Fish disease in an aquarium can quickly turn into a catastrophic event for any fish owner. Aquariums usually have a lot of fish in a small space and one sick fish can turn into many sick fish in a short period of time.
The question is, “How do you recognize the symptoms of fish disease and find a treatment?“ And it’s usually a question that most of us ask after our fish start having real problems.
Fish Disease Symptoms
Here’s a short list of some common fish diseases that can attack your fish.
|
Symptoms |
Possible Diagnosis |
Treatment |
|
Bluish-white film on body, gill damage, peeling skin. |
Chilodonella |
Salt treatment. Usually about 1/8 teaspoon for five gallons of water. |
|
Cloudy appearance on skin, red patches on skin where parasite has bitten. |
Trichodina |
Salt treatment. Usually about 1/8 teaspoon for five gallons of water. |
|
Darting, scratching, small yellow to white spots dusting skin. |
Oodinium |
OTC treatment for parasites. |
|
Gray to white film on the body, damaged damage to fins and gills,open sores on the head or body |
Columnaris |
OTC antibiotics. A very contagious disease. Disinfect tank, rocks, and all fish handling equipment. |
|
Red or bleeding gills, gasping for air. |
Ammonia Poisoning |
No treatment for this. Caused by excessive wastes in the water. Can be prevented with regular water testing and maintenance |
|
Reddening on or under skin, sudden abnormal behavior. |
Inflammation |
OTC antibiotic treatment. |
|
Scratching, green to brown lice, some almost an inch long, visible on skin. |
Lice |
OTC treatment for parasites. |
|
Scratching, small gold to white spots, loss of color, weight loss, difficulty breathing due to gill damage. |
Velvet or Gold Dust Disease |
OTC medication for parasites. |
|
Scratching, small worms hanging from body. |
Leech or anchor worms |
Salt treatment or OTC medication for parasites. |
|
white spots. Usually starting on the head and spreading over the body |
Ich or Ick. A very common disease |
OTC medication for Ich or Ick. |
|
Sluggishness, spider web lesions on skin, color loss, reddened fins, drooping fins, fin damage. |
Skin Flukes |
OTC medication for parasites |
|
Sluggishness, does not eat, open sores with red edges, possible fin rot |
Ulcers |
OTC medication for bacterial infections. |
|
Swelling of abdomen, raised scales around swollen area. |
Dropsy |
Add 1/8 teaspoon of salt for every 5 gallons of water and monitor for two weeks. Watch for infection or parasites |
This list is by no means complete. But it gives some idea about what could be wrong if your fish start acting differently.
Getting good information is the first step toward having a great Koi fish pond. Take a look at “How To Build A Fish Pond” and then you need to get a copy of “The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Healthy Koi” to find out how to build a pond from an expert.
CLICK HERE to get more information and your own copy of this unique book.
Online resources used to research this list include the following and lots of forums:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aquarium_diseases
http://www.daff.gov.au
http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/Fishing/guides/pondguide/pdf/disease.pdf