The Poorly Little Fishy Marine Fish Disease and Illness Guide By Reeffin
Before we get into the details of this booklet let me explain that I will be talking about some aspects you may find obvious. What is obvious to one person may not be obvious to others, and vice versa. It is to ensure you do not make the simple mistakes as most the time these simple mistakes are the ones that are the most expensive. Trust me, I have been there. It is for this reason I try to make things as simple and as clear as possible.
The Poorly Little Fishy Just like any live animals the fish in our aquariums may get sick from time to time. As the responsible owner it is up to you to seek advice and ensure the fish gets the care it needs. What if your pet dog was ill and acting different? You would most likely go and see a vet and pay for the necessary medication. All pet owners would. The problem with marine fish care and disease is that many of us don t have a specialist vet nearby so we have to self diagnose and medicate. To experts in the saltwater hobby this is second nature as they have been self diagnosing their fishes disease for years. To you, the beginner, it can become overwhelming. This is where reeffin s The Poor Little Fishy booklet will come in helpful as with this guide any beginner can successfully self diagnose the most commonly found diseases within the saltwater aquarium.
Within this booklet we will explain what you, the owner, can do to ensure you don t miss the early signs of illness and know exactly what treatment you need. As Most LFS will stock a range of medications for most diseases found within the saltwater aquarium, getting the one you want is the easy part. The hard part is knowing which one you need!! Tip Observations are key!
Observation The best tool at your disposal in detecting disease and illness within you aquarium fish is you. I don t know about everyone else but I spend a lot of time looking at my aquarium, easily a few times a day. It is these daily observations that are your first line of defence against disease. As we look at our aquarium and watch our fish going about their lives keep a note of how your fish acts, looks and feeds. A sudden change in behaviour can be one of the first signs of illness. The earlier you can spot the disease the better chance you have of curing the fish and the better chance it has of making a full recovery.
First 3 Signs of a Poorly Fish Appetite When feeding ensure that all your fish are eating. Make note if any do not feed and if it happens a few days in a row you might have an unwell or stressed out fish. Character If the fish is normally very active and lately has been hiding in the rock work it could be an early sign the fish isn t 100%. Tip Don t panic if a newly added fish wont eat for a few days, it takes time for them to settle into their new home. They may hide and seem skittish for the first week but they will soon calm down.
Colour Most fish come out when there is food available making it the perfect chance to give your fish the once over. If stressed or ill the fishes colouration may be different than normal. This tends to be a dull, bland version of the fishes normal colouration. Tip Most fish have a sleeping coloration that is normally dull and darker. Do not panic if you turn your lights on in the morning and all your fish are dull and sluggish. They will soon wake up. Are you wide awake when your first alarm goes off?
Types of Disease So you have noticed a change in your fishes behaviour, feeding habits and/or colouration. That's great (well not for your fish) but you now know it could have a disease or illness. Which I suppose isn t really helpful afterall. As what disease is it? Well, the next section of this booklet should help with that as there will be; A list of commonly found diseases, the symptoms you need to look out for and the treatments available. Tip Observation is still key, I can not stress this enough.
Disease/ Illness; Ammonia Poisoning Symptoms; Inflamed or red gills. The fish may be gasping for air at the surface of the water. Sometimes the fish may have frayed fins where the ammonia has burnt the outer edges of the fish's fins.
Causation; Lack of bacteria in the aquarium or large bio load in a newly setup aquarium. Treatments; Perform frequent water changes to ensure the ammonia levels drop. This is going to be the quickest method to reducing the ammonia. You can use Zeolite which is a substance that absorbs ammonia. You can also buy Prime or Colony. These are full of bacteria that is crucial in the nitrogen cycle and in breaking down ammonia. Your best bet is to ensure that your aquarium is fully cycled before adding more fish. Many fish recover from this providing the levels drop as soon as the symptoms are noticed.
Disease/ illness; Nitrite/ Nitrate Poisoning far less toxic than ammonia poisoning but can still be fatal. Symptoms; Fish will become lethargic and spend a lot of time resting on the bottom Test kit will indicate high levels.
Causation; Large bio load and lack of regular water changes or nitrate removal. Treatments; Perform regular water changes to manually remove the nitrates/ nitrites from your system. Use algae in a refugium to absorb nitrates from the water column. Monitor your trates with regular testing and if needed more frequent water changes. If the levels are reduced early on the fish should make a full recovery.
Disease/ Illness; Benedenia a parasite similar to gill fluke Symptoms; Mouth kept open Breathing difficulties Eye s may become cloudy Triangular spots on body with apex towards rear of the fish.
Causation; A parasite. Treatment; Antiparasite treatments are effective and found within your local LFS. Ensure you follow the instructions of each medication used. Ensure the medication is compatible with inverts if you house them. Some give their fish a freshwater bath. If this is an option ensure it is done with extreme care.
Disease/ illness; Bacterial Infection Symptoms; Body swelling. This can be localized or spread over a large area. If the swelling bursts other infections can arise. See dropsy if the swelling is accompanied by scale protrusions.
Causation; This can be caused by various bacteria. Treatment; Copper based medicine (for a bacterial infection) works best and should be avaliable at your local LFS. Invertebrates can not survive with copper based medicine so a separate tank is needed (if you house inverts).
Disease/ Illness; Saltwater Ich Symptoms; White cotton wool like spots on the fish s body (02 mm). The fish may scratch themselves again the sand bed or rocks energetically. Breathing may become rapid.
Causation; Parasite called Cryptocaryon irritans. The one celled parasite that penetrates the outer layer of the fish s skin. Treatment; As this disease is common there are many saltwater ich medicines found within many LFS. Antiparasite remedies. Follow instructions to see if the medicine can be used in the same tank as coral and inverts.
Disease/ Illness; Marine velvet, Coral fish disease, gold dust disease. Symptoms; Tiny dust like white spots on body and fins. Fish scratches against rocks and sand bed. Gills may become inflamed and rapid gill movement. Breathing difficulties.
Causation; An infection by the singlecelled parasite oodinium ocellatum. The cycle of this parasite involves formations of cysts on the tank floor that release new batches of free swimming parasites. Treatments; As this is such a commonly found disease in the hobby many LFS stock antiparasite treatments. Follow instructions to ensure medication is safe to use with inverts and coral (if you house them).
Disease/ Illness; Swim Bladder issues. Symptoms; The fish cannot control its position in the water. Often swimming upside down or at the surface of the water.
Causation; Often caused by the fish becoming rapidly cold. Stress Poor water quality Treatment; Placing the fish in a quarantine tank is ideal. Initially ensure all water parameters are where they should be and there is nothing to stress the fish out. Ensure the water temperature is accurate and not too cold. If the above does not work try antibacterial or antiparasite medications.
Disease/ Illness; Lymphocystis Symptoms; Cauliflower like growths appear on the body and fins. These may develop over a period of several weeks.
Causation; A viral infections. Affected fish may eventually waste away or recover spontaneously. Treatment; Improving the aquarium conditions and ensure the fish is well fed will help improve the fish s chances of fighting the disease itself. Many people place the affected fish in a quarantine tank to ensure the fish is stress free and can get a good feed. This boosts the fish s chances of overcoming the infection.
Disease/ Illness; Fin rot Symptoms; Edges of fins become ragged and look like they are rotting away. The tissue between rays gradually disintegrates. This can occur on any fin.
Causation; Fin rot is caused by a bacterial infection. This infection is often aggravated by poor water conditions. Treatments; Copperbased treatments and antibiotics may be effective if used early enough. Improve the water conditions
Disease/ Illness; Pop Eye Symptoms; One or both of the eyes protrude from the eye socket.
Causation; If it is only in one eye it may be caused by a scratch or local infection. If it is in both eyes it may be caused by chronic or acute bacterial infection. Some cases are caused by parasites as well. Treatment; As the cause is so varied it often proves difficult to treat. Many antiparasite and antibacterial treatments prove effective. The fish may not seem stressed by what has happened and may continue to seem like nothing is wrong.
Disease/ Illness; Dropsy Symptoms; Swelling of the body Scales will often be erect and pointing outwards from the fish.
Causation; Dropsy often results from a bacterial infection. This is similar to dropsy in freshwater fish, hence its similar name. Poor water conditions Treatment; Ensure water conditions are stable and high quality. Treat the fish with antibiotics. Feed the fish a high quality feed.
Things to Consider! A Quarantine Tank This is a hospital tank set up incase one of your fish becomes ill and needs individual treatment or a safe place to heal. These tanks are normally empty apart from some pvc piping to allow the fish to hide and feel safe. No sand bed, live rock or other fish. Inverts and corals Some treatments and medicines can harm and/ or kill invertebrates and corals so reading the instructions carefully is a must. This is one reason why many use a quarantine tank.
It s Easier to Prevent than it is to Treat! When buying a new fish or adding anything new to your aquarium it is always best to quarantine it first. Leave it in the quarantine tank for several weeks to ensure there is no disease or harmful critters attached to your fish or coral. This prevents the introduction of disease to your fully stocked display tank. I have made this mistake and lost a full set up worth hundreds. It was heartbreaking and I almost gave up with the hobby. Having a quarantine tank seems a hassle at first but it could save you a lot of money. Isolating a disease is a great way to stop it spreading! The quarantine tank allows the fish to settle and feed on its own without being bothered by other members of your display tank. This gives the fish a chance to calm down, settle in and gain strength.
When adding new fish to your quarantine tank make sure to do so properly. Don t just add the fish to the water quickly as this may stress the fish out and result in a disease or illness breakout. The water from the LFS may have different parameters to your tanks. You need to acclimatise the fish slowly. Adding a small amount of your tank water to the water the fish is in over a period of time. This way the fish slowly gets use to the parameters of the water in your tank and is less likely to become over stressed.
# So there we have it! A list of the most common diseases, the symptoms to look out for and the treatments available to use. I hope this helped and good luck with your fish! For more information on the marine aquarium hobby visit www.reeffin.com By Scott Fletcher www.reeffin.com The Marine Aquarium Blog