Today we want to talk about the cure for the "decoy" in fish. In fact, this disease is very common, almost every aquarist runs the risk of getting to know him and its unpleasant consequences sooner or later. In scientific terms, it is called ichthyophthyroidism. All fish without exception are susceptible to this disease. Therefore, whether you take ordinary guppies or expensive exotic beauties, as a result, you may need the qualified help of a competent specialist.
Causes of the disease
In fact, the fish has a cure for the "semolina", but before we analyze the main components of the preparations intended for aquarium fish, I want to tell you how the infection occurs. Absolutely no one is safe from this, ichthyophthyroidism can be brought in with soil and live food, fresh water, which we regularly add to the aquarium. Therefore, the cure for the "semolina" in fish should always be in your home medicine cabinet. Then you will not lose much time at the initial stage and you will be able to save your small underwater world.
A source of infection can be a fish bought at a pet store. There is no malicious intent, on the contrary, sellers are very good at keeping their living goods healthy. However, the stress experienced during transportation and placement in a new aquarium makes itself felt. Immunity weakens, and suddenly the fish begins to sprinkle with white spots. This once again confirms that the causative agent of the disease is already present in every aquarium, just not all conditions are suitable for its normal life. Therefore, any new fish must first be identified in the jigger for acclimatization and only then transplanted into a common house. As for snails, they can also be carriers, that is, the quarantine rules apply to them fully. Plants and soil should be thoroughly washed and sanitized. It is very good if you previously hold them in a solution of a disinfectant. Therefore, the cure for the "semolina" in fish should be used as a prophylactic.
Recognize the symptoms
Usually, the first symptoms of the disease are not too pronounced. The inhabitants of the aquarium continue to have fun swimming and eat actively, but several dots or specks appear on their bodies. It is immediately necessary to find out if this is really a "decoy" disease in fish. Treatment can be dramatically different when it comes to other bacterial or fungal infections. That is why you need to understand well what disease you are dealing with. It can be dermatomycosis, which is also characterized by white dots on the surface of the body. However, they gradually turn into a fluffy coating. Another formidable disease, lepidortosis, may also look similar in appearance. You can observe how pustules filled with liquid form on the skin. Lymphocytosis manifests itself as small white nodules or plates that gradually grow. Many other diseases also lead to the appearance of white spots on the skin, so you may need the help of an experienced aquarist to make the right conclusion.
Start treatment
The process should be done exactly when the first few tubercles, similar to “semolina”, or even a little smaller, appeared on the fish. Moreover, if on the body of the fish their number has reached ten or more, then it will be much more difficult to cure the pet, if at all possible. It should be borne in mind that resistance to different drugs, as well as the life cycle itself, can be different for different ichthyophthiriuses. Yes, this is really a huge family, and each of its representatives can cause a lot of trouble in your aquarium.
The ciliates characteristic of our latitudes are the most “peaceful”. They multiply quite slowly and die even from a simple increase in water temperature to 32 degrees. Easily destroyed by almost any drug. The second type is imported from South America. These are the same gentle representatives of protozoa that often come to us together with the beautiful cichlids. It is very easily eliminated with the help of specialized drugs, but it is no longer afraid of an increase in water temperature. The third type is imported with freshwater fish from Southeast Asia. Parasites of this species are much larger and more dangerous than all previous ones. Salting of water, "Furacilin", "Bitsillin-5" - all these are absolutely useless means in the fight against them. Finally, the fourth form is also of Asian origin, but is more common in fish that live in brackish waters. That is why we can sometimes find conflicting information. Some argue that the disease can be easily cured by raising the temperature of the water, while others recommend using exceptionally strong drugs.
Malachite green
So, let's look at the first remedy, with the help of which even today the fish "decoy" is very often treated. The treatment is safe enough, which is why it has earned the trust of aquarists for many years. This is an organic dye, it does not violate the biological filtration of water, it can be added immediately to a common house for fish. Dye practically does not harm plants. The optimal concentration is 0.09 mg / l. At the same time, keep in mind that for some fish this concentration is too high. These are sharks, catfish and labe, bots, for them the concentration should not be more than 0.04 mg / l. True, in this case, the effectiveness of treatment drops sharply. Judging by the observations of aquarists, even very sensitive fish normally tolerate a concentration of 0.06 mg / l. "Manka" - fish disease is quite easy in terms of diagnosis and treatment, it is visible to the naked eye, and every beginner can enter drugs into the water.
So, malachite green is added to water every day. This should be done until the signs of the disease disappear. After this, it is enough to extend the therapy for another two days. Before making malachite greens, it is necessary to replace 25% of the water, and if you add 5 drops of iodine per 100 liters to it, the effectiveness of the treatment will increase significantly. In this case, it is necessary to maintain the water temperature at least 26 degrees and turn off the filtering. After the course of treatment, you need to completely change the water, rinse the soil, although experienced aquarists advise just to put the fish into another container for the duration of the treatment, and in the main aquarium, raise the temperature to 32 degrees. So the ciliates will quickly emerge from the larvae and, not finding fish for themselves, will die. As you can see, “decoy” is a fish disease that can be cured quite easily, you just need to carefully examine the inhabitants of the aquarium every day.
"Antipar" - a cure for "semolina"
Today it is the most effective remedy against a wide variety of diseases that you can meet if an aquarium appears in your home. The drug has antiparasitic, antibacterial and antifungal effects. It is used to effectively cure fish from ichthyophthyroidism, secondary bacterial infections, as well as many other ailments. The main active ingredients are malachite green and formalin. That is why the liquid has a specific smell and a blue-green color.
Features of the drug
This remedy for "semolina" in fish is sold in the form of a liquid solution. Its action is based on the fact that fungi and bacteria, as well as helminths and protozoa parasitizing on fish, die, since the main active ingredients of the drug completely violate their metabolism. In this case, the drug accelerates the healing of lesions on the skin. This is a moderately hazardous substance that is toxic to fish. In this case, different types of treatment are used. For prevention, you can use a short, three-hour bath, while the ratio of water to drug is 1 ml per 10 liters. The same method is used for treatment, only now not once, but at least twice with an interval of one day.
The duration of therapy and reviews
Surely you are interested in how much fish decoy is treated. It depends on the species that has been infected, as well as on the stage at which the disease is currently located. Long-term baths may be required if the inhabitants of your aquarium are too sensitive to the drug and cannot withstand its high concentration. In this case, 1 ml per 50 liters of water is added. The duration of treatment can be from 3 to 8 days. This is the best cure for semolina today, and it is very affordable.
Sera costapur
German product used by a large number of professional aquarists. It is notable for its low flow rate; a 50 ml package is designed for 800 l of water. The cost is only 400 rubles. This medicine for "decoy" in fish is different in that it is well tolerated by any underwater inhabitants. It contains malachite green and a formaldehyde solution, as well as distilled water. The tool can be used to quarantine new fish. In this case, you need to add 3-4 drops per 25 liters of water and release the beginners for a few days. The drug is used for all freshwater fish, but algae and invertebrates most often do not tolerate it. At the first sign of illness, you need to add 1 ml of the drug for every 40 liters of water. On the third day, the procedure must be repeated. In the most severe cases, treatment can be repeated on the 5th and 7th day. During treatment, turn off water filtration and increase aeration.
Tetra ContraIck plus
This is another well-known among professional aquarists medicine for fish from "semolina". "Tetra" is a combined remedy that is intended to treat aquarium fish from various diseases, including ichthyophthyroidism. The drug not only kills all parasites, but also effectively cleans the aquarium, while not violating the natural balance. What is noteworthy, for the treatment does not take much time. In four days you will see a significant improvement, and then a full recovery. As this happens, the natural environment in the aquarium will be restored. During treatment, it is necessary to increase aeration and completely turn off filtration. Lighting can be any, it will not affect efficiency.
If you are a beginner aquarist, then the easiest way to start treatment is with this drug. It is not only highly effective, but also considered safe enough for the entire underwater world. With the right dosages, the drug will help preserve all the inhabitants, up to the weakest fry.
The drug "Delagil"
We continue to consider preparations from "semolina". And next in line, we will have Delagil. It is sold in a regular pharmacy and has a number of advantages over specialized medicines. First of all, it should be noted that it is very well tolerated by fish. Even the most sensitive chemotherapy neons carry it quite easily. The effectiveness of this drug is not affected by the hardness of the water, it is destroyed very slowly, and it can be applied in any light. In this case, the drug does not violate the bio-balance, and before re-applying it, it is not necessary to replace the water. Pills from "semolina" in fish most often do not cause side effects. There are also disadvantages, when treated with this drug in fins, fins can begin to break down, and appetite will decrease, up to refusal to feed. But as soon as the normal environment is restored, everything will return to square one.
If you started treatment with the appearance of the first points on the body of the fish, then a single injection of the drug and a change of water in two days will be enough. If the disease has progressed, then two injections of the drug over four days will be required. Dosage - 1 tablet per 40 liters of water.
The drug "Iodinol"
It is also purchased in a regular pharmacy. The preparation is auxiliary and may well act as a medicine for fish from “semolina” in its initial stages. It stimulates the immunity of underwater inhabitants and replenishes the iodine deficiency in water. In addition, it has a mild antiseptic effect. This drug has a positive effect on the entire water area, improves the condition of plants due to the potassium contained in it. Very useful during spawning, caviar will be less susceptible to fungal damage.
Preparations from our first-aid kit
Some aquarists don’t specifically buy the medicine for “decoy” to fish, but use what is already at hand. These are antibiotics and some other drugs. In the first place is the drug "Furazolidone." It is used in the proportion of 1 tablet per 10 liters of water. This is an antimicrobial drug that can help in the fight against infusoria. Treatment should be continued until the symptoms disappear completely.
Very often, a penicillin antibiotic called “Bicillin-5” is also used to solve this problem. This is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that frees fish from pathogens and provides recovery. True, in this case, the larvae that are at the bottom of the treatment at the time of treatment will remain alive, which means that soon you can expect a new outbreak of the disease. It should be borne in mind that any antibiotic greatly reduces immunity. That is, it is worth resorting to this tool only if there is no way to get a more effective drug.
Salt baths and rising water temperatures
The oldest methods of dealing with this ailment. In fact, there is no guarantee that they will help, but if you notice the first signs of a developing disease and don’t value your pets too much, or, on the contrary, your fish have too valuable fish, which are also very sensitive to chemotherapy, then You can try to save them in this way. First of all, the water temperature must be increased to 30 degrees. In this case, the fish can be quarantined with salt water, especially if you have representatives who do not like too high temperatures. Salt water implies a concentration of 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. At the same time, if the fish behaves uneasily, rushes about, a third of the water should be removed and replaced with clean water.
To summarize
There are a lot of drugs with which it is possible to treat "semolina". To choose the one that really suits you, you must consider the characteristics of your pets and the stage of development of the disease. The sooner treatment is started, the less effort, duration and intensity it requires. Therefore, do not waste time in vain. Experienced aquarists are not advised to resort to home remedies such as salt or conventional pharmaceutical preparations. They recommend buying professional drugs and using them in strict accordance with the instructions and recommendations of a specialist. It is in this case that you get an excellent result, that is, a complete cure of fish without tangible consequences for the aquarium. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to risk the life of mollusks, since they do not tolerate most preparations from “semolina”. However, leaving them untreated, you give the ciliates a chance to breed again in your tank, surviving an unfavorable period under the shell of snails. So quarantine invertebrates, make a minimum concentration of the solution and keep them there for at least a week. Only then run into the treated aquarium.