A To Z Of Tropical Fish Diseases

[The-Wolf]

I suggest that everyone posts a disease, that they have had personal experiance with, and how they cured it (if at all)
Then all the answers can be amalgamited into one thread and pinned at the top of the emergancy forum for all to benefit from.

We could try to post the answers alphabeticly but I realise that may not work out.
anyway I'll start.

Argulus - the fish louse (life cycle takes between 30 – 100 days dependant on the temperature.)
Lice are one of the biggest threats to fish that you may come accross.
They are approx 5 to 10mm in size and can clearly be seen with the naked eye.
The biggest danger from these parasites is from secondary infection such as; fungus, bacterial or internal problems.

The best way to deal with this problem is to phisically remove the lice with tweezers and treat the fish with an organophosphate based medication. If you treat the fish(ies) three times over the life cycle of the parasite you will, almost always, eradicates the lice.

Mortalily rate.
I had an infestation in one of my tanks and lost approx 60% due to a secondary systemic bacterial infection. Although I'm sure if I had caught it earlier this would've been lower.

 

[hellohefalump]

Fish Tuberculosis

My goldfish tank got tuberculosis from a contaminated holiday food block. One of the fish was blind and not getting enough to eat so I'd been putting blocks in to feed him up a bit. Anyway, I was away for two days and when I came back ALL my goldfish had tb. I treated them with a 50% water change, aquarium salt, and melafix. Two died, two survived. I'm not sure if this was the best way to treat tb, but that's what I did...

 

[skimpy]

Internal Bacteria

Symptoms

a. In some cases fish will darken in colour, become listless, stop feeding and die.

b. In other cases, severe symptons exist, ulcers, abdominal (dropsy) and eye swelling (pop eye), destruction of the central nervous system and then the fish dies.

Influencing Factors - Poor water quality will stress the fish and make them susceptible to infection. Also fin and body tissue damage will give the bacteria a site to start infecting.

My Experience -I recently lost one of my Mollies she was black so i did not notice her darken in colour, but she hid all the time and stopped eating, then died. At the point she died four other mollies and two platies started to hide and not eat. Also around this time started to notice that some of the fish had long stringy white feces (poo), it was 5 inches long in some cases.

I did a 30% water change and added Interpet No 9 for internal bacteria, plus two spoons of salt. Next day I added two more spoons of salt. On day four I put in the second dose required of Interpet No 9. Then nothing else and no water changes for the next 8 days. On the day four (after second dose) one of the mollies passed a lot of white gooey stuff and after that he started to come out at feeding time and occasionally take one or two nibbles.

All fish were fine at the end of the 8 days, out from hiding and eating again. Some did however still have a bit of stringy poo. I was therefore advised to do a 25% water change and clean up and redose the medication without salt. This is mainly as a precaution because the disease can come back if it is not "completely" cleared up.

Reason it happened - I did not know at the time buy my pump housing was blocked my pump hardly running at all. My water parameters did not show there was a problem but the pump must have been getting slower and slower over a period of time and therefore the oxygen was getting lower and lower. I believe this is what caused the bad water conditions that kicked in the infection for my fish.

What I have learnt - Fish commonly get ill because of poor water quality. I knew I had not introduced anything new, I did regular water changes and my tests were all good. How could it be poor water quality. It was because of the pump problem. I say don't give up looking there is always a reason, don't just treat the disease, find out why and learn from it.

GOOD LUCK

 

[skimpy]

Come on guys,

I'm sure there must be more of you out there to add to this, it could be helpful to us all in the event of an emergency. We might just find the answer we need straight away, instead anxiously waiting for a reply or searching through post after post thinking 'I'm sure I read something about this somewhere' It could be there all the time right at our figertips, pinned at the top of the emergencies. B)

 

[The-Wolf]

Thanks skimpy.
i must say that i'm supprised that no-one else wants to contribute to this
oh well such is life

 

[sunflower]

Whitespot (ich) lives in the water so if your fish get it, you need to treat the whole tank and not just the affected fish.

When my fish have had ich I have done a fairly big water change, say 50% and then dosed them with King British White Spot Control. There are many ich meds out there but this is the one I used. Also raise the temperature a little if you can because this will speed up the ich lifecycle.

The important thing about treating whitespot is that you need to have patience. There is no quick cure. Once your fish have the spots there is nothing that can be done about them, what you're trying to do is kill off whats in the water.

Treatment should continue for at least 4/5 days after the spots have cleared to make sure that the ich in the water is once again dormant.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Get a mod to make this a pinned article and it might pick up a bit.

Gill disease

Caused by
Certain fungi, bacteria, protozoans and monogenetic flukes, and/or poor water quality

Symptoms
Rapid gill movement, swollen gills, and discolored gill filaments with excess mucus. Fish stop eating and lie motionless on bottom or gasp at the surface.

Occurence
Newly imported fish kept in bad water conditions or established tanks and pons that aren't maintained properly. Poor filtration, overstocking, and infrequent water changes. Also might be caused by irritation of gills due to chlorinated water.

Treatment
Improve the water conditions--25-50% water change. Administer antibacterial medications.
If the problem persists, treat for parasites with an organophosphorous insecticide.

 

[gaya]

Fin rot:

I had fin rot with angel and this fixed her up.
For 10 US gallons put in half a cap full of melafix and half a cap full of pimafix for 7 days and do 25% water change on the seventh day. be sure to keep an air stone in there and don't have the temp to high. for one bacteria grows faster at higher temps, and these meds (which are natural...tea tree oil) will reduce O2 levels.
I also cut down of feedings.

I have experienced (and talked with others on the board who have had experienced this) ammonia spikes in 10g tanks that were only mature for a month or two. I haven't had any problems with tanks more than 3 months mature. interesting huh? something to keep in mind.

 

[skimpy]

Hi Wolf, its me again, just had a thought if you are going to extract the useful posts and get this pinned perhaps a good way to start it off would be to add the following:

If a fish is ailing, there are several steps that should be taken prior to using medication.

1) Take a look at the ailing specimen, and take note of what is different from normal.

2) Check to make sure that all environmental conditions are in order, because the number one cause of stress, ailing behavior, disease, and death in aquaria are environmental problems. Test the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and if possible, the oxygen content. If these are in order, make sure that no other toxins such as paint fumes, pesticides, or cleaning agents could have entered the tank. If the answer is no again, make sure all accessories are operating properly (heater, air pumps, filter, etc.). Try to see if another tank mate may have been on the aggressive. Run down the list of the fish’s requirements to see that they are all in order. Remember that tank layout and dietary deficiencies also can affect the fish’s health.

3) If you find that one these conditions is off, then take steps to fix it. If the water chemistry is the problem, make water changes until the problem is fixed. If everything checks out, and you still believe a disease is present you need to identify the symptons of the disease and treat accordingly.

3) Where possible place fish in hospital tank to treat and keep isolated from other fish for two weeks.

Remember, Commercial fish medications are not regulated by any government agency. This means that some commercial medications have not been tested for safety or effectiveness. Thus some medications are completely useless and may be even harmful to aquarium inhabitants. Check out what you are buying, if it is compatable for the type of fish that you have. Try to find someone who has used that product before, or stick with well known brands that you can be sure of.

There is something called Medication Poisoning

If medications are misused they can be harmful more than helpful. Medications can have adverse affects on many types of fish including catfish, tetras, mormyrids, loaches and other sensitive fish. Copper based medications have harmful affects on invertebrates, so always remove snails an crustaceans from the tank before treating it. Always be sure to read the label on medication to confirm that it is suitable for your fish. If medication appears to be harming your fish, make a partial water change and filter the water with activated carbon.


These are not all my own words I have borrowed some paragraphs from fish.mongabay.com but it is speaks my opinion of what I believe we should do before medicating our fish.

HTH

 

[Da_Oz]

Well this is a good post and I see where you want it to go. But one thing I don't see is how to prevent alot of this.

1. Doing good water changes.

2. Keeping filters clean.

3. Not put your hands in the tank alot.

4. QT all new fish, for a min of a week.

5. Buy good healthy fish to start with, look at them at the pet store.

6. Give fish a hiding place. This can really cut down on the stress on the fish.

7. Live plants, since I have switched over to live plants I have had alot less sick fish.

8. Don't add alot of stuff (meds, stress coat, etc, etc) to the tank unless there is no other way around it, most of the short cut stuff is hard on fish.

9. Don't mix fish aggressive and peaceful fish should not be mixed, leads to fin nipping then in most times fin rot.

10. Don't treat fish till your sure of what they got.

11. Watch temp swings in the tank.

Following these simple things I have not had a sickness in my tank in over a year. And a outbreak in over 8 years. Most illness is cused by something we do.

 

[The-Wolf]

You are so correct Da_oz that prevention is far better than any cure.

It all comes down to good housekeeping, but that is not always a sure fire way to stop the odd problem occuring.

 

[CFC]

Velvet or Oodinium

Cause:A parasite similar to whitespot/ICH velvet is present in most aquariums but will only infect fish and become a problem at times of stress, ie when water quality is poor or a fish has been newly introduced. The parasite attaches to the skin and gills and large infestations can kill in a very short time.

Symptoms: The parasites can usually be seen as a light dusting of gold spots on the flanks of the fish but can also appear as blue/grey fur like patches, if the parasite has entered the gill cavity then the gills will be flared and bright red in colour, fish will usually gasp at the surface. Early signs are rubbing and scratching on the aquarium decor.

Treatment: Use a medication intended for Velvet/oodinium, most white spot/ICH treatments will also work on velvet but check the lable to be sure, if your fish allow for it add 1tsp per gallon of aquarium salts as well. The parasite while in its free swimming form is photosynthetic and takes its energy from light, for the best results in curing the disease completely cover the tank to block off any light and leave the tank in darkness for seven days, any live plants should be removed at this time and treated in a seperate container.

 

[Guppylover]

These are the diseases I have had experienced with:

Dropsy
*Problem occured with male guppy*
There is no cure to this disease, but I have heard that improving or correcting the tank conditions and diet may help.
The cause of dropsy is either oragn failure or enviromental factors: excessivesodium chloride levels, high nitrite levels, bacteria, orpoor/unsuitable diet.
*Conclusion with my fish: Still has Dropsy... things not looking too good but still trying*

Fungus
*Problem occured with 8 Neon Tetras, 4 Guppies, 5 Swordtail and 1 Pleco*
You should treat the entire tank with fungicide to stop an outbreak. Determine the cause of the fungal disease and rectify it.
*Conclusion with my fish: All died exept for 1 swordtail fry*

Hole in Head
*Problem occured with Male Betta*
Treat with Bettafix and do a water change everyweek around 20%.
*Conclusion: HTH went away by the second week and Betta is fine*

Swim Bladder Disease
*Problem occured with Male Betta... same betta as above*
Treat with Melafix every fortnight and salt everyday and a water change every fortnight... not the same day as putting in the Melafix. Feed Hikari Betta Pellets.
*Conclusion: When I changed to Hikari Betta Pellets the male betta become much more active and always looked forward to every meal. When adding the salt betta looked much healthier and swam around more. Melafix helped repair the tears in his fins that had been created by the exesive tail movement and the more water changes done the better*

All these treatment were done by me and most of them worked just fine. The treatment also worked with that fish that had the problem so please don't blame me if you try the same treatment to a different fish and it dosn't work.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I say just set someone down to sit down and transplant the information from The Manual of Fish Health onto this thread.

Fish Pox: Mainly coldwater fish

Cause
Viral infection.

Symptoms
White, grey, or pink growths on skin and fins. Fish look like molten wax has been poured onto their bodies. The problem may advance and the skin might take on same color as surrounding tissue.

Occurrence
Mainly coldwater fish, especially koi. The disease often appears, develops, subsides, and reappears later. Not very contagious and fish are rarely lost to it.

Treatment
"No reliable treatment."
Raise temp by 5-10C or 9-18F might eliminate problem temporarily. This disease is unsightly, moreso than dangerous, but avoid buying fish with this disorder.

 

[bodasafa]

Bacteria are present everywhere on both land and in the water and are normally classified as either 'good' bacteria or 'bad' bacteria. The good bacteria in the aquarium consist of the ones that make up the biological filter. These bacteria break down ammonia and nitrate so that it can be removed from the water. Without good bacteria most life would not be able to exist.
The bad bacteria are often bacteria that are normally present but don't cause problems until the fish is injured, stressed or suffering from another disease. These bad bacteria take advantage of the compromised animal's weakened immune system and reproduce extremely quickly, creating the resultant sicknesses and problems.
The key to dealing with any bacterial infection is early recognition and treatment. Of course, prevention through careful introduction of new fish, plants and water, as well as maintaining a healthy, stress-free environment for your fish, is still the best course of action.
This two-part article will assist you in the identification and treatment of some of the more common bacterial infections in fish.

Fin rot

Signs: Fin rot often begins with red streaks in the fins that are soon followed by abnormal lightening of the edge of the fin and then a fraying or rotting of the fin membrane and edges. This infection can lead to a complete rotting of the fin and can spread to the body and lead to death.


Transmission: The bacteria can be transmitted through the water from open ulcers, feces of infected fish, or through the consumption of infected, dead or dying fish in the tank.

Predisposing factors: This disease is not highly contagious, however it is often associated with poorly kept or dirty tanks with poor water quality. Any dead fish should quickly be removed and disposed of. Diseased live fish should be removed to a treatment tank.

Treatment: The antibiotics kanamycin or erythromycin are sometimes successful. All infected fish should be handled with care to prevent transmission to humans through open wounds or cuts

Skin ulcers
Signs: Ulcers usually show up as raw opened areas on the skin. They often have reddened edges and may be associated with other symptoms of systemic infection or disease.

Cause: Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium and Vibrio
Transmission: The bacteria are commonly found in the water and will invade a wound or skin injury on an otherwise healthy fish.

Predisposing factors: Previously damaged skin, poor water conditions, and stress can all lead to an increase in ulcers.

Treatment: Antibiotic baths coupled with anti-fungal baths containing phenoxyethanol are the most common treatments. Improving water quality, reducing stress, and decreasing the risk of injury are all very important in reducing the incidence of ulcers.

Vibriosis

Vibriosis is most often found in marine or brackish water fish but can occasionally be found in tropical species as well.

Signs: There are two forms of vibriosis.
Acute Form: Death may occur suddenly, before any signs are noticed. Symptoms may include increased respiration, loss of appetite, lethargy, skin hemorrhages, and death. Post mortem exams may reveal enlarged internal organs, but without a diagnostic test, this disease is difficult to distinguish from other bacterial infections.

Chronic Form: Exophthalmos, ulcers, and intestinal inflammation in fish that have died.

Transmission: Fish contract the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum through open sores or feeding on dead fish that died from the disease.
Treatment: The best treatment includes the oral antibiotics chloramphenicol or furazolidone.

Summary

These are just a few of the most common bacterial infections that can infect fish. After reviewing the list of infections, it is very clear that most bacterial infections are caused by a few similar situations, and that following a few basic precautions can prevent most of these infections. The precautions include maintaining excellent water quality at all times, quickly removing any dead or diseased fish from the tank, treating all diseased fish, never introducing diseased or sick fish into your community tank, and preventing injuries from fighting or unsuitable habitat. If these basic guidelines are followed, bacterial infections will be a very rare occurrence in your tank.