Ammonia Poisoning

Much as fish are fun to keep and lovely creatures to behold, they demand and deserve appropriate care and attention. Ammonia poisoning is one of the worst and biggest reasons for fish casualties. What makes it more critical is that ammonia poisoning can be prevented but not cured. All the more reason for aquarists to exercise care.

  • Ammonia Poisoning is more common in new aquariums, especially when immediately stocked to full capacity. The best thing to aim for is zero level of ammonia. Although trace amounts are generally harmless, they can still lead to problems over time. Understanding the nitrogen cycle is essential for the keeping of any aquatic life. In essence, try to maintain your aquarium with no traceable ammonia present.

Here are a few pointers to making sure that you avoid falling into this pit.
  • Do not add expensive fish to new tanks. New tanks must sit for two to four weeks until the bacterial level is sufficient to handle the tank load; add a few inexpensive fish at this time. Purchase an ammonia and nitrite test kit. Test the water until the ammonia drops to nearly zero. At this time, you should notice an increase in the nitrite level. When the nitrites are gone, it will be safe to add fish.

Symptoms
  • Red or bleeding gills. Fish may appear darker in color and may gasp for air at the surface.

Diagnosis: &Treatment
  • Detecting the disease is critical. The best thing for you to do would be to either net your fish and destroy it or use a hospital tank. Early removal from the tank would save you a lot of trouble.
  • A wise thing to do would be to go in for a hospital tank. You may be under the impression that it works out expensive but there are manufacturers that make Wet/Dry filters for such small tanks at reasonable cost. The hospital tank can also be used as a transferring tank for new fish. It is best to let a new fish get adjusted to the transferring tank and monitor it for a week or two. You can run a small amount of copper in the tank water to eliminate any diseases the fish may or may not have.
  • A good solution for curing diseased saltwater fish is dipping the fish in freshwater. The freshwater dip will instantly kill any parasites clinging to the fish. You could then transfer it into the hospital tank to be medicated. However, it may prove too be late when you dip your saltwater fish into freshwater because the fish may be so weak from the disease that it would be almost useless to expect it to recover.
  • You will have to be ready to play the waiting game when dealing with a diseased fish.Control the urge to constantly peep in and check your sick fish to see if it is getting better. Bear up and try not to not give up on your fish to easily, especially if your saltwater fish is in a hospital tank. When medicating a fish it is best to keep maintain a dark, unlit environment. Rest can work wonders, as we all know.