| Hello everybody Yes, it's time to get medicinal! Normally, when we get a little ‘off color’, we usually do one of three things, (1) whiz immediately to the bathroom cabinet (where our supply of “in house” remedies is usually kept), (2) ‘ride it out’, or, if those fail, (3) we ultimately go and visit our local GP, who, (unless you are covered by Medical Insurance of some sort), charges us “a small fortune”, to tell us what we aready knew in the first place...”Your not well!!......you have a ‘Virus........’etc.” Sorry about that! ....I just could’nt help myself. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for our fish. They, unlike us, can not communicate their pending maladies to anyone, except us, which, by that time can be and usually, is a lost cause. At this stage, trying to remove your pet from the tank is only going to stress all other occupants (assuming he/she is in a community tank) and not only that, the proceedure of getting it into your net and then into a bag containing tank water, for the purpose of taking it to your local Vet., only compounds the problem of your ill fish. The Internet is full of advice on this subject, some of which, I have gathered and compiled, to post this. After all, you only need to type a ‘string', such as the following eg, ‘white dots on my fish’ into Google and you will get about 2.300.000 responses! Sifting through all of that can be a daunting task, however, there are certain signs your fish may give, that will give you an oppertunity to “cure and sometimes, prevent”, as so to speak. Some of the most FAQ’s are, “Why are the majority of my fish, attacking/bullying only one in particular? or, “....my fish swims erratically and in small circles and is unable to maintain an even balance, or to raise itself, when it sinks to the bottom”, or, “....when my fish does eventually eat, it spits out the food after a few moments”, or perhaps, “....is only one of my fish ill, or are all of the fish in the Aquarium sick?” These are just a few of the questions that you will have to answer in order to treat your fish and if symptoms similar to these appear under observation, we know, we have trouble! Having said that, we all know that there are many maladies that can affect your fish (let’s hope and pray, here and now, you don’t and won’t have any!!) and attempting to discuss ALL of them in this thread, is virtually impossible. There are however, several other common denominators by which it is possible to recognise whether or not your fish is in good health and hopefully, through the course of this post, you will have learned enough to start diagnosing the diseases that could affect your fish. Important; I can not stress this one point enough however, ALWAYS READ THE LABEL ( CAREFULLY AND AS MANY TIMES AS NECESSARY!! ) ON ANY CONTAINER, THAT YOU ARE GOING TO USE, THAT CONTAINS ANY TYPE OF MEDICATION!! If you have any CARBON FILTRATION in your filter, remember to remove it before using medication because the Carbon will absorb the medication, rendering it useless. Also, a lot of these bacterial diseases can by cured by ‘broad spectrum' anti-biotics available at your LFS. A treatment with antibiotics, however, poses several problems, for example, the water quality. By using them, the beneficial Nitrifying bacteria in your biofilter, are also destroyed, which means that daily water changes need to be done, in order to prevent Ammonia poisoning! (It is a viciuos circle, is it not?) Also, keep on hand a few medicines and sterile sundries (such as nets etc), with which to treat any emergency maladies, etc. Remember that many medicines have a rather short shelf life, so that sort of rules out keeping antibiotics around for a long period of time. It is also a good idea to purchase your medicines at a shop that has a relatively high turnover, as that ensures you will be getting goods that are virtually ‘hot of the press’ as so to speak. Substances such as Malachite Green and Clout should be kept as well, as they are recommended a few times in the descriptions below. All the medicines that you use for your fish, should be stored in a place that is moisture free and at a constant temperature and ALSO OUT OF REACH OF ‘YOUNG FINGERS AND HANDS’, AS MOST OF THEM COME IN ATTRACTIVE, COLORFUL CONTAINERS!!...... Pathogen:- Neon Tetra Disease, (Pleistophora hyphessobryconis)  Symptoms:- Neon Tetra disease is more common than many Aquarium enthusiasts realize, and affects species beyond Neon Tetras. Named after the fish that it was first identified in, the disease strikes members of the Tetra family most often. However, other popular families of Aquarium fish are not immune. Cichlids, such as Angelfish, and Cyprinids, such as Rasboras and Barbs, also fall victim to the disease. Even the common Goldfish can become infected. Interestingly enough, Cardinal Tetras are resistant to the ravages of Neon Tetra disease. The pathogen is known for its rapid and high mortality rate among Neons. To date there is no known cure, the only 'treatment' being the immediate removal of diseased fish to preserve the remaining fish, ie euthanasia. Fish show signs of restlessness, they begin to lose coloration and as cysts develop, their bodies may become lumpy. They will also have difficulty swimming and in advanced cases, the spine may become curved. During the initial stages, the only symptom may be restlessness, particularly at night. Often the first thing an owner will notice is that the affected fish no longer school with the others. Eventually swimming becomes more erratic, and it becomes quite obvious that the fish is not well. Rotting of the fins, especially the caudal fin, is not uncommon. However, this is due to secondary infection rather than a direct result of the disease itself. Bloating is another secondary infection. Treatment:- Remove the infected fish immeditely. They will need to be euthanised. Pathogen:- Columnaris - A bacterial infection caused by (Chondrococcus columnaris)  Symptoms:- Fish with Columnaris usually have brown-to-yellowish-brown lesions or sores on their gills, mouth, skin, and/or fins. Shallow skin lesions usually appear as patches that have lost their shine. Check for mouth and anal vent for sores. Treatment:- Partial water changes, give your substrate a good vacuum, add some Aquarium salt and you can also treat this with Copper sulfate or antibiotics. External infections should be treated with antibiotics or chemicals in the water. Copper sulfate, Acriflavine, Furan, and Terramycin may all be used externally to treat Columnaris. Terramycin has proven to be quite effective, both as a bath, and when used to treat foods for internal infections. Salt may be added to the water to enhance gill function. Livebearers in particular will benefit from the addition of salt, however, use caution when treating Catfish, as many are sensitive to it. Remember to remove any carbon filtration before using medication because the carbon will absorb the medication, rendering it useless. Pathogen:-Costia - Costia is a parasite.  Symptoms:- Costia infestations cause a typical irritation response from the fish. Heavy and laboured 'breathing', flashing and rubbing, skin cloudiness caused by excess mucus, focal redness, lethargy. At a later advanced stage (which may be too late for treatment) fish often isolate themselves, sometimes near the water surface or water return. They can also exhibit extreme lethargy with long spells laying on the bottom with clamped fins. It should also be point out that these clinical signs are not exclusive to parasite infestations and can be caused by several other factors including adverse water quality. It nearly always causes little red hemorrhages, especially under the chin, but also along the back. If the red dots are under the scales, it is probably a bacterial infection. Treatment:-Treating mild to moderate outbreaks is fairly easy, usually requiring just one treatment. Most proprietary parasite treatments will work, such as Malachite and Formalin, provided that fish are not suffering from gill damage. Pathogen:- Dropsy  Symptoms:- This disease is characterised by a swollen or hollow abdomen. Swollen areas may exhibit a 'pine-cone' appearance caused by the fishes scales protruding at a 90° angle to the body, reddening of the vent area; and long, stringy faeces. Fish may also appear off-colour and listless, and may stop feeding. The swelling caused by this disease may often be mistaken for a pregnant or egg-carrying fish. Gourami and Cyprinids (Barbs, Danios, etc) are very often prone to this disease. Treatment:- This pathogen must be caught early to maximise the chance of saving an affected fish, and even then, the disease is difficult to cure. There are commercially available remedies which may help which include Interpet #9 Anti Internal Bacteria and Octozin. This is not really a disease, but a symptom of a bacterial infection. There are medications available, as mentioned previously, but try to increase the quality of the water by performing a 25% water change. Do this once every 3 days. If your fish's condition doesn't improve, try the medication. Your LFS should have stock for this problem. Remember to remove any carbon filtration before using medication because the carbon will absorb the medication, rendering it useless. Pathogen:- Hole in the Head disease or (Hexamita)  -
Common in all fish, but these protozoans are particularly deadly to Cichlids.Symptoms:- Hexamita also infects the digestive tract and is associated with the head and lateral line erosion. This pathogen is linked with a protozoan parasite, Hexamita (sometimes known as Octomitus). This may often be present at low levels in fish, but the acute infection does not occur unless factors like poor water quality or poor diet have an influence. Therefore, Hexamita alone may not be the primary cause, so good water quality and a varied diet should prevent this disease occuring. Fish will exhibit a marked decrease in vitality, darkened colors, lack of appetite, and slimy whitish-to-clear faeces. Treatment:- The fish can be treated by isolating to a *separate tank and adding either Dimetridazole or Metronidazole. The treatment will probably need to be repeated a few days apart, with a 20-30% water change between each treatment. Medicated food is useful for treatment, but this can be problematic, if the fish is not feeding. Octozin may also be used for HITH disease. Pathogen:- White Spot or (Ich.) - is primarily a cutaneous infection of freshwater fish caused by the protozoan parasite (Ichthyophthirius multifilis)  Symptoms:- Ich. most often causes the appearance of small white spots over the body and fins of fish. (Note that Ich. can be present with many different appearances, and that other things besides Ich. can cause small white spots on the body). The infected fish begin scratching against rocks and gravel (Flashing) and in the advanced stages they become lethargic, coupled with a redness or bloody streaks. Infected fish are covered to various degrees with small white spots. It looks like your tropical fish has salt all over it. Severe infestations are easy to spot, but small occurrences often go unnoticed. However, Ich. won't remain unnoticed for long. Like Arnie said in the movie The Terminator “I’ll be back!!”, it will be back, with a vengeance. Treatment:- This is a fairly common fish disease and your LFS should have medication you can use. Ich. usually arises due to poor water quality. Many believe that you can increase the temperature of your water to 28°C (82°F) to speed up the cycle time of this parasite (a very appropriate word for it!). You should also medicate for a period of 10-14 days and do appropriate water changes between treatments. Malachite green, Methylene blue, Quinine hydrochloride, and Mepracrine hydrochloride are all effective against this curse, and are available from (or should be!) your LFS, under several brand names. Remember to remove any carbon filtration before using medication because the carbon will absorb the medication rendering it useless. Pathogen:- Gill Flukes or (Dactylogyrus spp.)  Symptoms:- Fish will consistently ‘flash’ and rub as the infestation becomes more advanced and will become lethargic, breathing hard, sometimes with one opercle (Gill cover) closed, or gasping near the surface. They may become dark and listless, and are easy prey to bullies. When you examine the gills, they are covered in an opaque mucus, and often the ragged gill filaments protrude from under the gill covers. There may be evidence of secondary bacterial or fungal infections. Perhaps you have already lost a few fish suddenly after a short period of rapid breathing. These are all symptoms of Gill flukes. Treatment:- Formalin/Malachite green combinations can be used according to manufacturers' directions and this is probably the most effective. Due to synergistic effects, Formalin and Malachite green together are more powerful than either is alone. Up to three treatments at weekly intervals may be required to eradicate persistent fluke problems. Pathogen:- Finrot  Symptoms:-The fins become opaque and ragged, and may be blood-streaked. The edge of the lesion is usually opaque or whitish and in advanced cases, there may be some reddening or inflammation. The main threat from this fish disease is, if left untreated, can slowly eat away the entire fin along with the fin rays, until it reaches the base of the fin and start to invade the fish’s body, leading to Peduncle disease if the caudal (tail) fin is involved, or saddleback ulcer, if the dorsal (top) fin is affected, at which point the infected fish usually dies. It is therefore important to catch this disease early. Fin rot is a bacterial disease involving opportunistic bacteria such as Aeromonas, Pseudomonas or Flexibacter that abound in all aquatic environments, but do not infect healthy fish. Secondary fungal infections are not uncommon. The disease is usually triggered by poor water quality or where fin damage has occured, often caused by fin-nipping fish. Treatment:- With very few exceptions, virtually all cases are precipitated by stress, fear or poor environmental conditions. Indeed, Fin rot is often one of the first signs that a fish disease problem exists and all cases should be investigated to determine the underlying cause. At the risk of repeating myself, stress is the major cause of Fin rot. This could be due to a fish disease such as parasites, or overcrowding, low oxygen levels, bullying, poor water quality etc. The 'most important first step' is to resolve any ‘stressors’. If caught early, this may be sufficient. Commercial anti-bacterial remedies are available to destroy the bacteria and halt the damage. The commercial products available include Myxazin, Interpet #8 Anti Fungus and Finrot and Maracyn. Pathogen:- Velvet disease - (Oödinium pilularis). Oödinium is a parasitic disease.  Symptoms:- Velvet is one of the more common diseases in Aquarium fish, and can strike down every inhabitant in the tank, before the hapless owner realizes what he or she is dealing with. Also known as Rust or Gold Dust disease, it is caused by one of several species of a tiny parasite known as Oödinium. Infestation causes a velvety texture all over the fish, or just in small patches. Oödinium produces white pustules on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich. In fact they are so fine they are often not seen before the fish perishes. Like Ich, Oödinium is present in most commercial tanks, but only becomes a problem when the fish are stressed by poor quality water, changes in the water temperature, or being transported. Tropical fish with Velvet will rub against hard objects trying to dislodge the parasites. As the disease progresses the fish becomes lethargic, fins are held close to the body, appetite is reduced and the fish loses weight. A key symptom is difficult breathing, resulting in rapid gilling. But perhaps the most telltale symptom is the appearance of a velvety film on the skin that resembles gold or rust colored dust. The film may be difficult to see, but can be more easily detected by directing a beam of a flashlight on the fish in a darkened room. The parasite is most often seen on the fins and gills. Treatment:- There are a lot of products out there to treat this common tropical fish disease. Try raising the water temperature, dimming your lights for several days and adding Aquarium salt. Treating with Copper Sulphate is the treatment of choice. It should be used according to the manufacturers instructions for a full ten days to ensure that the parasite is completely eradicated. Atabrine (Quinacrine hydrochloride) is another medication that can be used to treat Velvet. Pathogen:- Tuberculosis - The bacteria that cause fish TB is known as Mycobacterium marinum. Fish TB is not very contagious, and, as a result, if symptoms are noticed early it will not have an effect on the other fish in the aquarium.  Symptoms:- include the following; loss of appetite, rapid breathing (respiration), eyes appear to be cloudy or "popping out," (Pop-Eye). This is usually the result of a bacterial infection, where the fish lies on its side near the bottom, or top of the Aquarium, or it remains in seclusion and out of site. The stomach of the fish appears to be sunken, white blotches can appear on the exterior and it can also have degraded and frayed fins. Treatment:- Try to give your fish the best water possible by performing frequent water changes. To treat this problem you can use a treatment such as Tetracycline, which should be available at your LFS. Remember to remove any carbon filtration before using medication because the carbon will absorb the medication rendering it useless. Pathogen:- Malawi Bloat - Partially caused by feeding high protein diets to Rift Lake Cichlids. Symptoms:- A majority of Rift Lake Cichlids are primarily vegetarians subsisting on mainly algae and other plant growth. Their intestines are extremely long in order to break down their common food which is, as stated prior, normally algae. When high protein foods such as Bloodworms are fed in a frozen state and a dominant fish is able to grab large chunks of unthawed food, these chunks can sour in the fish's intestine and start a systemic biological infestation of microscopic flagellates (parasites) that are found in healthy fish. The three biggest causes are stress, improper water quality, improper diet, which creates an environment inside the fish where any number of these flagellates can multiply. It is uncertain exactly which parasite causes this problem and it is likely a combination of them residing in the host species. The first sign of this disease in lack of appetite (which in a Rift Lake Cichlid is readily apparent) and you will see white, stringy feces hanging from the anus of the afflicted fish. This, coupled with lethargy and staying in its’ cave, or a corner, is a sure sign of this terrible disease. Also, as the name indicates, the abdomen of the fish will swell up. Usually, once the fish get’s to this stage, it is to late to prevent death. Treatment:- Clout (you should be able to get this at your LFS), increase your water temperature, and the use of Epsom salts. Problem:- Nitrite/Nitrate Poisoning Symptoms:-Tropical fish are lethargic or resting just below the water surface and you are getting high readings on your nitrite/nitrate test kits. Nitrite / Nitrate poisoning is not a disease, but will kill your tropical fish. It results from having a large bio-load on your filtration system, or from not performing enough water changes. Treatment:- Perform a partial water change immediately and monitor the nitrite and nitrate levels closely until the situation is resolved. You may have too many fish in the tank and will need to perform more frequent water changes. Problem:- Oxygen Starvation Symptoms:-Most or all of the fish are usually found at the water surface. They may be gulping at the surface with their mouths. Treatment:-Check the temperature of the water. Higher water temperatures require higher levels of oxygen. You will need to increase the aeration in the tank with airstones or increase the flow rate with your filters. Try to decrease the temperature of the water by floating ice cubes in plastic baggies and turning off the tank light. If sun light is entering the tank from a nearby window, try preventing that. Also, if you have an overcrowded Aquarium, you will definitely need to increase the aeration in your tank. Well, there you go. I hope this will help you, should any of the above infect your Tropicals and/or Goldfish. I have not gone into any detail regarding “*Quarantine tanks”. That will keep for another post. I also wish to thank all of the various soucres I got a lot of the info here on. There are far too many to list indivdually, but thank you, one and all. |
Article by Rummy Nose
