Dec 24
Tuberculosis
Is usually caused by Mycobacteriosis Piscium and fish infected with tuberculosis may become lethargic, hollow bellied, pale, show skin ulcers and frayed fins. Fish may have fin and scale loss, loss of appetite and waste away physically. Yellowish or darker nodules may appear on the eyes or body and may deform the fish.
The main causes for this disease appears to be over crowding in unkempt conditions such as poor water quality. All fish species could be susceptible though some are more susceptible than others. Those most susceptible are the labyrinth air breathers like the Gouramis, Bettas, and Paradise Fish. Others include Neon Tetras, Discus, and the Ram Cichlid.
The most effective treatment known for this disease is to treat with Kanamycin and Vitamin B-6 for 30 days. Kanamycin can be purchased at your local fish store. Liquid baby vitamins work well as s Vitamin B-6 source. They are available at your local pharmacy. Add one drop per every 5 gallons of aquarium water during treatment.
It is possible for humans to contract this disease so we recommend using caution when dealing with it. Humans are very rarely are at risk from aquariums though. It is more common to contract this disease from public swimming areas or as a food contaminant.
Dec 24
Mouth Fungus:
The bacteria Chondrococcus Columnaris causes what is more commonly know as mouth fungus. When this fungus first appears it is a thin grey or white line around the mouth. When this fungus grows it produces a toxin that when it is combined with the inability to eat (due to the pain caused) will cause the fish to starve if the fungus is not treated.
A strong Penicillin dose of 10,000 units per liter with a second dose two days later is a very effective treatment. Chloromycetin at 10 to 20 mg per liter and a second dose in two days is also a good treatment.
Dec 24
Lymphocystis-
Lymphocystis is caused by a virus and can affect the cells of both saltwater and freshwater fish. This virus manifests itself by small white or pink spots on the fish that closely resemble ich. Usually these spots are on the tail and fins although sometimes they appear on the gills. Once the virus moves into its later stages it resembles cauliflower and is much larger.
In some extreme cases the fins will become so swollen that the swelling will cut off circulation to that area of the body and that fin will die and fall off, but this is only in extreme cases where the immune system of the fish can not fight the virus. If this swelling is on or near the gills, the gills may become swollen shut and the fish will suffocate.
As to date there is no cure for Lymphocystis and only a few options for the infected fish. There are products that will help the fish fight the disease and help the swelling go down but keep in mind that the fish is still infected even though you can not see any visible signs. The first step that needs to be taken with this virus is to quarantine the infected fish. Lymphocystis is a virus so it can be transferred from fish to fish within the same tank so separating the fish is the best option. Once the fish is secluded make sure to thoroughly clean the net that was used to transfer the infected fish, and any material that the fish may have come in contact with, use a good cleaner such as Net Soak to make sure you get the job done. The next step is to let the immune system of the fish take over and fight the virus. Many cases of this viral disease go into remission and the swelling will subside and completely disappear until the next outbreak.
The best thing that can be done to help a fish with Lymphocystis is to give the fish any assistance that you can. Adding salt to the water or adding natural enzymes to help the fish produce its natural slime coating will help the immune system of the fish. Another option is to make sure that you feed your fish a well rounded diet to ensure it receives all of the nutrients that it needs.
Dec 22
Understanding what is considered “normal” fish behavior is a key element in recognizing and treating issues with your tank. Fish not only swim, they have their own specific personalities and behaviors that they will do and recognizing them could be the different between life and death with your fish. I used to have a eel that would dart to the top of the tank, then dart back down to the bottom and then hide. The eel would repeat this behavior for about 10 minutes and then stop. This behavior was not anything that I had with any other fish that I had in the past. Naturally I was concerned and checked every possible level in the tank. After establishing that everything was normal in the tank I concluded that the eel was “playing”. The eel lived for several years and I never had any issues with it but this was my first lesson in fish behavior. This darting behavior could have been misunderstood as any number of issues in the tank and if I would not have checked the levels first I could have tried to treat the tank and fix the problem where none existed, thus damaging a perfectly normal healthy fish.
There is no doubt that Oscars are great fish and although they are very popular for aquarist they are rated in the difficult care level and should only be maintained by those confident in their aquarium skills. A few days ago we were contacted about strange new behavior from one of the Oscars tank and even though the behavior is not due to an Oscar specific illness we feel that it is a common enough issue to address.
Initially I was told that the fish was loosing its scales. The rest of the fish in the original tank were doing ok but some of them had started to loose scales as well. After asking a few questions I find out that the fish was not only loosing its scales but gasping in the water as well. After a few more questions I find out that the fish has been swimming a little “odd” when it swims at all. After talking with the owner for a few minutes to get as much information as possible about the fish I will admit that I was stunned that a perfectly healthy fish a week ago could suddenly come down with all of these issues with no new additions to the tank. All of the symptoms that I was told would be explained if there were new fish in the tank or new water added, something had to be done to contaminate the water.
Suddenly it all clicked. The person that I spoke to said that they had moved about two weeks ago. After questioning them about the move the culprit was clearly evident. When the move had taken place the owners could not find anyone to help them move the tank. So instead of leaving the tank for the next person they decided to drain the water and just refill the tank with water from the new house. MAJOR PROBLEM!!! Another factor was that all of the treatment chemicals and conditioners were packed away still and nothing had been done to the water before it was added to the tank.
The cause for all of these issues with the Oscar was Ammonia. By draining the tank and refilling it, the owner had replaced established water with new untreated water that had to go through the cycling process. Granted the filter already had good bacteria in it, but when the fresh tap water touched the bacteria it killed it and the tank was starting its process all over again. By not treating the water or testing it prior to putting it in the tank, the owner had also put in water that had a wrong pH for the fish. After talking with the owners and telling them that they needed to unpack the fish box because the water was the issue, one of the owners took a sample down to his local fish store to have them test the water which confirmed what I had told him. I then outlined what they needed to do to treat the fish and told them that it did not look good for the fish because it was already so far along in the process but treatment would help and give the fish a fighting chance.
Knowing a normal fish behavior can tip you off to any issue that your tank is having. The owners of the Oscar noticed when they filled the tank that the behavior changed in the fish because the water was different. They wrote this change of because of temperature and the stress of the move. Granted this is a 100% over site on the part of the owners and by not treating the water they have basically killed their fish. Understanding normal behavior and not forgetting the basics is a key concept that can be overlooked and will cause havoc in the tank if not taken care of.
Dec 09
When I first started out with aquariums I was unsure about everything and even though I wanted to do things right I was a little confused about the job and importance that every piece played. Take aeration for instance, I remember specifically asking the owner of the pet store that I was in if I really needed aeration, and what it did for the tank. The reply that he gave could have been correct and he was the one who worked in the pet store so I had no reason not to trust him. The reply that I received was that aeration was only to make the tank look good and I really didn’t need it for my fish to live. Now as a kid who was just learning about tanks and aquariums this sounded good to me, I wasn’t trying to win any contest for how good my tank looked, I just wanted happy healthy fish. The knowledge that one learns through experience is better than anything, so here are a few simple basic facts about aeration.
Fish need air to live- It is true that fish live underwater (just seeing if you are awake), but they breath air. When the water passes over their gills, the oxygen is “sifted” out of the water and passed into their “lungs”. Fish do not have lungs like we have but clean oxygen is EXTREMELY important. The water that the fish has already removed the oxygen from is now lighter than the rest of the water in the tank and so it rises to the surface (this is where you get the surface exchange of gasses). Once at the surface and the gasses are exchanged the water particles are the same weight as the rest of the water in the tank and they are recirculated. This process continues and you have the water circulation in your tank. This process is not an extremely fast one and if the original exchange was the only “bad” air in the tank it would not be so bad. However through the natural nitrogen cycle harmful chemicals are continously produced, circulated and removed from the water in your tank by the filtration system and the “good” bacteria that is growing there. The chemicals produced by this cycle are also in the water and are harmful to the fish. When you think about all of the water in your tank and then think about the top of the water, where the surface gasses are exchanged, the top is a relatively small surface area for this gas exchange to take place. If the only water movement in your tank is coming from a filter then that is not enough movement to effectively remove the harmful gasses from the water. Imagine living in a sealed room where 10 particles of harmful gas was added to the air every minute and only 5 particles of harmful gas were taken out in that same time. Eventually you would get sick and die from breathing in the harmful gasses. Its the same concept. Now take a air hose that pumps in clean air into that room and thats what an aerator does. It helps oxygenate the water that the fish lives in.
An Aerator infuses water with air- In addition to having a really neat affect on your aquarium, the aerator actually speeds up the exchange process. When all of those bubbles reach the surface they cause the water at the surface to move making the gas exchange happen faster. Also by bringing in fresh clean air into the bottom of the tank, “dirty” water particles that come in contact with these air bubbles have an underwater gas exchange with the air bubble and are cleaned. By starting this process from the bottom of the tank there is actually more clean water throughout the tank.
Water movement is very important and that leads into an entirly different article about wave makers, pumps and powerheads.
Suffice it to say that your fish WILL live without an aerator FOR A LITTLE WHILE. Once the gas reaches toxic levels your fish will die. Even with an aerator your aquarium water will need help, that is why you treat it with chemicals and complete water changes. You have to help the aquarium live and survive. An aerator is a great option and when you consider the amount of time that you will be spending working on your tank it only makes sense to get something that is going to help you out. Gredens has many aerators as well as many bubble stones and several bubble makers under decorations. Click hereto be taken to Gredens home page.
