Aquarium fish get sick too, and the sooner you recognize alarming symptoms and start treatment - the more chances the aquarium inhabitants have to survive. Let's talk about the most common diseases and how to treat them.
Bug-eyed
The first symptoms are that the eyes swell, begin to protrude beyond the orbit, and later become cloudy. Fluid accumulates behind the eye, which “squeezes” them out. If the disease is not treated, the fish may lose its eyes. There are several causes of the disease - infection or poor-quality water, insufficiently nutritious food, eye nematodes.
Sometimes bulging eyes are not a disease, but a symptom (for example, dropsy), so treatment is carried out after water tests. The fish need to be placed in another container, the aquarium must be disinfected and filled with clean water; changing the water every 3 days is mandatory. If the reason is in the diet, you need to give mineral supplements. After a week, the swelling goes away, and the fish again takes on a healthy appearance.
Fin rot (saprolengia)
It is manifested by the appearance of spots or plaque on the fins, the fish behave sluggishly, may refuse food, gradually rot affects all fins and gills, the functioning of the internal organs is also disrupted, and the fish dies.
To combat saprolengia, you can make manganese or salt baths, lubricate the affected areas with penicillin, and keep the fish in a solution of malachite green for an hour (50 mg per 10 liters). Also known are such drugs as Antibak, Fiosepit, copper sulfate, Tetra Generaltonic, Sera baktopur, Fungus Cure and others.
Hexamitosis
Hexamitosis is treated with calomel (it is added to the feed at the rate of 0.5 g per 250 grams of feed), baths with erythrocycline and griseofulvin. You can add sera Fishtamin, Ichthyovit, ZMF Hexa-ex, sera bakto to the food.
Dropsy
The fish behaves apathetically, sluggishly, lies on the ground, abdomen the anus is swollen, the anus is inflamed, the scales begin to puff up, and bulging eyes are observed. The abundance of fluid causes swelling, the fish dies from hemorrhage.
Added to feed antibacterial drugs– oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, sera Costapur, sera Bactopur, Furan-2, Triple, you can do baths with chloromycetin. It is better to remove sick individuals from the aquarium, thoroughly disinfect the tank, and replace the soil.
Ichthyophthiriasis
The easiest way is to add malachite green to the water, but it is not suitable for labeo and botia. Fiosept, furazolidone, sera Bactopur, Nala-Gram, Antibak, Diprovan, sera Omnisan are also used for treatment. Place sick fish in quarantine, raise the water temperature, and clean the aquarium regularly.
Furunculosis
There are several forms of this disease: acute, fulminant and chronic. Lightning can be practically asymptomatic and ends in the death of fish. At acute form The skin of the fish is darker, reddish spots appear on the fins and abdomen, and the excrement is mucous and mixed with blood. Later, the fish stops moving, it develops bulging eyes, clearly defined boils, and the gills turn pale.
It is necessary to increase the water temperature, antibiotics are added to the aquarium - Biomycin, Antibak, Ichthyovit, TetraMedica, Furan-2, Sera bactopur, white Streptocide, Tetracycline, Aureomycin. Plants, soil, and equipment must be disinfected.
Plistophorosis
The aquarium must be disinfected with chloramine or potassium permanganate, the soil must be boiled or heated over a fire, plants must be thrown away, and diseased fish must be destroyed.
Mycobacteriosis
Tuberculosis is often transmitted by river fish and live food. Fish that have contracted tuberculosis behave passively, they have a inhibited reaction, they often lie on the bottom or hide in the corners of the reservoir. The appearance of the fish also begins to change: the abdomen sags, scales fall out, the abdomen enlarges, ulcers appear, and the color fades. Sometimes bulging eyes are observed, the eyes become cloudy, the fish swim as if they are jumping and refuse food.
After the diagnosis has been established, it is necessary to treat the fish in the hatchery by adding antibiotics to the water and food: Ichthyovit, Antibak Pro, Kanamycin, Rifampicin, immunomodulator Vetom. The water temperature is raised to the maximum, the aquarium is disinfected.
Peptic ulcer
The disease is best treated at the initial stage. Streptocide (1.5 grams per 10 liters), bicillin-5 (500,000 units per 100 liters) is added to aquarium water; you can add Fiosept, Tripaflavin, Furan-2, Sera bactopur, TetraMedica, Antibak, Ichthyovit. It is better to carry out treatment in a community aquarium, since other fish can also easily become infected.
Gyrodactylosis
Used to treat gyrodactylosis generic drugs– Fiosept, Formamed, Antipar, Ichthyovit, Diprovan, copper sulfate, Sera Mycopur, Sera Med, General Cure and others. It is better to treat fish in a community aquarium, since helminths are transmitted from a sick individual to a healthy one.
Diseases of fish living at home usually arise suddenly. If you carefully observe your pets, you can easily recognize the first signs of common diseases.
Aquarium fish can become ill suddenly, so they need to be monitored
If it is impossible to determine the disease, seek help from laboratory diagnostics. Most diseases can be cured easily and quickly without harm. aquarium fish.
General information
Ichthyopathology is a scientific discipline that studies diseases of aquarium fish. Their treatment is not always successful, but it is possible. Ailments are classified into the following types:
- contagious, which are divided into infectious and invasive;
- non-contagious.
Infectious diseases are caused by single-celled organisms: viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacteria. Invasive ones are caused by helminths and arthropods (multicellular animals).
Fish diseases may or may not be contagious. Neza various diseases occur as a result of chemical or physical damage. This is due to poor quality care and conditions for keeping fish. Under bad care implied:
- temperature violation;
- poor quality water;
- entry of toxic substances into the aquarium;
- improper feeding;
- poor nutrition.
Physical damage is caused by the arrangement of the aquarium. It is enough to provide your pets with proper care and the likelihood of illness will be reduced.
Infectious diseases
The dosage of each drug is prescribed by a specialist. An increase in the norm or an incorrectly prepared solution will lead to death.
Non-communicable diseases
Poor quality food and mechanical damage cause illness in aquarium fish. You need to notice the first signs in time:
In case of any illness, be sure to keep the aquarium clean and check the food for freshness. We should not forget to take into account the change in mood of the fish.
Preventive methods
It is easier to prevent diseases than to treat them in a neglected state. If you do simple rules of content, you can protect fish from diseases:
- weekly cleaning of the aquarium with replacement of ¼ volume of water;
- transplantation of excess individuals;
- cleaning traumatic scenery;
- quality food 1 or 2 times a day;
- temperature regime water, each species has its own;
- proper transportation of pets;
- using a thermostat in winter;
- quarantine for newcomers;
- disinfection of everything that interacted with sick fish;
- quality drugs in correct dosage during treatment.
Care, timely care and nutritious food will protect your favorite fish from diseases and injuries. Regular cleaning of the aquarium will help avoid many troubles.
Fish, like any living beings, are susceptible to diseases. Timely diagnosis of aquarium fish diseases greatly facilitates their treatment, since most diseases can be suppressed at an early stage.
In aquarium fish, diseases are divided into:
Non-communicable diseases of aquarium fish
Chlorine poisoning
The causes of the disease may be chemical factors (exposure to chlorine). The main symptoms are difficulty breathing, the gills are covered with mucus and their color becomes lighter. The fish behave restlessly, rush around and try to jump out of the pool. Over time, they become lethargic, do not respond to anything and quickly die.
To prevent such a disease, it is necessary to constantly check the level of chlorine in the water. If signs of illness appear in the fish, they must be urgently transplanted into clean water.
Lack of oxygen
The fish behave restlessly, swim near the surface and capture oxygen. One of the signs of lack of air is the behavior of snails, which also rise to the surface. When there is a lack of oxygen in aquarium fish, the immune system weakens, infertility occurs, suffocation occurs, and loss of appetite occurs, which leads to death.
It is necessary to install aeration equipment in the aquarium. Periodically check the filter, aerator and oxygen circulation.
Failure to comply with temperature conditions
Occurs when the temperature in the aquarium is high or low. If the temperature is higher than necessary, then the fish are too active. They gather at the surface of the water due to lack of oxygen. As a result, they have oxygen starvation and exhaustion.
Too much low temperature manifests itself in the slow movements of fish, which are constantly at the bottom, almost motionless. Long stay in cold water leads to colds and possible death. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature regulator and thermometer when changing water.
Some types tolerate a wide range of temperatures well: neon, gold fish, guppies and others.
Alkali disease (acidosis, alkalosis)
The disease is promoted by increased (alkalosis) or decreased (acidosis) alkali content in water. With alkalosis, the behavior of aquarium fish becomes active, the gills and fins spread out, and the color becomes lighter. Mucus appears on the gills.
Signs of acidosis: fish become shy, less active and mobile. They can swim belly up or sideways. Alkali disease mainly affects those fish species that are adversely affected by changes in acid-base balance(guppies, goldfish, neons, swordtails). It can cause splitting of fins, leading to death.
Treatment consists of gradually changing the level of alkali in the aquarium, bringing it to a neutral value. If the change in balance was abrupt, then the fish must be transplanted into clean water and the alkalinity level should be balanced.
Obesity fish
The disease occurs as a result of excess fat content of feed by 3 percent in herbivorous fish and 5 percent in carnivorous fish. Overfeeding, a monotonous diet or poor nutrition may also cause symptoms of obesity.
As a result, the disease affects internal organs(liver, mesenteries, kidneys). The fish becomes lethargic, its sides become rounded, infertility sets in, which leads to death.
To prevent obesity it is necessary to give different kinds feed, fatty feed with a high protein content, ballast substances and for prevention do not feed for a couple of days. The size of the aquarium should allow the fish to swim actively.
Gas embolism
It appears if the volume of oxygen is exceeded, clogging of blood vessels in fish occurs, and blood circulation is impaired. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor them and the condition of the aquarium. The behavior of the fish is restless, they begin to swim on their sides, the gill covers are motionless.
The appearance of small air bubbles on walls, plants and soil indicates the occurrence of a disease. Bubbles can be on the fish itself and affect internal organs. If they accumulate in blood vessels, then an embolism occurs and the fish dies.
IN in this case check how air circulates and the presence of excess plants, which contribute to the release of excessive oxygen and soil contamination.
Contagious diseases of aquarium fish
White-skinned
With this disease in aquarium fish there is a change appearance– skin color becomes lighter or white. The fish begin to swim on the surface. The causative agent is the bacterium Pseudomonas dermoalba, which can enter an aquarium with plants or infected fish.
To treat the disease, the fish is placed in a container in which a solution of chloramphenicol is diluted. The soil and water in the aquarium are disinfected.
Fin rot
The most common disease of aquarium fish. Appears as a result of damage to the fins due to poor water quality or bites from other fish. The fins become deformed, decrease in size, and become lighter in color. May be accompanied bacterial disease, while the body becomes covered with ulcers, the abdomen swells. The disease is caused by bacteria of the Pseudomonas group.
Treatment: low-quality water should be changed, the aquarium and plants should be disinfected. Sick fish are placed in a container with a solution of chloramphenicol. It is better not to keep fish that are incompatible in behavior. Thus, swordtails are incompatible with aggressive big fish and so on.
Mycobacteriosis
The disease affects mainly viviparous species of aquarium fish: swordtails, labyrinths, gourami. Their behavior changes - they lose orientation, there is a disturbance in appetite, they become lethargic and apathetic. In some species, abscesses and ulcers appear on the body, and bulging eyes occur; others become blind, their skin becomes covered with black dots, and bones may protrude.
Cure is possible at an early stage of the disease, for which copper sulfate, trypoflavin, and monocycline are used.
Neon disease (Plistiforosis)
The causative agent of the disease is the amoeboid sporozoan. Symptoms of the disease: movements become spasmodic, fish rise to the surface of the aquarium, body position is upside down. Coordination is impaired, loss of appetite is observed, and skin color becomes dull. The fish keeps to itself and avoids schools. Representatives of carp species (barbs, neons, goldfish, etc.) are susceptible to the disease.
Neon disease is practically untreatable, so it is necessary to destroy the diseased fish and thoroughly clean the aquarium.
There is also pseudoneon disease, which is treated with a solution of bactopur (1 tablet per 50 liters of water).
Hexamitosis (hole disease)
The causative agent of the disease, the intestinal flagellate, affects the intestines and gallbladder. The carriers are sick fish, sometimes due to poor quality water. Symptoms: loss of appetite, change in color, the fish stays solitary, the appearance of mucous discharge.
The disease can be cured by early stages. To treat aquarium fish, you need to slowly increase the water temperature to 33-35 degrees or dilute metronidazole in a container (250 mg per 10 liters of water).
Peptic ulcer
The disease is caused by bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) that enter the aquarium with food or from sick fish. Symptoms of the disease are dark spots on the skin of the fish, they gradually turn into ulcers. Bulging eyes are observed, the abdomen enlarges, scales are affected, appetite disappears, and infection penetrates the body.
Necessary timely treatment, for which streptocide (1 tablet per 10 liters of water) or potassium permanganate is used.
Invasive diseases of aquarium fish
Glucose
One of the most dangerous and serious illnesses aquarium fish, affects their entire body and cannot be treated. Symptoms: the fish swim on their sides, bloody and whitish bumps appear on the body. Mostly carp-like fish species (neons, goldfish and others) are susceptible to the disease.
Trichodinosis
Transmitted through contaminated food, plants or soil. Symptoms of the disease: fish rub against the ground, stones, and a light coating appears on the skin. The gills become lighter, become covered with mucus, the fish loses its appetite, and its breathing becomes more frequent.
It is best to treat aquarium fish in the early stages. Sick fish are placed in a container with high water temperature (31 degrees), where methylene or table salt (20 g per 10 l) is added.
Ichthyobodosis
The causative agent of the disease is the flagellate Costia necatris, which gets into the aquarium with plants, food and soil. The skin of a sick fish becomes covered with mucus, and the affected areas gradually decompose. The color of the gills changes, the fins stick together. The fish periodically rises to the surface and swallows air.
To treat the disease, the water in the aquarium is heated to 32-34 degrees or the fish are moved into a container with a solution of methylene salt.
Fish, like all pets, are susceptible to many diseases. But if the disease is diagnosed in a timely manner and its treatment is started, the fish can be saved. Most Diseases can be easily suppressed even in the early stages of development.
It is important to make a correct diagnosis and begin treatment immediately.
Diseases of aquarium fish are divided into:
In any case, treatment should begin immediately and continue until full recovery all individuals in the aquarium.
Non-communicable diseases of aquarium fish
All fish diseases occur under the influence external factors or improper care from the human side. And most of them can be fatal in fish. Therefore, you should know exactly these diseases in order to prevent them in time and prevent your pets from dying. These include:
- chlorine poisoning;
- lack of oxygen;
- incorrect temperature conditions;
- alkaline disease;
- obesity.
Each of these factors is extremely dangerous for the fish, and therefore you should know as much as possible about them, and pay more attention to the aquarium and its inhabitants.
Chlorine poisoning
The cause of such poisoning is the effect of harmful chlorine on fish. The main symptoms of the disease are difficulty breathing, mucus-covered gills and lightening of the color of the scales. Pisces behave extremely restlessly and constantly try to jump out of it. After a short amount of time they become very lethargic and soon die.
In order to avoid this, you need to regularly check the level of chlorine in the water. If the fish show the first symptom of malaise, they must be urgently moved to another aquarium with clean water.
Lack of oxygen
With this disease of fish behave extremely restlessly and constantly float to the surface to grab air. The main sign that there is a lack of oxygen in the water is the behavior of snails that periodically float to the surface. If there is a constant lack of oxygen in the aquarium, this will lead to weakened immunity, infertility and loss of appetite. As a result, the pets quickly die.
To eliminate this reason, you need to install aeration equipment in the aquarium and periodically check the filters and proper air circulation.
Incorrect temperature
If the temperature in the aquarium is chosen incorrectly, this can have a bad effect on the health of the fish. When too high temperature there will be pets too active, They often come to the surface to take a breath of air. Indeed, as a result of a rise in temperature, the fish begin to starve of oxygen and may even die.
When the fish water is too cold slow down and can lie almost motionless on the bottom aquarium Excessive cooling can cause pets to catch a cold and die. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the water temperature in the aquarium.
However, there are fish that can withstand temperature changes well. These include goldfish, neon, guppies and some others.
Alkali disease
The disease occurs against the background of increased or decreased alkali content in water. If there is too much alkali in the water, then the behavior of the fish becomes active, the gills become very swollen and mucus appears on them. The color of the fish fades greatly.
If there is not enough alkali in the water, then the fish become too timid, But activity and mobility decreases. They can swim both upside down and sideways..
Alkaline disease most often affects those fish that react to changes in the acid-base balance of the water. This disease leads to splitting of the fins and death of the pet.
When treating this disease, gradualness is extremely important. Water is brought to a neutral value by gradually changing the level of alkali in it. If the changes occur very quickly, then the fish need to be transplanted into another aquarium and the water should be allowed to return to normal.
Fish obesity
Most often this occurs as a result of excess fat content in the feed. Moreover, in herbivorous fish this amount exceeds by 3%, and in carnivorous fish - by 5%. In addition, obesity can occur due to poor nutrition or a too monotonous diet.
As a result, the internal organs of the fish are affected, it becomes lethargic, sides swell and eventually the fish becomes infertile.
In order to prevent obesity in fish, they need to have a proper and varied diet. It must contain a large number of protein and ballast matter.
For prevention purposes, it is worth leaving pets for several days a month without food. At the same time, the size of the aquarium should be chosen so that the pets can develop and swim unhindered.
Contagious diseases of aquarium fish
If non-contagious diseases are not transmitted from one individual to another, then infectious diseases immediately affect all fish in the aquarium. That is why you should be extremely careful to ensure that there are no individuals in the aquarium that can infect everyone else.
There are a lot of varieties of such ailments, and therefore you need to know at least some of them in order to prevent the development of pathogenic microflora and the death of all representatives of the aquarium world. Such diseases include:
- white-skinned;
- fin rot;
- mycobacteriosis;
- neon disease;
- hexamitosis;
- peptic ulcer.
White-skinned
In this case, the disease occurs change in fish skin color. It becomes very light, sometimes completely white. Such fish swim closer to the surface of the water.
The causative agent of the disease is the bacteria Pseudomonas dermoalba, which can get into an aquarium with algae or already infected fish.
To quickly cure the disease, the infected individual is placed in a container with diluted levomethicin, and all soil and water in the aquarium should be thoroughly disinfected.
The most common problem in aquarium fish is fin rot. The disease occurs as a result of damage to the fins when bitten by other fish or due to poor water quality in the aquarium. Due to illness fins become smaller, lighter in color and severely deformed. Rot often accompanies various diseases bacterial in nature. Wherein the fish's body swells and becomes covered with small ulcers.
As treatment, methods such as changing the water with preliminary disinfection of the aquarium and the plants in it should be used. All sick fish must be placed in a container with a solution of levomethicin. Fish of different characters should not be placed together in one aquarium.
Viviparous fish most often suffer from this disease. At the same time, their behavior completely changes. They lose orientation in space, the individuals’ appetite is disrupted, they become lethargic, and apathy towards everything appears.
The disease manifests itself in each individual in its own way: some fish become covered with ulcers, they develop bulging eyes, others go blind, their whole body is covered with black dots, and bones begin to protrude through the skin.
If the disease is detected at an early stage, then its treatment is possible. For this, agents such as copper sulfate and monocycline are used. For more late stage the disease is practically incurable.
Neon disease
The causative agent of the disease is the sporozoan amoeboid. The main symptoms of the disease are the jerky movement of the fish, it often rises to the surface of the water, while the head is pointing down. The fish's coordination is impaired, the skin becomes lighter, and the individual stops eating. A sick fish will keep to itself, avoiding schools. Most often, carp fish species are affected by the disease.
Treatment of neon disease does not give any results at all. All infected individuals must be destroyed and the aquarium thoroughly cleaned. But one should also distinguish between pseudoneon disease, which can be cured with a Bactopur solution.
Hole and ulcer diseases of fish
When the disease affects gallbladder and intestines under the action of the intestinal flagellate. The disease is transmitted by infected fish or poor-quality water in the aquarium. Symptoms of the disease are changes in color, aloof behavior of the fish, and the presence of mucous discharge.
The cure of the disease occurs under the influence of a slow increase in water temperature to 35 - 37 degrees. You can also try diluting metronidazole in water and placing fish in it.
The disease develops under the influence of bacteria that enter the aquarium with contaminated food or sick fish. Symptoms of the disease are small black spots on the body of the fish, which gradually turn into small ulcers. The individual has bulging eyes, bloating of the abdomen, damage to the scales. Gradually, the disease affects the entire body of the fish.
In order for the fish to remain alive, it is necessary to begin treatment at the first symptoms of the disease. For this, a solution of potassium permanganate or streptocide is used.
Invasive fish diseases
Most varieties of these diseases cannot be treated and lead to the death of pets. Eg, glucoseosis affects the fish’s body completely and leads to painful death of the individual. Moreover, the disease is extremely contagious to other individuals in the aquarium.
Transmitted through contaminated food or soil. It manifests itself as a coating on the body of individuals, which causes severe itching skin. Treatment should begin in the early stages in order to alleviate the pet’s suffering as soon as possible. The individual is placed in a separate container with warm water and adding table salt. This measure helps get rid of plaque and relieve itching.
Preventive measures
Fish diseases, the descriptions of which are now known, are quite insidious and do not appear immediately. That’s why it’s worth taking care of the fish and making sure they don’t get sick. To do this you should do simple rules: thoroughly disinfect all items intended for the aquarium, you should not buy sick fish or pre-quarantine them, all plants should be treated in a solution of potassium permanganate, you should not plant snails in an aquarium with fish - they can carry a variety of diseases. Pets should be fed strictly on time.
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