Disease in ornamental fish
Ornamental fish kept in aquariums are susceptible to numerous diseases. Due to their generally small size and the low cost of replacing diseased or dead fish, the cost of testing and treating diseases is often seen as more trouble than the value of the fish.
Due to the artificially limited volume of water and high concentration of fish in most
Causes
Diseases can have a variety of causes, including
External bacterial infections may cause spots or streaks on the body which appear red or orange
Prevention
Disease cures are almost always more expensive and less effective than simple prevention measures. Often precautions involve maintaining a stable aquarium that is adjusted for the specific species of fish that are kept and not over-crowding a tank or over-feeding the fish. Common preventive strategies include avoiding the introduction of infected fish, invertebrates or plants by
Treatment
In some cases the causes of an infection or disease will be obvious (such as fin rot), though in other cases it may be due to water conditions, requiring special testing equipment and chemicals to appropriately adjust the water. Isolating diseased fish can help prevent the spread of infection to healthy fish in the tank. This also allows the use of chemicals or drugs which may damage the nitrogen cycle, plants or chemical filtration of a properly-functioning tank. Other alternatives include short baths in a bucket that contains the treated water. Salt baths can be used as an
There are a number of effective treatments for many strains of
See also
References
- Chris Andrews (1988). The Manual of Fish Health. Stillwater, MN: Voyageur Press. ISBN 1-56465-160-6.
- Adrian Exell; Burgess, Peter H.; Bailey, Mary Timney (29 May 1999). A-Z of Tropical Fish Diseases and Health Problems. New York, N.Y: Howell Book House. ISBN 1-58245-049-8.
- Axelrod, Herbert R.; Dieter Untergasser (1989). Handbook of fish diseases. Neptune, NJ: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-86622-703-2.
- Fairfield, Terry (2000). A commonsense guide to fish health. Woodbury, N.Y: Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 0-7641-1338-0.