When our fish get sick, we often feel helpless. Helplessness is often accompanied by fear; fear because we can't quite understand why the fish got ill and fear of losing our beloved pet. These fears can be alleviated with some understanding of what to look for in tropical fish diseases and how we can care for our fish during these difficult times. Diagnosing tropical fish diseases is a difficult task even for the experienced aquarist. Some profession laboratories can perform sensitivity tests by taking a small sample of the fish to determine the proper antibiotic to administer. These tests are, however, quite expensive and not always conclusive. There are many medications available depending on the symptoms your fish display. There are also a number of things you can do to care for your tropical fish during a period of illness. You can educate yourself on tropical fish diseases so that you are in a better position to identify the problem and get the appropriate treatment. Here are a few examples:
- Fish Swimming in Circles - You may observe your fish swimming in circles with its fins clamped. This can be the result of some type of poisoning and will require you to check the contents of the tank to see if there are any contaminants, followed by a complete water change.
- Sores or scabs - If there are ulcers on the body of the fish it could be the result of the Pseudomonas bacteria. This disease may also be accompanied by small haemorrhages from the mouth or internally.
- Red patches on the body - These patches can be seen all over the body including the mouth and fins and are reddish in color. It is indicative of Fibrosis which is caused by the vibrato bacteria which spreads aggressively and can cause death. In addition to medication, a 50 percent water change is recommended.
- Bulging/cloudy eyes - Bulging eyes or cloudy eyes are two different symptoms associated with the same disease. There may be bulging in one or both eyes along with poor appetite, changes in the color of the fish and you may observe the fish attempting to hide. This could be Pistine tuberculosis requiring complete sanitization of the aquarium since there is no known effective treatment. Pistine tuberculosis can also appear in the form of cloudy eyes, one or both, with similar symptoms like appetite and color changes.
- Clamped fins - The fish may appear to have their fins clamped to the sides and as such have difficulty swimming. This is a sign of chilling resulting from a drop in the tank temperature. Check to ensure.
By: Joan Schroeder
