Menu
Home
Setting up an Aquarium
Guide to getting healthy fish
Food for your tropical fish
FAQ
Tropical Plants
Fish Diseases

Fish Profiles
The Livebearers
The Characins
The Labyrinths
The Cyprinidae(Danios etc.)
The Cobitidae
The Cichlids
 

Fish Diseases

Above: Marble Hatchet with signs of the 'ICH - WHITE SPOT' disease. Fish Diseases

Tropical freshwater aquariums can become infested by a wide range of parasites, bacteria, viruses, fungi and other unwanted organisms. Fish diseases will often affect fish that is already weakened, e.g. by stress or poor water conditions. When fish fight each other, the wounds can become infected by bacteria and require antibiotic treatment. Examples of common problems in freshwater aquariums are Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifilis), Hole in the Head disease (Hexamita), Dropsy, Fin rot, Anchor worms, Tuberculosis, Velvet (Oodinium), Pop-Eye, Cloudy Eye, Flukes, Swim Bladder Disease and Fish Lice.

Ich
One of the most common fish diseases is Ich. This disease is also known as Ick and White Spot Disease. The most visible symptom of this disease is small white dots found on the body of the fish. An infected fish can also start to rub itself against hard surfaces. Ich is caused by a parasite named Ichthyophthirius Multifilis. This parasite can only be killed when it is free swimming outside the body of the fish, and you will therefore need to be persistent with the Ich treatment. Different aquarists prefer different treatments. Many choose to increase the temperature in the aquarium to speed up the life cycle of the parasite, but increasing the water temperature will can cause the oxygen level to drop. Salt is affective against Ich, but some fish species are very intolerant to salt. If you know that your species can tolerate some salt, you can gradually increase the salt content until you have added around 5-8 tablespoons of salt for each 4 liter of water. Malachite green and formalin are two other commonly used Ich remedies. Malachite green should not be used if you keep scale-less fish. When you treat Ich you must always treat the entire aquarium, you can not simply move the symptom showing fish to a quarantine aquarium.

Hole in the Head disease
The fish will display small cavities on its head and grow listless and lethargic. It will usually loose its colors and refrain form eating. The holes will usually be white and yellow mucus can be excreted from them. The reason behind Hole in the Head disease is a protozoa that is naturally occurring in fishes. If the fish becomes weakened by another disease, poor water conditions or malnutrition the protozoa can multiply can cause the holes. Isolate your fish in a quarantine aquarium and treat it with medicated food or direct injections. 

Dropsy
If your fish has a swollen abdomen it might be suffering from dropsy, especially if the scales stand out at the belly. A sick fish will become lethargic and stop eating. Dropsy can be caused by virus or bacteria, and is usually introduced via infected food. Dropsy is sometimes mistaken for pregnancy in female fish. Treating dropsy can be difficult, but there are anti-dropsy medications available in pet stores. If the virus or bacteria has already reached the kidney, the fish will most likely die even if you treat it. Early treatment is absolutely essential when combating dropsy. Carefully watch your aquarium and remove any dead fish to prevent the disease from spreading. Dropsy is not a highly contagious disease, and will usually spread only when fish is allowed to eat dead fish in the aquarium.