Fishkeeping is a relaxing hobby that can be enjoyed by both young and old. By maintaining suitable water parameters and good diet, we can keep the fishes healthy and active.
However sometimes the fishes will become ill and require additional care and attention. By learning how to identify the disease, the correct treatment can be administered to help the fishes recover. Below, we look into some of the more common aquarium fish diseases, their prevention, and most importantly, how to treat them in the unfortunate event they become sick.
Cloudy white film or grey ‘haze’ that forms over the fish’s eye(s) causing the affected eye to appear opaque or slightly opaque. Cloudy Eyes in severe cases will even show as fungal growth on the surface of the eyes. Treatment must be carried out as it may lead to secondary infection and cause blindness if not treated early.
Dropsy (also known as ‘Pinecone’, ‘Protruding Scales’ or ‘Edema’) is caused by bacterial infection of the kidneys and is quite common in Goldfish. When the fish suffers physical injuries, diseases, weakened immunity caused by poor water conditions, or mucosal damage, it is easily infected by pathogens (virus, bacteria or even fungi).
When the kidney function has been damaged, the fish is unable to regulate the body’s water balance, resulting in swelling of the fish particularly around the abdomen and causing the scales to protrude. This gives the fish a spiky, ‘pinecone-like’ appearance.
Treatment Method
It is common for fishes to injure themselves during handling, when they hit against rough surfaces in the aquarium or in fights with other fishes.
The main cause of this disease is by bacterial infection. Deterioration of water quality or feeding unclean food will cause fishes with weakened immunity to be affected.
Parasitic or physical wounds might also cause secondary infection leading to ulceration.
Fish Lice (Argulus spp) is a parasitic crustacean from the Branchiura subclass. Using large ventral suckers to feed, they usually attach themselves to the tail fin, dorsal fin, abdominal area by piercing through the skin and consuming the blood through the blood vessels.
They measure about 3-5 mm and are not easy to spot. Most hobbyists will often observe a behavioral change in their fishes which alerts them to the presence of the fish lice, e.g. the fish constantly rubbing against surfaces or ‘darting’.
The Fish Lice are often introduced into aquarium through new fishes or ‘live feed’.
When fishes are stressed by factors such as poor water quality, high stocking density, unsuitable tank mates or water with low oxygen levels, it will cause the fishes to be susceptible to the disease.
The Gill is quite often the route of infection as it is the first point of contact where fungal spores and parasite spores are taken in from the water into the fish, and soon leading to secondary infection in poor water conditions.
Gill Rot caused by the fungi Branchiomyces sanguinis and Branchiomyces demigrans is contagious. Both fungi grow in the gill area of the fish resulting in necrosis (death of gill tissue). Once the gills start to rot, the fish will suffer from respiratory problems that often lead to death.
Swim bladder is an important organ that helps the fish maintains its buoyancy. Fishes affected by Swim Bladder Disease exhibits certain symptoms which includes the fish floating nose down, tail up, upside down or floating/sinking.
Swim Bladder Disease is usually caused by two main factor:
1. Constipation causing the impingement of the swim bladder
2. Infection of the swim bladder organ, or both Infection and Constipation.
Increase oxygenation with an Air Pump during the course of medication. After dosing, observed your fishes for any signs of distress or heavy breathing for the next two hours. Immediate water change is required should the fishes appear to be in distress (1/2 tank water change, ensure that the fresh water supply has been properly treated and dechlorinated).
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis or more commonly known as Ich, is a ciliated protozoan that attaches itself to the fish’s body, skin or gill. Ich is vulnerable to medication only in the Tomont and Theront stages of its biological cycle.
The entire biological cycle takes approximately 7 days at 25°C (77°F) to 8 weeks at 6°C (43°F), thus increasing the water temperature to 30°C can accelerate their biological cycle, allowing treatments to target in the Tomont and Theront stage.
Velvet disease is a common disease that occurred in aquariums which have poor maintenance conditions. It is also known as gold dust or rust disease. It is caused by tiny parasite, Oodinium, which gives off the dusty appearance. This disease is very similar to ich.
Other factors include:
Fin rot is one of the most common fish disease, but it is also easy to prevent if you are well prepared. Fin rot is caused by bacterial infection. These bacteria eat away at the membranes of the fish’s fin, which caused them to rot and fray. The most common cause of fin rot is due to poor water quality.
Other factors include:
Gill flukes are small white worm-like parasites. They are 1-2mm long and hard to spot without a microscope. The flukes attach themselves to the body of the fish to feed on upper layers of the gill.
They are caused by several factors: