Neon fish are very common in home aquariums. They are unpretentious, distinguished by interesting behavior and attractive appearance. Unfortunately, sometimes the owners are faced with the diseases of their pets. In order to take timely and correct measures, you need to know about the symptoms of possible diseases. Consider how to determine if a fish is sick? What measures should be taken?
Neon disease
Plistophorosis is one of the most common diseases characteristic of neons. Most often, blue neons are affected by it. From here she got her name. Also, the disease is dangerous for gracilis, tetra fireflies, zebrafish, angelfish, goldfish and others. It is believed that red neon is not susceptible to the disease.
The causative agent is a pleistophore, the spores of which fish can swallow from the bottom of the aquarium in case of death of infected fish. The parasite through the bloodstream enters the muscles of the back of neon, which leads to tissue destruction. As a result, vast white areas are formed on the back of the fish, which in the last stages are clearly visible to the human eye. Tissue dies. In the photo - neon fish infected with plethophorosis.
Symptoms of plistophorosis:
- poor appetite;
- dull color;
- a hollow belly;
- the neon strip becomes indistinguishable;
- the formation of white spots in the area of the spinal muscles.
In the early stages of the disease, medical treatment is possible. The following drugs are used for it: fumagellin, toltrazuril, albendazole. However, the most effective way to combat the disease is the destruction of all sick individuals and the disinfection of the aquarium.
False neon disease
There is a disease similar in symptoms to pleistophorosis. However, other pathogens cause it, and therefore the treatment is radically different. False neon disease occurs due to poor living conditions - a large accumulation of fish in cramped aquariums. As a result of nitrate and ammonia poisoning.
Blue, red, and blue neons, firefly tetra, and Bleher's hemi grammus are most susceptible to it.
The main symptom is the appearance on the body of fish of light gray spots. Unlike plistophorosis, spots most often have blurry borders, although sometimes they can be clearly outlined. To accurately determine the false neon disease, it is necessary to make a scraping from the body of a sick individual and examine it under a microscope. This is a bacterial infection. For the treatment of fish, they are kept in water with the addition of biseptol or kanamycin. The medicine must be added to the water every two days after changing the water by one third.
Poisoning
Poor feeds, chlorine, metals or other chemical products entering the water can lead to it. Symptoms of neon poisoning:
- hard breath;
- gills brighten;
- the body and gills are covered with mucus;
- there is increased activity: the fish rushes about and tries to jump out of the aquarium;
- in the last stages there is a significant decline in activity.
In case of poisoning most often all fish in the aquarium are affected at the same time. Moreover, it is possible to determine that it was poisoning that became the cause of the death, only on the basis of facts. For example, if the fish died after changing the water, which met all standards of hardness, acidity and temperature.
Tumors
There are benign and malignant tumors of fish. One of the most dangerous neon diseases is melanosarcoma. This is a disease that leads to a pigment cell tumor. The body of the fish turns black. Large tumors are often clearly visible to the human eye: the body of the fish changes shape, becomes disproportionate. Tumors of internal organs can only be determined during the dissection of fish.
Stress
Neons are rather shy fish, they are very susceptible to stress. They need to be kept in flocks, otherwise they feel uncomfortable. A sharp change in conditions of detention, a long move, the settlement of large active fish in the aquarium can cause stress. Because of this, appetite worsens in neons, fish constantly rush around, look for where to hide or do not go out of shelters. To correct the situation, the cause of the unrest should be discovered and eliminated. It is worth remembering that improper conditions of detention and constant stress lead to neon diseases.
Fungal diseases
Fungi most often affect the upper tissues of fish in the area of injuries and wounds. First, on the affected area, you can see white threads, which then turn into white foam. The most dangerous for neons are: branchiomycoses, internal mycoses, external mycoses.
As a result of infection, the fish becomes lethargic and inactive. The fins and skin are destroyed. She swims to the surface and gasps for air, refuses food. In a neglected case, the fish begins to swim on its side. Antibiotics are used to treat neon disease. Fish should be isolated from relatives for the period of treatment.
Saprolengism is one of the most common fungal diseases. The body of the neon is covered with plaque in the form of white spores, the appetite falls, the fins stick together. For treatment, fish must be quarantined. The temperature must be increased to 25-26 degrees. Neon needs to do daily baths: salt, malachite green or methylene blue are added to the water. With timely treatment, the disease recedes after a week.
Thus, we examined neon diseases and their treatment. It is worth remembering that the health of aquarium fish primarily depends on the conditions of their maintenance. It is important to carefully monitor the quality of the aquarium water and feed. Ill fish should be quarantined in time to avoid infection of all pets.