You have set up your perfect aquarium, you have beautiful fish and a great appearance, but then something goes wrong, maybe your fish start to die, maybe they are showing abnormal behavior. Most likely your fish have contracted a disease. But don’t panic! There are ways to treat it and make sure it’s unlikely to happen again.
How does a fish get sick?
Many bacteria, viruses, and life forms known as protozoa live in the aquarium and on your fish. Many of them are “good” at keeping the balance just right. Even disease-causing life forms are present, but thanks to this balance they don’t cause problems. However, when a fish becomes stressed, either due to sudden changes or an imbalance, such as the introduction of a large number of pathogens, it is at much greater risk.
How can you prevent it?
It is essential to ensure that the aquarium is clean and to take precautions to control the levels within the aquarium. Also, ensuring that your fish are able to carry out their natural behavior, such as hiding, by providing them with the right environment will reduce stress. This also means making sure that none of the fish intimidates each other or is shy around other species in the tank. You should also be careful when introducing new members, making sure they are healthy, disease-free specimens. Even with such precautions, the disease can take hold from time to time.
the first signs
It’s important that you learn to spot the signs early so you can treat it quickly and prevent it from becoming a bigger problem. The behavior of fish can become noticeably different. Reluctance to feed, running around in a state of alarm, poor balance, rubbing or lunging through objects, hiding more than usual, being shy, or an unusual position in the tank are all early warning signs.
More physical signs include a swollen or distended appearance, fins that are discolored, eroded, or attached to the fish. The gills may change color, look sore, or move rapidly. The eyes may look puffy or cloudy, and the mouth may look scratchy, sore, or “sticky.” You may notice that the fish has darkened or paler or perhaps has spots or discolored areas. You may even notice holes, ulcers, growths, or sore areas on the fish’s body.
If you’ve noticed any of these signs, you can now use the information below to determine what it is and how to treat it effectively.
Poor water quality or water intoxication
Symptoms: Fish gape at the surface or hang from the surface. They have rapid gill movement and can go numb on their side. There may be patches of slime on the body or near the gills. The eyes may appear cloudy and the color of the fish may darken. The fish may also suddenly spin before returning to the surface or losing its balance. This can only appear in certain species depending on the cause.
Reasons: Poor water quality, which means high or low pH levels, or high ammonia and nitrate levels. This could be caused by overstocking tanks with too many fish. It can also be due to chlorine or excess metals after a water change with raw tap water. If certain species show it, it could be due to overtreatment of a previous disease to which they were susceptible to an active ingredient, this especially applies to invertebrates. There could also be the possibility that a toxin has gotten into the water, household cleaners, sprays, air fresheners, etc.
Watch out: Test the water for pH and ammonia nitrate levels. Treat according to results. You should also perform a water change with pre-treated water (use safe tap water treatment). After that, you should also try to find out the exact cause in order to take precautions.
swim bladder
Symptoms: Unable to maintain balance, swimming upside down, sideways, or being pushed to the surface. It may also be unable to swim up and may hit the side of the tank and tip over. This is not accompanied by any other symptoms.
Reasons: A bacterial infection or previous damage from a bacterial infection to the swim bladder. This means that the fish cannot swim normally and this in itself causes a lot of stress and, if left untreated, death.
Watch out: Treat with a preparation to treat swim bladder, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s advice. You can also use tonic salt in quantities of 5g per liter. This will help the fish right itself, although it should be added for a few days to avoid shock.
internal bacterial infection
Symptoms: Unexplained deaths are often the first sign, as it has variable symptoms, which at first may mistakenly indicate other problems. These symptoms may include fins that appear eroded or dull, eyes that are swollen, distended, or hollow in the abdomen, holes or ulcers in the fish, the color of the fish darkening, and the fish being unable to keep its balance. However, any of these symptoms can appear with any other, sometimes they don’t at all.
Reasons: An imbalance in the aquarium bacteria, as well as poor water quality. It will occur after stress from any factor and especially if the fish has been injured or fighting.
Watch out: Previously only vet prescribed antibiotics have been effective, however now you can purchase an internal bacteria solution to treat the water directly. You should also test the water for any imbalances and act accordingly.
Bacterial Gil’s disease
Symptoms: The fish will open up and hang at the surface of the water and you may notice rapid movement of the gills, the gills will also look pale and in severe cases look eroded.
Reasons: A bacterial infection usually at the beginning of an internal bacterial infection. However, this is located to the gills for the time being. An imbalance in water quality and stress can cause this to happen.
Watch out: Like an internal bacterial infection, he could only previously use antibiotics prescribed by the vet. However, prompt treatment with an internal bacterial solution will eliminate the threat directly. You should also test the water for any imbalances and act accordingly.
Mushroom
Symptoms: Bumps that are white or cottony growths, particularly on the head and sides.
Reasons: An imbalance of the fungal spores found naturally in aquariums, usually after stress or damage to the gills or mucous membrane.
Watch out: Use an anti-fungal treatment for freshwater fish. Check that the water quality is fine and that there is nothing harming your fish.
end of burp
Symptoms: Fins appear weathered, dull and may have streaks of ‘blood’ running through them.
Reasons: Imbalance of naturally present bacteria, usually after the fish has been stressed.
Watch out: It is important to treat this promptly before it reaches the fin base.
mouth rot
Symptoms: There may be some erosion on the head, but more centered around the mouth, there may also be some cotton-like growths around the mouth area.
Reasons: Imbalance of naturally present bacteria, usually after the fish has been stressed.
Watch out: A fungal and fin rot treatment should clear it up, followed by a water test. It is important to act quickly.
slime disease
Symptoms: Slime stains accompanied by tapping and rubbing against objects, as well as cloudy eyes. You may also see the fish gaping or hanging near the surface and the gills may look pale, although this is not always seen.
Reasons: Stress allows parasitic infection of naturally occurring parasites.
Watch out: It uses an anti-silt and velvety treatment, tests the water and eliminates stress areas.
velvet
Symptoms: The fish will have an abnormal sprinkling of gold spots and will rub against aquarium objects. Fish may have pale, gaping gills on the surface, but this is not always seen.
Reasons: Imbalance of naturally present parasites, usually after the fish has been stressed.
Watch out: use an anti-silt and velvety treatment, testing the water and removing any stress factors.
White Point
Symptoms: There will be many abnormal white spots, the size of a sugar grain, accompanied by bumping and rubbing against objects in the aquarium. The fish may also gasp at the surface and have pale fins.
Reasons: Imbalance of naturally present parasites, usually after the fish has been stressed.
Watch out: Use a white spot treatment preparation and lower the aquarium temperature a few degrees for a week. Eliminate sources of stress.
parasite of higher form
Symptoms: The fish can gape and hang on the surface. It will have pale gills that can sometimes appear eroded. It will rub along solid objects and plants and may attempt to jump out of the water, but most obviously will have pale discs, worm-like attachments, or thread-like discs on the body or gill area.
Reasons: There are several causes, usually from infection from wild-caught or infected cattle. The offenders are mainly crustaceans and have different appearances. Anchor worms are up to 20 mm long and burrow into the skin of the fish. Fish lice are disk-shaped parasites that feed on the mucous membrane, skin, or fins. They can cause bacterial infection. Gill worms are found attached to the gill area as well as in the mouth and are so named because of the often seen worm-like egg sac. All can cause death, but gill worms even more so.
Watch out: Use an antiparasitic treatment for crustaceans as soon as you notice any symptoms. Please read the instructions carefully, as they may have some side effects on the condition of your aquarium. If possible, try to identify the source of your problem and treat it accordingly.