Aquatic Diseases

Fish keeping and aquatic diseases sort of go hand in fin when one speaks of the highs and lows of this hobby. For most fish keepers however, the practice of strict quality standards of water changing, ionizing, oxygen supply, maintaining proper Ph, ammonia and nitrate levels, giving just the right amount of fish food and checking for changes in fish appearance from time to time is considered enough. This is not always true and though preventive steps are taken to avoid disease, it can strike the healthiest looking fish in the best-kept tank too. Such are the vagaries of nature.

Fish keeping and necessary knowledge: Aquatic diseases
  • Gas bubble disease: is a sickness caused due to sudden dramatic change in gas pressure in the aquarium. It can happen by changing too much water at one time or by adding cold water to the fish tank. This causes gas bubbles to form in the fins and skin of the fish, which look like blisters and are easy to sight. If not treated in time, gas bubbles in the bloodstream can kill the fish. Treatment measures call for plenty of aeration to the aquarium, dim lights to minimize stress and possible adding a general antibiotic to guard against secondary infection.
  • Bacterial Fin Rot: occurs when the tank conditions are less than hygienic and symptoms like frayed fins in the fish are sighted. These may be fins that are shorter than usual, with or without a white rim around them. The treatment measures necessary are the use of any good antibiotic available through the pet shop and constant checks on the water conditions.
  • Dropsy: is yet another aquatic disease that is caused due to poor environmental conditions by bacteria present in the tank. This disease causes the fish to bloat out with its scales standing out edgewise. Prompt treatment of dropsy is necessary as it can cause kidney damage; therefore, a medication for internal infections is needed.
  • Hexamita: is an aquatic disease that a fish develops when it has a hole in the head. It is caused by a single cell parasite that most often infects Discus, Oscars, Angelfish and The Gouramis, causing the fish to experience loss of appetite, uneven swimming, colors becoming intense and pin sized or larger holes appearing in the head region. The treatment for Hexamita is largely dependant on the stage of the disease; early stages with only small holes can be helped with the addition of vitamins. For later stages, usually the more commercially available treatments are recommended but timely action is necessary as this disease can prove to be fatal for the fish.
  • Gill and skin flukes: are caused by parasites and result in the fish developing protruding gill covers, with violent and frequent swallowing motions, panting and scratching as side-effects. Giving the fish a Formalin bath outside of aquarium, or commercially available cure from pet shop, use caution in aquaria containing invertebrates is the usual mode of treatment. The use of a secondary antibiotic is known to help in hastening the healing process.