Neon Tetra Disease

*THIS DISEASE IS NAMED AFTER THE FIRST FISH THAT IT WAS NOTICED ON. THIS DISEASE CAN APPEAR ON ANY FISH NOT JUST NEON TETRAS.

This disease is caused by the sporoza Plistophora Hyphessobryconis. It will appear as whits areas under the skin of the fish and will lead to muscle degeneration and abnormal swimming. The organism will form cyst which will burst and create more organisms. Eventually these organisms will get into the water and will be eaten by other fish and infect the entire tank.

There is no known treatment for this disease. It is best to destroy the infected fish and clean the aquarium.

Marine Ich (Cryptocarton Irritans)

Ich (also spelled Ick) is one of the most common maladies found in salt water aquariums. It is seen as white salt-like specks on the body and fins of fish. Other symptoms include excessive slime, problems breathing (because ich invades the gills), clamped fins and loss of appetite. The saltwater version of ich involves four stages of life compared to the three stages in freshwater.

In the trophont stage the parasites are growing in the skin and gills of the fish and appear as white nodules. Ich will usually spend 5-7 days in this stage depending on the water temperature. Once it reaches maturity, the parasite will leave the fish.

In the protomont stage the adult parasite spends several hours crawling around the tank and creating a sticky slime coating around its body. This sticky coating helps the parasite cling to the substrate or aqua-scaping where it goes into its cyst stage.

In the tomont stage (or cyst stage) there is a rapid cell division in the adult parasite. Each parasite will divide into hundreds of baby parasites. The stage will last anywhere from 3-28 days depending on water conditions and ends with the hatching of the new parasites.

In the theront stage the baby parasites going into a free swim mode and searches for a new host. The new parasites must find a new host within 24 hours or they will die. Once a new host is found the cycle starts all over again.

To rid your tank of ich it is recommended that you use a combination of chemicals, temperature and water changes. Remember that each stage of ich is shortened when you increase the temperature in the tank. The chemicals recommended for treatment include; copper, formalin and a combination of the two. Follow the instructions listed on the package for each medication.

To treat for ich using the water change method complete a 50% water change daily for 14 days. This change will not harm your fish as long as salinity and temperature are the same. There are other more complicated methods that involve placing the fish in a lower salinity but this method is risky because you have to re-acclimatize the fish to the higher salt content before you can reintroduce the fish to the tank.

Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)

            Ich (also spelled Ick) is one of the most common maladies found in both fresh and salt water aquariums. It is seen as white salt-like specks on the body and fins of fish. Other symptoms include excessive slime, problems breathing because ich invades the gills, clamped fins and loss of appetite. There are three life cycles that this protozoan goes through and despite other claims ich can only be treated in one of these three stages.  

            The adult stage finds the ich embedded in the skin or gills of the fish. In this stage the fish will show obvious signs of irritation as the protozoa feeds on red blood and skin cells. The ich will appear as white nodules in this stage. After a few days of this stage the adult protozoa bill burrow out of the fish and fall to the bottom of the tank where they will enter cyst stage.

            The cyst stage involves rapid division of the adult protozoa, once this division has occurred the ich is in the final stage.

            This third stage or free swimming stage is the stage where treatment is imperative to kill these protozoa. Each adult will divide to an estimated 1000 new protozoa that will start to swim to the surface looking for a host and start the cycle all over again.

            The first step in treating ich is the easiest and most important. The average time that an ich protozoan goes through its three stages is 4 weeks with a water temperature of 70 degrees. By simply increasing the temperature to 80 degrees it speeds up the lifecycle of the protozoa and increases the lifecycle to only 5 days, thus increasing the speed in the transformation between stages. If the fish can stand it, increasing the temperature to 85 will be even better.

            The second step in treating these free swimming ich protozoa is by using chemicals. Quinine hydrochloride is the preferred method at 30 mg per liter; however quinine sulphate can be used if hydrochloride is not available. These medications will make the water cloudy at first but this will disappear in a few days. Other medications that can be used are malchite green and copper.

Hexamita-

            Hexamita are intestinal flagellated protozoa that attack the lower intestine. The first sign is a slimy, white mucous feces even though the fish is acting fine. The fish will start to hide in corners of the tank and swim backwards. Further signs are that the head will start to become thin and black above the eyes. These protozoa attack the lower intestine so another sign is the wasting away of the fish and the loss of appetite.

            Two steps need to be taken to fight these protozoa. The first is to treat the food for the fish with 1% metronidazole, this will treat the protozoa that are in the stomach of the fish. The second step is to treat the water with the same medication at a mixture of 12 mg per liter; this will kill any protozoa that are still in the water. Treat the water every other day for three treatments to ensure the water is treated properly.

            Hexamita is often confused with Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) or hole-in-head disease. Both Hexamita and HLLE are often seen at the same time. HLLE is seen as tiny holes or cavities in the head and is due to poor environmental conditions, while Hexamita is a thinning of the head and is caused by protozoa.

Costia:

Costia is a somewhat rare disease that is relatively easy to cure if your fish becomes infected. There are several treatments for this disease however two of the treatments have serious side effects. Costia causes the skin of the infected fish to become cloudy and milky. The first treatment is to raise the water temperature to 80-83 degrees. This treatment is not a 100% guarantee but it does not present any side effects to fish. The second method for treating Costia is by adding copper at a rate of 2 mg per liter of water. Caution needs to be used when using this treatment because overdosing can cause copper poisoning. Some species of fish are extremely sensitive to copper so make sure to research your fish and find out the level that your fish can tolerate. The third medication that can be used is Acriflavine (trypaflavine) at a rate of 1 ml per liter of water. This treatment can cause sterility in fish so following the guidelines is very important.

Velvet:

            Velvet is one of the more common diseases in aquarium fish, and can strike down every inhabitant in the tank before the hapless owner realizes what he or she is dealing with. Also known as Rust or Gold Dust disease, it is caused by one of several species of a tiny parasite known as Oödinium. Velvet is found in both fresh and saltwater tanks. All three species of velvet have symptoms and lifecycles similar to Ich.

Oödinium finds a fish and latches onto it; it then forms a rod which penetrates the skin and soft tissues of the gills. The Oödinium releases a chemical which destroys the cells; it then feed on the nutrients inside. After feeding and maturing, the parasite drops off the fish and divides into dozens of cells that are released into the water to seek hosts. They must find a host within 24 hours, or die. Oödinium produces white pustules on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich. In fact they are so fine they are often not seen before the fish perishes. Velvet attacks all fish and will even affect fry that are only a few days old. Anabantoids, danios, goldfish, zebrafish, and killifish are particularly susceptible to velvet disease. In initial stages the fish rub against hard objects trying to dislodge the parasites. As the disease progresses the fish becomes lethargic, fins are held close to the body, appetite is reduced and the fish loses weight. A key symptom is difficult rapid breathing.

 Some symptoms of Velvet are:

• Scratchs against hard objects
• Fish is lethargic
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Rapid, labored breathing
• Fins clamped against body
• Fine yellow or rusty colored film on skin
• In advanced stages skin peeks off

 Because Velvet is highly contagious and usually far advanced before being diagnosed, it is important to take the following steps and to start treatment as soon as possible.

• Raise water temperature to 82 degrees F
• Dim lights for several days
• Add aquarium salt
• Treat with copper sulphate for ten days
• Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment
• As with any treatment, activated carbon should be removed from the filter, as it will remove the drugs from the water.

Copper sulphate is the treatment of choice. It should be used according to the manufacturers instructions for a full ten days to ensure that the parasite is completely eradicated. Atabrine (Quinacrine hydrochloride) is another medication that can be used to treat Velvet.

Red Pest:

            A fish that is infected with the bacteria that causes what is known as Red Pest will exhibit red “bloody” streaks on the fins, tail and or body that will resemble Hemorrhagic Septicemia. If left untreated these streaks could progress into ulcers or open sores and possibly lead to tail and fin rot with the infected fins rotting and falling off. If you are lucky enough to catch this bacteria early enough you can treat your tank with a bacterial disinfectant such as Binox. As always, follow the instructions on the medications and if the fish are not making any recovery discontinue use. Do not feed large amounts while treating your fish.

            Another option is to feed your fish medicated fish food. This is done easiest by purchasing a pre medicated fish food. If that option is not available mix about 1% of a 250mg capsule in with 25 grams of flake food and your fish should eat it before the medication is absorbed by the water. Since this bacterium is inside treating the water does little good unless this bacterium is caught early. Tetracycline or Chloromycetin are good antibiotics to use for treatment.

Tail and Fin Rot:

Symptoms: Disintegrating fins that may be reduced to stumps, exposed fin rays, blood on edges of fins, reddened areas at base of fins, skin ulcers with gray or red margins, cloudy eyes.

     Tail and fin rot appears to be a bacterial infection of the tail and/or fins and may be caused by generally poor conditions, bully, or fin nipping tank mates. If aquarium conditions are not good an infection can be caused from a simple injury to the fins/tail. Tuberculosis can lead to tail and fin rot. Basically, the tail and/or fins become frayed or lose color. Over time the affected area slowly breaks down.
     First, ascertain the cause and determine if it is a bacterial issue or a “bully” fish. Then treat accordingly. Also, treat the water or fish with antibiotics. If added to the water, use 20 – 30 mg per liter. If the fish is to be treated add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol) or tetracycline. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.

Standard Scale Protrusion

     Scale protrusion is essentially a bacterial infection of the scales and/or body. A variety of bacterium could be the culprit here, as can unkempt aquarium conditions. This protrusion resembles Dropsy without the swelling of the body.
     An effective treatment is to add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol) or tetracycline for treatment. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.

Dropsy-

            Dropsy is a bacterial infection that damages the kidneys causing fluid accumulation and renal failure. The kidney function in fish is the same as in humans and kidney failure can kill a fish if left untreated. When fluids build up inside the body they will cause the fish to swell and resemble a pinecone with all of its scales standing out. Once the fish reaches this stage it is difficult for the fish to pull through since the swelling is a late stage sign and the fish is already full of fluids and the damage is already done.

            One effective treatment is to add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol).Tetracycline in the samd dosage will work as well. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.