Raising fish pets is one of the most relaxing things at home. However, taking care of the aquarium and providing for their needs is the responsibility you must perform. According to Adam of kingsoftheaquarium.com, the most individual who is interested in this activity is the younger generation. Thus, at this moment, the people’s interest escalated because of the pandemic outbreak.
Spending time inside our houses is our routine up to this moment. And to think of that is an exhausting and tedious thing to do. However, the aquarium serves as the game-changer. Spending time to feed your fish pets, cleaning their tanks, adding plant species inside, and checking up on each of them can make your day extra special.
On the other hand, not all the time is a positive one. Similar to humans, fish also can get some diseases. They also feel uncomfortable even though they are small and live in the water. For that reason, you better act fastly to save them and reduce the pain. In this article, we share some proper advice on performing better care for your fish friends.
To know more about that, join us and let us move forward to discuss some of this remarkable information. But then, let’s get started to explore this article more!
Different Kinds Of Disease That your Fish Pet Has and The Possible Cure For It
This section contains the details about the different diseases your fish pets might have. Together with that is the proper prevention that you must perform to save them. It includes the following;
-
Red Pest
Also known as Hemorrhagic Septicemia. This type of bacterial disease is what most fish are experiencing. Severe damage to the body tissue, blood vessels, and heart resulting in internal bleeding are common causes.
Moreover, there are visible signs that you need to look after when your pet has this disease. There will be distinct bright red streaks on its fins. Bloated abdomen, bulging eyes, list open sores, and patchy red discoloration on the body’s flanks are also included.
Another thing that you must monitor is their behavioral signs. As you know, because of the pain and discomfort of your pet, they also show hyperventilation or fast breathing, gasping at the surface, and erratic swimming.
Furthermore, the various organisms or Ammonia Strikes are the primary cause based on the studies. It is triggered by poor water conditions with a high amount of decomposing organic debris. Besides, it is common to have high nitrate and poor Redox when Septicemia occurs.
Unfortunately, there is no natural and specific cure for this disease. There are some cases where some external treatment helps, but there will be a low percentage of effectiveness in internal illness. Treating your aquarium and cleaning it can be your better option. Removing all the debris and disinfecting the entire tank means a lot for this problem.
There are some products like Acriflavine or Monacrin that might help. Thus, reading the level and instruction is an essential thing to consider. Another option to lessen the infection is adding some antibiotics to their food. You can try some meds, but it would be great to consult first. Keeping them hungry before feeding them with the meds is a great tip.
-
Mouth Fungus
Columnaris is the other term for this kind of bacterial disease. Due to its mold-like lesion, it is commonly mistaken as a fungus infection like Cotton fin. However, it has a fatal and contagious effect that needs serious medication.
Similar to other bacterial diseases, this type is also visible. Some of these are ulcerations on the skin, epidermal loss, mucus on the gills, head, and dorsal regions, frayed and ragged fins, white or cloudy, fungus-like patches mainly on the gill filaments, and lastly, changing color in its gills that turns into light or dark brown.
Behavioral signs are also included as an effect of this kind of disease. Loss of appetite and breathing rapidly and laboriously are typical. As for this disease, the primary cause is a stressful condition. Overcrowding, injury, poor water quality, inadequate diet, and unstable pH are some of the reasons to trigger this bacterial disease.
Furthermore, the bacteria that cause it all have a low salt tolerance. For that reason, you can use it as an advantage and put it in your tank. That way, you can lessen the infection and use it as an initial treatment. In addition, you can separate the infected ones in other baths to prevent others from getting the bacteria. Thus, the best option is to clean and disinfect the entire tank as possible.
Moreover, you can also use antibiotics to cure bacterial infections. A proper prescription is what you need to do the right meds for your fish pets. If there is any dead fish in the tank, removing it is the best action. It prevents any internal infection that can add to your fish pet’s condition.
-
Tuberculosis (Fish TB)
Tuberculosis is not only for humans. Thus, it’s more distinct than in fish cases. There are also some cases that your fish pets can also get this bacterial disease. Besides, it is common in tropical fish tanks. It could go unnoticed because it is not as highly contagious and has no severe effect as other bacterial infections.
Additionally, there are still some physical signs that you must be aware of. Some of them can have a hollowed belly, tun pale, frayed fins, they can become lethargic, fin and scale loss, skin ulcer, and yellowish or darker nodules may appear on the eyes or body.
As for its behavioral signs, there will be loss of appetite, hiding behavior, and refusal to eat. Besides, this disease might be caused by various species of Mycobacteria. And a poor maintenance aquarium can trigger this disease, especially when you have low pH values, low oxygen, high soluble zinc, fulvic and humic acids.
On the other hand, this bacterial disease has no natural cure or vaccine. Thus, the best way to lessen and prevent this from happening is to build an excellent exemption for cleaning and maintaining your entire tank and disinfecting it if necessary, and setting up a great environment. Having a separate bath to ensure the safety of other fish is also advisable.
-
Dropsy
As for this bacterial disease, there will be a build-up of fluid inside of your fish. As a result, there are some physical signs that you might see. That would be a bloated appearance, extruding eyes, and scales sticking out like a pinecone.
In addition to that is the behavioral problem that includes lethargy, loss of appetite, and rapid gill breathing. The primary cause of this disease is Aeromonas bacteria. Your fish might get this bacteria because of the overcrowding and poor water condition.
It can also affect the fish with poor health conditions like poor kidney function, resulting in water absorption into the body cavity that causes stomach swelling. Unfortunately, it is common in most of the fish tanks out there.
Moreover, we are sorry to say that there is no way out if the infection gets severe, leading to death in treatment. Thus, if you find it early, you can try to save them. But, of course, it is better to isolate the infected fish from the others. Epsom salt can be a great help somehow.
Disinfecting the entire tank and setting up a great environment is better to prevent this from happening. Ensuring that you provide proper care and space is also an excellent move to consider. Giving your pets antibacterial food is also a great option. It might be helpful to prepare your fish and increase their chances of survival.
Conclusion
The above information might be a great reference when you come across some bacterial fish diseases. It is common when you set up your tank at home. The proper knowledge on how to prevent each of them can be a helpful thing when raising different kinds of fish species. The above diseases are common among others. It is not all the kinds, but they are some of the bacterial infections your fish might be experiencing.
Thank you, and best of luck!
