Diseases of fish can be caused by many factors, among which are: improper living conditions (when it comes to aquarium fish), infections transmitted from other fish, as well as those caused by single or multicellular parasites. Prevention of diseases of aquarium inhabitants is quite simple. However, she should be given due attention. For example, different types of fish need different temperatures in the aquarium or in certain lighting. Let's look at the conditions for keeping aquarium fish in more detail.
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Common causes of fish death include:
- Chlorine poisoning.
- Lack of oxygen.
- Incorrect temperature conditions.
Next, we will talk in detail about each problem.
About poisoning
In an aquarium, a fish's disease can be easily noticed, especially if it has changed color and has difficulty breathing. As a rule, when chlorine poisoning, the gills of the fish are covered with mucus, and they themselves try to jump out of the aquarium. Later they become lethargic and die quickly enough. This occurs within three to four days, no more.
In this case, the treatment of fish disease can be their relocation to another aquarium, with already clean water. The level of chlorine in it must be checked.
Lack of oxygen
In order to ensure a sufficient level of oxygen, aeration equipment is installed in the aquarium. Its serviceability must be checked at least once a month.
The symptom of this disease is that the fish rise to the surface and try to capture some of the air. Snails do the same thing, climbing up the walls of the aquarium.
With a lack of oxygen, fish lose their appetite. Their immunity drops, infertility develops, and ultimately they die from suffocation.
Incorrect temperature
Sudden changes in temperature can only be tolerated by species such as neon, guppies, goldfish and the like. For other species, it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime and regularly check the temperature on the thermometer in the aquarium and the health of the temperature controller.
Too cold water can lead to diseases, such as colds, and further death. This can be determined by the fact that the fish try to stay at the bottom of the aquarium and become inactive.
Excessively high temperature, in contrast, can be determined by too much activity of the fish. Just as with a lack of oxygen, it will tend to be on the surface. This leads to oxygen starvation and depletion of fish.
Obesity
We must not forget that fish need a balanced diet, which would contain a sufficient amount of protein, and their diet should be varied and include the maximum amount of vitamins.
Obesity may be due to overfeeding, too high a fat content (from three to five percent, depending on herbivorous or carnivorous). The sides of the fish are rounded, infertility develops, and later it becomes lethargic and dies.
As a treatment, it is recommended that you do not feed the sick individual at all for several days, and then give food with a high protein content.
Alkalosis or acidosis: treatment
Symptoms of the disease of aquarium fish are largely similar to each other. For example, with alkalosis, individuals become as active as at high temperatures. However, they also change color, they have mucus on the gills and fins are spread.
With acidosis, the fish become sedentary, and their activity decreases. They become too shy. Basically, due to a sharp change in the level of alkali in the water, fish of the neon and guppy species suffer. In this case, they begin to swim belly up or even sideways.
With this disease of the fish, they must be moved to an aquarium with clean water and gradually balance the level of alkali in the water. This can also be done without relocation. However, you need to lower or increase the level of alkali slowly enough so that they do not die due to a sharp change in alkali content.
Gas embolism
A large number of plants in the aquarium is undoubtedly good. However, their number must be controlled. If the concentration of plants is exceeded, too much oxygen will be released, which will affect the fish in a negative way. It is also necessary to check the regulation of oxygen in the aquarium to prevent gas embolism.
An increased amount of oxygen can be determined by the appearance of bubbles on the walls of the aquarium, on the plants themselves and even on the fish themselves. The latter case is the most dangerous.
Fish become restless and swim on their sides. If too many air bubbles accumulate in their vessels, this will lead to instant death due to gas embolism.
White-skinned
Infectious diseases are also included in a separate category, among which it is worth noting white-skinned. As the name suggests, a symptom of this aquarium fish disease is a change in color to a lighter or even white. Individuals suffering from this disease also rise to the surface and spend most of their time there.
The causative agent of this disease is the bacterium Pseudomonas dermoalba. It can get into the aquarium both with plants and be transmitted from other fish.
If this disease was detected in one or several fish, it is recommended to move it to a separate aquarium, and disinfect the entire container. Infected fish should be placed in a solution with Chloramphenicol.
Mycobacteriosis
This disease mainly affects swordsmen, labyrinths and gourami. Unfortunately, this disease is treatable only in the early stages. Later, the process becomes irreversible. With this disease, the smell of fish becomes unpleasant. This is the most characteristic sign.
Symptoms of the disease in aquarium fish manifest themselves in different ways. Some lose their orientation in space and simply become inactive, others become blind. Some species become stained, while others appear on the body ulcers and abscesses. Some fish even begin to show bones.
If the disease could be detected in the early stages, then copper sulfate or monocycline must be used.
Fin rot
Among the diseases of aquarium fish, this is considered the most common, in particular, it is attributed to diseases of cockerel fish. This ailment can occur due to the fact that in one aquarium individuals are kept that are not compatible in behavior. This leads to the fact that the fish bite each other, as a result of which this disease develops. Sometimes fin rot or aquarium plants can also cause fin rot.
If this disease is detected, it is recommended to resettle the infected fish in another aquarium. You should also thoroughly disinfect the aquarium and be sure to change the water. As in the case of white-skinned, infected fish must be placed in a solution of chloramphenicol.
The causative agent of this disease is the bacteria Pseudomonas. Fins of fish during the disease change color to a lighter, decrease in size and deform.
Hole disease, or hexamitosis
What it is? Hexamitosis affects the gall bladder and intestines of the fish and is treatable only in the early stages.
The cause of infection can be low-quality water or other fish, which is the carrier of infection. At the same time, the infected fish begins to lose its appetite, and also tries to stay away from everyone. Color changes and mucous secretions are also possible.
In order to cure fish, it is enough to increase the temperature of the aquarium by several degrees, but not higher than 35 degrees Celsius. If this is not enough, it is necessary to dilute metronidazole in a container with a proportion of 25:10.
Neon disease
Plistiforosis (or neon disease) is practically untreatable. It is believed that it is better to destroy all infected individuals, disinfect the aquarium and clean it thoroughly.
There is also pseudo-plistiforosis, which is treated with a solution of "Bactopur" (one tablet per 50 liters of water is enough).
What are the symptoms and treatment for an aquarium fish disease of this kind? In the mild stages, there is still a chance to recover. Symptoms may include the following: loss in space, upside down swimming, loss of appetite, change in color. The fish tries to stay on its own and avoids being in schools. This also includes her desire to be on the surface and spasmodic movements.
Peptic ulcer
For any fish disease, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, you may not have time to save the inhabitant of the aquarium. These diseases include peptic ulcer. What is the causative agent? This disease can be caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, which can be transmitted both from other fish and through feed (most likely poor quality).
In the initial stages, spots appear on the skin of the fish, which eventually begin to turn into ulcers. Also, when an infection enters the body, hepatitis, a decrease in appetite, bloating, and the scales suffer to a large extent - its surface is most affected.
Treatment is carried out using streptocide diluted in water, or potassium permanganate.
Corduroy disease, or oodinosis
This ailment is not too common, and therefore not all aquarists know the name of the fish disease, when nodules of various colors form on the edges of the fins. Mostly susceptible to her carp species.
The causes of this disease can be quite a lot. This is a poor cleaning of the aquarium, untreated fish before settling in the aquarium, or, which is most often the reason, low water temperature.
Corduroy disease has several stages. First, nodules of gray or golden color are formed on the edges of the fins. Then the scales begin to exfoliate, followed by fins sticking together. The fish loses its appetite, it has breathing problems. It is located almost all the time at the very bottom of the aquarium, begins to move in jerks.
Treatment can take place only with medications, and also only on the recommendation of a doctor. Infected fish, as always, must be resettled in another aquarium. The water temperature in this aquarium should be elevated, and in the original aquarium it should be replaced, all plants and decorations should be treated to prevent the spread of infection.
Dermatomycosis
The causative agent of this disease are mold fungi. They are branched threads. This fungus is introduced into the outer integument of fish and affects the gills, rarely penetrates deeper, affects the internal tissues (muscles) and internal organs.
The cause of this disease is, as a rule, improper maintenance in the aquarium. Mushrooms inhabit weakened fish, sometimes those that have already been affected by another disease. In this case, you must first treat a different infection, and then get rid of the parasite.
A striking symptom of the appearance of this disease is the appearance of thin white threads throughout the body, which are intertwined and form a plaque of light yellow color. The disease needs immediate treatment. Otherwise, internal organs will be affected, and the fish will soon die.
As a treatment, various medicinal solutions are used, the most popular of which are copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, sodium chloride, hydrochloride or formalin. Fish must be placed in this solution in a separate vessel and transferred back to the aquarium only after complete recovery.
The following diseases are referred to invasive fish diseases:
- Ichthyophthyroidism, or semolina.
- Trichodinosis.
- Glugeosis.
- Ichthyodobosis.
- Argulez.
Consider each view in more detail.
Manka
Manka fish disease is caused by an infusoria attack. Treatment is effective only in the early stages. Indeed, every day the fish will be covered with an increasing number of tubercles. It is from the type of these tubercles that the name of the disease went. Aquarium fish disease decoy is easily recognized. It seems that the individual is strewn with semolina.
In aquariums, such a disease (see fish photo with decoy above) needs immediate treatment. After all, the longer the ciliator is in the body of the fish, the more it depletes it. A prolonged finding of ciliates leads to the death of the latter.
Treatment does not require much effort. How to do it? It is necessary to increase the temperature in the aquarium by two to three degrees, as well as increase the intensity of aeration of water. Thus, the life of the ciliates becomes unbearable, and it soon dies.
Trichodinosis
Trichodinosis can be transmitted in various ways: to enter the aquarium through poor-quality feed or through untreated soil.
In case of infection, the fish most of the time is at the bottom, rubs its belly against stones and soil, loses its appetite. The scales are covered with a light coating, and breathing is quickened. The gills also lose their color and become covered with mucus.
In order to cure the fish, it is enough to transplant it into an aquarium with a high temperature of water (up to 31 degrees). Then you should add salt to the water.
Glugeosis
Glugeosis is considered the most dangerous and serious disease for aquarium fish. This disease is not amenable to treatment even in the early stages, as it affects the whole organism of the fish and thereby prevents it from being cured.
Most often, fish from the cyprinid family respond to the disease. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of white or bloody cones on the body, and the fish begin to swim on their sides. Glukeosis spreads rapidly throughout the body of the fish, there are more and more cones, and the fish die quickly.
Ichthyobodosis
The causative agent of this disease also enters the aquarium with soil, food or plants.
The skin of the infected fish is first covered with mucus, later the parts affected by the disease begin to rot, the gills change color, and the fins begin to stick together. The fish does not have enough oxygen, it often rises to the surface to swallow more air.
Infected fish are resettled in an aquarium, where the water temperature reaches 34 degrees, and a solution of methylene salt is added there.
Argulez
This disease is caused by a parasite called a carnivore (aka fish louse). It sticks to the fish, thereby causing infection of the wound and the inflammatory process. The wound later begins to redden, becomes covered with mucus, and this causes swelling. The fish begins to rub against stones or other objects in the aquarium, as well as swing.
The attached parasite can be seen with the naked eye, and therefore it is necessary to carefully catch the fish, place it in a wet swab, and then gently with tweezers to separate the parasite from the body of the fish. Later it is recommended to do lotions with potassium permanganate in the area affected by the parasite in order to accelerate the healing process.
Disease prevention
Diseases of fish and their treatment may differ, but the fate of the inhabitants of the aquarium is always in the hands of the owner. They require no less care than any other pet, and you should not forget about this.
The aquarium, like any devices for it, must be of high quality and have a guarantee. The performance of each device must be regularly checked to prevent fish disease due to its own negligence.
It is also impossible to save on fish feed - it must be fresh (otherwise it becomes a peddler of infections) and varied so that the diet contains many vitamins and proteins, including. Do not forget that the aquarium inhabitants need to be fed only according to a certain regime, otherwise overeating is inevitable.
The choice of the fish itself should also not be neglected. You need to carefully inspect it before buying and, of course, buy only in trusted places. Do not forget that infected fish can infect other aquarium inhabitants.
Snails are also not always useful for the aquarium and can be carriers of infections. Before they settle in the aquarium, it is recommended that you first quarantine them and process them.
It is recommended that you quarantine any new fish to prevent the spread of a possible infection (even if you are assured that the fish is absolutely healthy). This will not hurt them, and you will be sure that the other inhabitants of the aquarium will be safe.
New plants must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and only then placed in the aquarium. As for any decorations, it is recommended to sanitize them several times after purchase.
Aquarium cleanliness is an integral part of the health of your fish. Do not forget to regularly clean the tank, change the water and soil in it.
Water temperature and its alkaline balance should always be at a stable level. With a sharp jump in any of these indicators, the fish are at risk of getting sick, and it will be difficult to cure them. (, , ), .
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