Fish Disease - Fish Medication

Changing the environment of fishes, s.a bagging & shipping from the store to your tank, water changes, new fish additions, disease treatments, and other environmental changes causes stress that can weaken their immune system.

Fish were shipped in bags to the store and then chased around the tank, netted and bagged before you took them home. Many times fish are not fed much before shipping so that their waste does not pollute the shipping bag but this can further weaken their immune system. It means a greater chance of the fish become sick.

Different from Water Conditioners, Fish Stress Relievers are specially formulated to protect your fish in times of stress. They are focusing on the healthy growth of a "slime coat" / mucus membranes, the first defense in your fishes' immune system. It will add protective slime coat conditioners which will form multiple layers of protection on your fishes skin. These slime coat conditioners will help with bruises, missing scales, and damaged skin caused by handling or external wounds, also binds protein on injured fish and forms a protective coating that promotes healing.

In addition, it will remove chlorine and breaks down chloramines while neutralizing heavy metals.

• Use it when setting-up a new tank, adding new fish or after partial water changes.

Ammonia Poisoning

Ammonia removers bind ammonia in a non-toxic form until your biological filter can process it. Keep one around for immediate use in case of a fatal spike in ammonia, which can be caused by dead fish, increased bioload, insufficient aeration or accidental death of the bacterial bed from over-use of antibiotics /over-cleaning biological media. If stressed, relocate fish to a quarantine tank until conditions stabilize, and re-establish your bacterial bed as quickly as possible.

Use ammonia removers during water preparation if you see levels in your tap water. If your aquarium is healthy and well maintained, you should only need ammonia removers for emergencies. Always monitor ammonia closely.

Nitrite/Nitrate Poisoning

Tropical fish are lethargic or resting just below the water surface and you are getting high readings on your nitrite and nitrate test kits.

Use Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate Test Kits

Water Conditioner removes harmful chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia; while detoxifying nitrite, nitrate, and heavy metals. It also buffers and "ages" tap water so that it is safe for fish almost instantly. It also promotes a healthy slime coat, which is good for your fish's immune systems, and minimizes the stress of introduction to new tanks and water supplies.

Oxygen Starvation

Most or all of the fish are usually found at the water surface. They may be gulping at the surface with their mouths.

Use Oxygen Test Kits.

Best checking time is in the morning (in aquascape, the lowest point of oxygen is when the photosynthesis process isn't started yet)

Oxygen level depends on several factors such as water flow & surface movement, water temperature, filter cleanliness. Normal oxygen level is 5-8 mg/liter (ppm).

Check the temperature of the water. Higher water temperatures require higher levels of oxygen.

Aquarium Chillers will automatically reduce water temperature in warm summer months, keeping your fish & organism comfortable.

Enough oxygen level is very important for fish, bacteria living and perfect oxidation of ammonia (NH3) & ammonium (NH4). You can increase the oxygen level by using aeration or powerheads with venturi, surface agitation and also increase the flow rate of your filters.

Ich, Ick or White Spot (Ichthyophthirius multifilis)

This is a common ciliate protozoan disease of fish.  Infected fish usually shows white spots on the fins and body, generally distributed evenly. Sizes of the spots vary but are approximate to grains of salt. In light-infections (and when in the gills) white spots may not be visible.

Fish-zole is metronidazole, an anti-parasite fish medication that works well against some of the nastiest protozoan infections that attack aquarium fish, such as Hole in the Head (hexamita), marine Ich (crytocaryon), and freshwater Ich (ichthyophthirius, or white spot disease).

Malachite green and formalin combinations are effective fish medications if the fish can tolerate these chemicals in concentrations sufficient to kill the tomite stage of the disease.

Methylene Blue may be used as an alternative to Malachite Green when it is known that the fish to be treated are sensitive. The mature encysting stage is generally resistant to chemicals used for treatment. Several days of aquarium treatment are usually required.
Salt baths are sometimes used along with fish medication.

 Fish Lice (Argulus sp.)

Actually, fish lice is a crustacean; ectoparasites of fresh-water and marine fish. It attach to the skin of their fish host and feed on its blood and external tissues. They have rasping mandibles to scrape tissues, then suck the blood with its tubular sucking mouth.

Fish lices usually do not threat the fish populations. However, in restricted areas such as fish-hatchery ponds, an infestation can increase fish mortality to high levels.

Parasite Clear removes external and internal parasites from tropical fish including protozoans, flukes, lice, anchor worms and flagellates such as hexamita or spironucleus which cause hole-in-the-head disease. Harmful to snails and crustaceans.

Anchor Worms (Lernaea sp.)

Anchorworm is actually a copepod (Crustacea) parasite. Lernaea cyprinacea is an anchorworm species commonly found in aquarium fish. They are most frequently found on goldfish and koi although many other species of fish can become suitable hosts as well.

Female Lernaea attach to and hide into the skin of fish where they develop into what appears as a worm-like protrusion (actually it's the egg cases of the parasite) on the fish.

This parasite are commonly attach to the base of the tail and the base of the dorsal fin, although they also can be found on any fleshy part of the body.

The initial attachment of the parasites often causes a swelling and redness at the location although the parasite is not visible yet. Avoid buying fishes which have such kind of wounds, it may represent an imminent anchorworm infestation.

The larval stage of Lernaea is susceptible to some of the same treatments used for protozoan parasites.

Adults worms which have burrowed into a host fish are less vulnerable, but several fish medications (organophosphates such as used for skin or gill flukes) are effective in killing them.

Dead parasites which remain on the fish may be a focus for further infection by bacteria and fungi and it is sometimes desireable (where feasible) to physically remove them with tweezers and/or disinfect the wounds. Concentrated Methylene blue works well for this purpose. It can be applied directly to the wound.

 Costia (Ichthyobodo necatrix)
 

This fish disease is a frequent parasite of goldfish and koi but is often found on other tropical fishes as well.
Observation of these parasites is difficult due to their small size, less than 10 microns.

Malachite green is an effective fish medication used for the control of various external parasites of freshwater and marine fishes. When used as directed the fish medication will control or prevent the following common protozoan parasites: Ichthyophthirius, Costia, Chilodonella, Ambiphyra, , Epistylis, Oodinium and Trichodina.

Methylene Blue may be used as an alternative to Malachite Green when it is known that the fish to be treated are sensitive.

Chilodonella sp.

This fish disease is a mobile ciliate protozoan which infects the skin and gills of fish.

Fish medications are the same as those used for Ich.

Skin Flukes (Gyrodactylus)

When conditions are suitable and fish populations are high, skin flukes can multiply rapidly. It can cause skin damages which lead to high mortalities.

Secondary infections by bacteria s.a septicemia may follow the fish disease and can cause diverse clinical signs. Therefore combine fish medications are needed based on the shown-symptoms. 

Most frequently skin flukes are treated with organophosphates or acriflavin.
Addition of salt to the water is sometimes used as treatment, but is only moderately effective. Salt dips (strong salt solution for a period of one minute or less) are often effective in removing the parasites.

Formalin baths are effective if done accurately.  

 Gill Flukes (Dactylogyrus) 

This fish disease is noticed by distention of the fish-operculum due to gills swelling.

Gill flukes parasitize freshwater, marine, and brackishwater fish and cause great numbers of mortalities. These parasites attach to the gills of the fish and feed on mucus, epithelial cells, and blood from the host. Serious gills' damages are usually followed by secondary bacterial infections such as septicemia.

You should be aware that some species of fish have the fish disease as a common problem, such as :
      Wild-caught species that are common carriers of gill flukes: Plecostomus, Otocinclus and other Loricariids, Characins, Corydoras, and Elephant Nose (Gnathonemus petersi).
      Captive raised fish that are common carriers: Koi, Discus, livebearers (Poeciliidae), some tetras (Characins) and Barbs (Cyprinidae).
      Brackish water fish such as Clown Knife Fish (Notopterus) and Scatophagus are usually infected with gill flukes.

Fish medications are the same as those used for Skin Flukes.

 Trichodina sp.

This fish disease is a mobile ciliate protozoan which infects the skin and gills of fish.

Fish medications are the same as those used for Ich.

Velvet (Oödinium)

Malachite green is an effective fish medication used for the control or prevention of various external protozoan-parasites including Oödinium disease. It's a strong fish medication, you should used it as directed.

Other effective fish medication for Velvet is the substance called acriflavine / trypaflavine.  Acriflavine may work effectively without removing light.

Hole in the Head (Hexamita / Spironucleus)

The causes of the fish disease are still debatable among hobbyists. Very little scientific research has been done on the topic. Some causing possibilities are :

1. Hexamita, a flagellated protozoan, is to blame. Fish medication like Parasite Clear can remove external flagellated protozoan-parasites such as hexamita or spironucleus which cause hole-in-the-head disease. It's harmful to snails and crustaceans!.

2. Adding these vitamins A, C, and D to the diet of affected fish usually leads to improvement, however, deficiencies in any of these vitamins do not always lead to the fish disease, so nutrition is also questionable as a cause.

Dropsy

Cause : Dropsy is a peculiar set of symptoms occurring when the body of a fish fills with fluid. Dropsy is not a fish disease as such, but a sign of disease. Bacterial infection of the kidney is a common cause. Other causes are including viral, parasitic, and nutritional (especially vitamin deficiencies). Most cases of dropsy are non-contagious. In some cases it appears to be contagious due to the fact that a group of fish are subject to the same conditions (foods, toxins, etc.)

Symptoms : Fish may also stop feeding, appear slightly ill, tired , have sunken eyes, and hang at the top or stay at the bottom of the aquarium.

When the condition (also referred to as ascites) is severe it will cause gross swelling of the abdominal cavity (containing a large amount of fluid) and you can clearly see the scale of the fish at different angles (depending on species of fish).

Gouramies, Cyprinids (barbs, danios, goldfish etc), guppies and bettas are vulnerable to this disease.

Ampicillin is a broad spectrum, bacteriostatic antibiotic that is effective against  dropsy or bacterial kidney disease.

Fin & Tail Rot

Cause : Fin rot can be caused by a bacterial infection (Pseudomonas fluorescens), which causes a ragged rotting of the fin), or by a fungal infection (which rots the fin more evenly and is more likely to produce a white 'edge'). Sometimes, both types of infection are seen together.

Symptoms : Fin rot starts at the edge of the fins, and destroys more and more tissue until it reaches the fin base. If it does reach the fin base, the fish will never be able to regenerate the lost tissue. At this point, the disease may attack the fish's body directly.

Infection is commonly brought on by bad water conditions, injury, poor diet, or as a secondary infection in a fish which is already stressed by other disease.

Tetracycline can be used as an effective fish medication against some of the bacterial ailments that commonly afflict fishes, including fin and tail rot disease.

Some preventions such as do regular water change to improve water conditions, add aquarium salt, improve the quality of diet and provide vitamins are necessary.

 Columnaris

Cause : Columnaris is a symptom of fish disease caused by a bacterial infection (Flavobacterium columnare). The fish disease is highly contagious, spreads rapidly and kills the infected fishes within 72 hours (3 days).

The bacteria usually enters fish through gills, mouth, or small wounds, and commonly occurs where stressful conditions exist (high bio-load / overcrowding or low dissolved oxygen levels in the water). The bacteria can persist in water for up to 32 days when the water-hardness is 50ppm or more

Symptoms : An infection starts from the fins, causing frayed and ragged fins. This is followed by skin-ulcers (develop within 24 to 48 hours) where secondary fungal infection usually takes place, identified as cotton-like fungus covering the wounds. Gills will change colour, either becoming light or dark brown. Fish will breathe rapidly and laboriously as a sign of gill damage.

Fatality occurs between 48 to 72 hours if no treatment efforts are made.

If the infected fish still wants to eat, try to feed them with food containing oxytetracycline. If  the fish may no longer be eating, application of an antibiotic is necessary.

Sulfate based drug combinations such as TMP Sulfa, Sulfa 4 TMP, or Triple Sulfa, are said to combat the infection. Erythromycin (Maracyn), nitrofurazone, nifurpirinol, acriflavine, chloramphenicol or Tetracycline are also suitable fish medications.

Increased aeration and water agitation will improve dissolved oxygen levels which may assist fish suffering from gill damage.

Secondary fungal-infections should be treated as well.

 Enteric redmouth / Septicemia (hemorrhagic disease)

Enteric redmouth disease, or simply redmouth disease is a bacterial infection of freshwater and saltwater fish caused by bacteria Yersinia ruckeri.

Symptoms : Hemorrhage is serious bleeding from broken blood vessels inside a fish' body, mouth, fins, and eyes. It can be clearly seen as bloodshot appearance in fins. If it occurs on internal organs, in the later stages of the fish disease, the intestines become filled with a yellow fluid.

Ampicillin is an effective antibiotic against some of bacterial infections including septicemia (which appears as blood streaks in the fin),

 Mouth Fungus (Chondrococcus columnaris)

Symptom : White cottony patches around the mouth.

It looks like a fungus attack of the mouth. But it is actually a bacterial infection caused by bacteria Chondrococcus columnaris.

It shows up first as a gray or white line around the lips and later as short tufts sprouting from the mouth like fungus. The toxins produced and the inability to eat will be fatal unless treated at an early stage.

Pharmaceutical grade amoxicillin for fish medication. Amoxicillin is a widely used antibiotic that is effective against some of the bacterial illness that commonly attack fishes, including chondrococcus (which appears as a cottony growth around the mouth). 

 Furunculosis

Symptoms : open red sores in skin, abscess/ ulcers around the sores.

Cause : bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida, Aeromonas hydrophilla.

Fungus Clear is fish medication for bacterial infections on fishes such as furunculosis and at the same time protects against secondary infections like fungal infection.

 Eyecloud (cloudy Cornea)

Symptom : white hazy film on eyes.

Cause : bacterial invasion, infection is commonly brought on by bad water conditions.

Fungus Clear quickly and safely clears eye-cloud disease.

You should also improve the water conditions, at least do regular water-change.

Swim Bladder disease

Some possible-causes of Swim bladder disease that require different treatments :

Bacteria infestation could cause inflammation at the epithelium of the air-sac, making the sac walls too thick for proper gas diffusion. The full air-sac has to float, making the fish swims upside down.

Diet – Overfeed, poor nutrition, or feeding low-quality food that soaks up water and expand inside the fish can cause swim disorder.

Shape of fish – Globoid-shaped fishes such as the Pearlscale Goldfish, round-shaped rainbow fish are especially vulnerable to the swim bladder disorder due to their guts being all squashed up in their abdomen.

Congenitally deformed/ birth defect bladder.

Constipation. Some fishes (usually fishes with more compressed bodies like angelfish and silver dollars) are more vulnerable to constipation than others. Symptoms are loss of appetite and swelling of the body.

You can try several treatments s.a :

1. Stop feeding the sick fishes for a few days. Don't worry, fishes can last without food for up to 2 weeks. After the few days, if the fishes do not get better, try feeding peas. This treatment is being recommended by many and is well worth a try.

2. For constipation : Give the fish live food for awhile to ease the digestion and help fish bowels to work properly .

3. If above treatments don't work, the cause could be a bacterial infection. Use antibiotic like Tetracycline for suitable fish medication.

Pop-Eye (Exophthalmia)

Symptom : Swelling or bumps on one or both eyes.

The bump eye may covered by thin tissue which stretches preventing the eye pop out of its socket. The fish may also stop feeding and less active. Secondary infections s.a fungal infections can show up afterwards.

Pop-eye is not a fish disease as such, but a sign of disease. It can be caused by bacterial, viral, parasitic or tuberculosis infections, gas embolism, tumors and vitamin A deficiency. It's difficult to determine the real-cause. The best thing that we can do is guess, then treat it based on that. 

If you suspect a bacterial infection as the cause, Tetracycline is a broad spectrum antibiotic that is effective against pop-eye disease.

Add vitamins to cure vitamin deficiencies.

Fish Fungus (Saprolegnia sp.) 

Symptoms : Tufts of dirty, cotton-like growth on the skin and/or fins, it can cover large areas of the fish. Fish eggs turn white if infected.

Saprolegnia is an aquatic fungus that is found in nearly all environments. It is a saprophyte; growing on dead organic material.

It is nearly always a secondary infection, follows some other health problem like parasitic attack, injury, or bacterial infection, seldom known to invade healthy tissue. That's why, it's commonly found as white threads on open and infected external wounds.

Once established, the fungus may spread, damaging  healthy tissues. Dead fish eggs which infected by this fungus may endanger the health of neighboring eggs.

Methylene Blue is an effective fish medication for treating fungus on wounds. The fish is held out of the water while the Methylene Blue is applied then returned to the water after a few seconds. It is also used in egg incubation water to prevent the growth of this fungus.

Ketoconazole is a trusted pharmaceutical grade anti-fungal medicine, it's a broad spectrum treatment for fungal infections that can wipe out your fish population.