Tropical Fish Diseases
This is a helpful guide to different tropical fish diseases, their most visible symptoms, causes and the treatment options available. If you notice strange behavior, discoloration or any thing you may be concerned about, take a look through this guide to see if your symptoms match a disease we have listed. These are the most popular diseases, but there are many more. If you cannot seem to the treatment option best for your tropical fish, visit your local aquarium fish expert at your nearest aquarium or pet store. If your freshwater fish seems to be in distress and their disease is worsening dramatically, you may need to consider culling your fish in a humane manor.Ich Disease
Visible Symptoms: Small white cysts on fish's body, sometimes collecting to form white patches. Fish that are heavily infect can look like they were sprinkled with sugar or salt granules. Affect fish may collect in shallow water, and may also rub themselves against rocks and gravel.
Causes: This disease is a parasite which spreads from fish to fish by falling from one fish to the aquarium floor. There the cyst like parasites multiply and swim off to find another host. These parasites divide many times, and will divide quicker in more tropical water conditions. Having a lot of fish increases the risk of transmitting these parasites.
Treatment: This disease may prove difficult to treat as the cysts rest underneath the outermost layer of the fish's skin. There are some treatments available, however some fish may prove to be sensitive to these medicines. An alternative would be to raise the water temperature to at least 32°C/90°F for a few hours every three to five days. Also, removing all of the fish from the affect aquarium for at least seven days at 20°C/68°F will usually kill all the parasites.
Swim bladder Disorders
Visible Symptoms: Difficulty staying in position, unnatural swimming angle, floating on their side or upside down, or may roll over and swim oddly in the water.
Causes: Sudden changes in water temperature or a microbial infection.
Treatment: This fish disease occurs most commonly in fancy fish such as Goldfish, as they most often have misshapen bladders. Remove the affected fish to their own tank of shallow water, and adjust the water temperature about 5°C/9°F warmer than the home aquarium. Treat the separated tank with an antibacterial treatment and/or aquarium salt. Salt to water ratio should be up to 1gm per liter.
Pop-Eye Disease
Visible Symptoms: Unnatural and unusual protruding eyes.
Causes: Rarely infectious, this disease usually only affects one or two fish in the aquarium. This condition may resolve itself, but if many fish begin showing bulging eyes, there may be an infectious disease in the tank, or the water quality may be poor and should be checked.
Treatment: If this is a bacterial infection, then you should remove the infected fish and treat with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. If only one or two fish are affected, leave them in the aquarium with the healthy fish, and subject them to good water conditions and a varied diet. If the condition persists and spreads to other fish, remove the infected fish to their own separate tank.
Hole-The-Head Disease
Visible Symptoms: Small holes in body and head which may become tubular shaped, yellow strings of mucus hanging from these holes, lack of hunger, hollow-bellied appearance, pale faces, and small cuts below at the base of the fins.
Causes: This disease most often affects Cichlids and Gouramis, and is often a infection of the intestines of tropical fish. Overcrowding, poor aquarium conditions, low oxygen levels, change in water temperature and poor diet including lack of vitamin C may cause the parasites to multiply and cause Hole-In-The-Head disease.
Treatment: The best treatments for this disease is medicated food, however the lack of appetite can make administering the medication may prove difficult. In these cases, there are medicated water drops that can be obtained from a veterinary prescription. Seek advice from your local pet store for advice on medication for this disease. For long term prevention, ensure to feed your fish fresh vegetable matter and remove activated carbon filtration and any protein skimming.