry?*
- Henry David Thoreau 1849
Prevention
Disease cures are almost always more expensive and less
effective than simple prevention measures, including moving
between fisheries to avoid spreading disease.
Identified precautions:
- Avoid introducing infected stock into the water.
- Avoid stressing the fish
- Keep fish in ideal water conditions
- Don't overcrowd the aquarium
- Don't overfeed the fish
- Fish bowls? No please.
- Don't introduce external disease sources
- Qurantine newly bought fish
- Don't buy from shops with diseased fish
- Think about introducing other plants and
invertebrates
- Monitor the fish
- Keep a close look at the fishes at least a
couple of minutes a day, such as during fish
feeding.
- As a rule of thumb, if the fish appears
distressed, remove it immediately and monitor it for
a couple of days.
- Remove infected fish from your populated tank
- Avoid using unknown chemicals in your tank
- Never use soap or detergent when cleaning out
anything that is to be in the aquarium
Fish disease etiology
Myxobolus cerebralis triactinomyxon
- Bacterial infections
-
External bacterial infection
- Pseudomonas fluorescens
Cotton Mouth, Mouth Fungus, Chondrococcus
columnaris
Scale Protrusion
Myxobacteriosis
Tail Rot & Fin Rot
- Internal bacterial infection
- Frunculosis (Aeromonas
salmonicida)
- Fish Dropsy
Red pest
-
Septicemia
-
Mycobacteria
-
Fish Tuberculosis, (Curved Spine), Crooked
Spine, Mycobacterium piscium
- Fungal infections
- Saprolegnia
Ichthyosporidium
Fungal cataract
- Mould infections
- Parasitic Disorders
-
Gyrodactylus salaris
- Protozoa
- Malawi Bloat
Costia
Ichthyophthirius
Cryptocaryon
Oodinium
Trypanosoma
Velvet disease
Brooklynella hostilis
Hexamita
Glugea
Henneguya
Chilodonella
- Myxosporea
- Ceratomyxa shasta
Kudoa thrysites
Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae
Ceratomyxa shasta
- Microspora
-
Neon Tetra Disease Pleistophora
hyphessobryconis
- Helmintic
- Leeches
Nematoda
Trematoda
-
Platyhelminthes, Flat worms
-
Cercaria and Metacercaria
-
Black Spot, Diplostomiasis
- Crustaceans
-
Argulus (Fish louse)
- Copepods
- Viral Disorders
- Koi Herpes virus (KHV)
Infectious salmon anemia
Lymphocystis
- Metabolic Disorders
- Water conditions
- Physical conditions
- Too many fish
- The tank is too small
- New tank syndrome (NTS)
- O2
-
PH
- Acid Water
- Alkaline Water
- pH fluctuations greater than 0.2 units/day
- Adding concentrated acid/alkaline (Chemical
burns)
-
Water Hardness
- Temporary Hardness
- Water temperature
- Water Too hot
- Water Too Cold
- Poisoning
- Ammonia Poisoning
Nitrite poisoning
Copper Poisoning
Clorine Poisoning
Chloramine Poisoning
- Malnutrition
- Undefined
- Underfeeding
- Overfeeding
- Wrong food
- Foods not varied
-
Vitamin deficiency
- Fat Soluble Vitamins
- Water Soluble Vitamins
-
Thiamine (B1)
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Nicotinic Acid (niacin, B3)
- Pantothenic Acid (B5)
- Pyroxidine (B6)
- Cyanocobalamin (B12)
- Ascorbic Acid (C)
- Biotin (H)
- Choline
- Folic Acid (M)
- Inositol
- p-Aminobenzoic Acid
- Vitamin E
- Mineral deficiency
-
Constipation
- Injuries
- Incompatible species
- Improper handling
- Sharp decors
- Tumors
-
Congenital Abnormalities
Fish disease by affected organ
system
- Neurological Disorders
- Body Cavity
- Eye Disorders
- Cloudy cornea
- Blindness
-
Cataract
- Black Spot
- Pop Eye , exophtalmia
- Fecal Disorders
-
Fin Disorders
- Gallbladder
-
Gill Disorders
-
Gill flukes (Dactylogyrus )
- Intestinal Disorders
- Kidney Disorders
- Liver Disorders
- Locomotor Disorders
- Mouth disorders
- Skin Disorders & Changes In Color
- Anchor Worm
Black spots (diplopstomiasis)
Chilodonella
Costia
Dermocystidium
Fish Lice (Argulus)
Fungus
Ich (white spot disease)
Scale Loss (stress)
Skin flukes (Gyrodactylus)
Slime Disease
-
Ulcers
-
Ulcerative dermal necrosis
-
Velvet
-
Swim Bladder Disease
- Congenitally deformed
- Tumor adjacent to the swim bladder
- Constipation
- Malnutrition
- Chilling
- temperature fluctuations
- Serious parasitic infestation
- Serious bacterial infection
Fish Disease treatment
Basics
If the disease cause is not obvious, check water
conditions, including temperature, pH, GH, KH, NH3, NH4,
PO4, NO2. Observe the fish for symptoms. Check any recent
changes.
Hospital Tank
Diseased fish should be isolated whenever possible so
they are not likely to spread infections among other healthy
fish in the tank. The best way to isolate sick fish is to
set up a hospital tank. If possible move all sick fish to a
hospital tank, without sand, live plants and decorations. If
the treatment is an antibiotic antiseptic or copper based,
remember to remove all carbon from the filtration system.
Make sure the biological filtration in your aquarium which
cycle harmfull ammonia and nitrites is not destroyed by
drugs. The tank should be furnished with a reliable heater
that will not permit much temperature variance. The tank
should be furnished with an air stone. After treating the
sick fish, disinfect the tank.
Baths
An alternative means of treating a fish is to give it a
short bath in a bucket containing water and a medication or
salt.
Salt bath
A salt bath is a good way of treating the fish without
damaging the beneficial bacteria. It is a good antiseptic
and fungicide. Most table salts may contain additives like
magnesium sulfate to keep them from clumping and appear
whiter, which might not be beneficial to fish. Aquarium salt
is recommended, although Kosher salt or rock salt is satisfactory.
Heat Therapy
Heat therapy of raising the water temperature, can be
administered to kill certain parasites. The temperature
should be raised gradually. Sometimes diseased fish cannot
handle such a temperature change, or the species can not
tolerate high temperatures. Discontinue treatment if any
side effects occur. Aeration is necessary since less oxygen
is dissolved in warm water.
Medications
Commercial fish medications are not regulated by any
government agency. This means that some commercial
medications have not been tested for safety or
effectiveness. Thus some medications may be completely
useless and may be even harmful to aquarium inhabitants.
Treatment Options
- Conservative treatment
- Temperature modifications
- Changing water conditions
- Pharmaceuticals
- Drug baths
- Topical drugs
- Feeding drugs
- Injecting drugs
- Surgery
- Killing the fish
Example drugs used in Fish
treatment
-
Antibiotics
- Tetracycline
Chloromycetin
Amoxicillin
-
Antihelmintic
- Parachlorometaxylenol
Dimilin
-
Antifungals
-
Antiseptics
- Malachite green
Formalin
Potassium permanganate
Methylene blue
Mercurochrome
Acriflavine, (trypaflavine)
Mardel's Maroxy
Quaternary ammonium compounds: (QACs)
Monacrin (monoaminoacridine)
- Chloramine-T
Copper
Organophosphates
Salt
- Anti
constipation
- Parrafin oil
Glycerol
Castor oil
- Other
- Trichlorofon
Maracyn
Paragon
Metronidazole
Trifon
Oxygenex
Complications
Nitrogen cycle
- Damaging Nitrogen cycle
Damaging aquarium plants
Damaging freshwater invertebrates in aquarium
Overdose
References
-
ISBN 1564651606 Manual Of Fish Health
-
ISBN 1582450498 AZ of Tropical Fish Diseases &
Health Problems, Peter Burgess
-
ISBN 0866227032 Handbook of Fish Diseases, Dieter
Untergasser
-
ISBN 0764113380 A Commonsense Guide to Fish Health -
Fairfield
External links
-
Info Health
-
Help with Stress & Disease
-
Journal of Fish Diseases
-
The European Union puts in place a framework of measures
to combat certain fish diseases effectively and to
prevent their spread.