How to Deal With Cichlid Diseases

by: Simon Edwards


Taking care of cichlids is a pretty simple task provided you adhere to some simple guidelines. Cichlids like you and I also suffer from sickness and diseases, and as their owner it is your responsibility to keep them at optimal health, meaning its good to keep an eye out for any signs of disease or sickness. If you neglect your fish then they will surely peril. 

Photo by: Ron's Aquarium photos 

Diseases in cichlid fish can be caused by parasites in the body, fungi on their exterior and also bad bacteria in the tank water.

Things that you want to look out for are cloudy or puffy eyes, sores on their bodies, loss of color, restricted movement, bloating of stomach or internal organs. Any of these symptoms are usually caused by some sort of bacterial infection.

If you observe any strange looking growth around the face area or sporadic behavior in the tank like darting about in a crazy manner you may be looking at some sort of fungal infection.

If you see any weak breathing, impaired movement, mucus growth on the skin, loss of appetite, spots, intense scratching. These are generally the sign of parasite infection which may include leeches, worms or lice.

Just about the most common cichlid disease is Hole in the head disease. Hexamita, usually results in rapid weight loss and a major loss of appetite, and you will also notice little indentations on and around the head area.

Ich or Ichtyophthirius is also another common cichlid disease. With this particular ailment whitened crystal marks show up on the head first, and then propagate over the entire body. Inhaling and exhaling is fast, the fish scrapes a great deal, and also the eye balls and fins all become cloudy.

When the belly is enlarged, and you find reddish scales encircling this area, it is possible that the cichlid is actually struggling with Dropsy. This may be because of germs, parasites, or even cancer. The best way to deal with this is saltwater treatment.

If you neglect their water conditions then your fish may end up with Fish Pox, Fin Rot or even Ammonia poisoning.

Columnaris or Cotton Wool Disease is one you must be very wary of as it is very contagious. Symptoms will be a grey/white layer on the skin, fin damage, ulcers and sores, loss of color in the gills. You must treat this immediately with a good antibiotic type treatment, and u will have to treat the whole tank. The same goes for Fish Tuberculosis which too is extremely contagious.

Another parasite type infection is Slime Disease which causes a white coating of the skin, sporadic movement, reddening around the gills and even folded fins. You must treat this straight away with a good parasitic medication and also by raising the water temperature a degree or two.

Cichlids can also suffer from constipation which will cause a swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite, and erratic swimming. The fish may even have feces hanging off of them. The best way to fix this is to starve them for two days then start them on a different diet.

On the subject of diet if you over feed your fish they may end up with Swim Bladder disease which will cause difficulty in swimming, swimming upside down, floating. Flip Over disease is also possible with these symptoms.

One popular way of dealing with diseases is salt treatment, but this should ideally only be done in a quarantine tank as other fish may be negatively affected. Plus it will not guarantee a cure for all diseases.

Fish tanks with heated water can become an incubator for disease if not monitored correctly. Regular cleaning of your tank and water will be your best weapon against disease in your aquarium.

It is best to spot these things as early as possible so as to implement a cure strategy before it is too late....Good Luck


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About The Author

You will find a vast range of cures and treatments for Cichlid Diseases on my websitehttp://www.cichlidssite.com which also covers cichlid breeding, care, species, buying, tank setup and much much more.

Aquarium Fish Health: White Spot Disease Symptoms And Cures

by: Nathan Miller

Fish death is one of the main problems that beginner aquarist and even some expert aquarist face. It’s frustrating to the extent that most quit keeping aquarium fish.

Photo by FJP

But fish death can be avoided. Most fish deaths are caused as a result of both an internal and external types parasites that compete with the fish in tank.

As a result if you watch your aquarium fish often you should be able to discover when they have been infected by this parasite and be able to treat them to avoid fish death.

Look out for the following White Spot disease behavioral symptoms in your fish:

- Constant lying on the bottom or hanging at the surface.

- Rubbing of the body against rocks

- Gasping at the water surface

- No response to feeding

- General dullness and lethargy

- Hovering in a corner

- Fish swimming with clamps up

The most common of the visible signs is the development of the pin head-size while spots on the body or fins. This ailment is referred to as White Spot disease and is caused by the parasite - Ichthyophthirius Multifillis.

This parasite has a free-swimming stage, which attaches itself to the fish. The most common chemical used in treating infected fishes is Methylene Blue. You could buy a one per cent stock solution from a reputable chemist or aquarium shop and apply at 0.8 to 1.0ml per gallon of water. This amount should be added all at once. Repeat after one or two days.

The fishes must remain in this bath until every while spot has disappeared. A water change after treatment is necessary or else prolonged contact with the chemical may affect the fertility of the fish.

Another tip if you are using a side filter with activated charcoal should remove it to prevent the coal from absorbing the Methylene Blue.

Another tip... during treatment you should use artificial aeration with coarse bubbles near the surface, since a dirty bottom would inactivate the medicament by absorption. A better measure is to remove all dirt from the bottom before treatment.

Methylene Blue is harmless to young fish and unlike the general belief, it does not affect plants if used in weaker concentration.

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About The Author


Nathan Miller


For more great aquarium related articles and resources check outhttp://freshwaterfish.aquariumspot.com

How To Cope With Disease In Aquariums

by: Paul Curran

Disease in the aquarium is often the result of poor environmental conditions, as this weakens the fish and makes them susceptible to disease. Here we describe four common ailments suffered and suggested treatments for fish lice, fungus, gill flukes and hole-in-the-head

Fish Lice

Symptoms: Behavior wise you will see the fish trying to scratch itself against whatever it can find. You will also see round shaped transparent parasites stuck to the fishes body. Evidence of locations the parasite has visited previously will show as red patches or areas that are scarred.

Reason: These parasites, that have eight legs, are lice (Argulus) that attach themselves by suckers, break the skin and feed on the fish. Eggs are laid away from the fish. Some say that they are often mistaken for algae but if you look closely enough you'll see what they are if they are adult as they appear a green color but the young may not be so obvious.

Treatment: The adult parasites can be removed by tweezers once the fish has been removed from the aquarium. Treat the affected area with an antiseptic. Then you could use a tank wide treatment to deal with the younger and newly hatched parasites with an organophosphate such as Dimlin (Diflubenzuron) but this sort of chemical is now banned in many countries.

I have noted that Parazin P, a medication suitable for treating crustacean infestations, has been proposed and takes several weeks to take effect as it is based on the life cycle of the parasite.

I have also read of a treatment whereby the fish is rubbed with a piece of kitchen roll paper on the parasite affected area, the fish is dipped in water (at the same temperature of the main tank) and all the parasites in that area leave the fish! Apparently the parasites do not like dry conditions, hence the use of the dry paper roll. It cannot do any harm so why not try it?

Photo by Felicia McCaulley

Fungus

Symptoms: The areas of the body that are affected are those where the mucous layer that protects the skin has been damaged. You will see cotton wool like material attached to the fish or the whole appearance of the skin may seem unclean. This is why this disease is often referred to as the cotton wool disease. Fungus types are typically Saprolegnia, Achlya, Leptomitus and Pythium.

Reason: This is a secondary infection as it often occurs after an initial wound has happened or where a parasite has been active or after the fish has suffered from white spot. Could also be due to bad water quality.

Treatment: You can use a proprietary fungicide such as phenoxyethanol to treat the individual fish in a hospital/quarantine tank but try to determine the cause of the outbreak and put corrective measures in place, otherwise it may well break out again. Salt baths are another alternative or the use of Gentian Violet topically on the affected area.

Gill Flukes (Dactylogyrus)

Symptoms: You will see the fish rubbing itself against objects to relieve the itching. It may be breathing fast or gulping for oxygen at the surface. As the disease takes hold the fish will become lethargic and try to isolate itself in a corner or stay on the bottom of the tank. It will go off its food, have swollen gills and a gill may be kept open or kept closed.

Reason: A worm like parasite up to 2 mm long infests the gills of the fish and reproduces there. It has hooks on its body to dig into the flesh which causes damage and possible bacterial infection. But the main effect is to reduce the fishes ability to breath and get in enough oxygen, eventually leading to death.

Treatment: This is an infectious disease so treatment of all fish is recommended. As the parasites eggs are quite hardy, repeated treatments over a few weeks will be needed to kill off the newly hatched worms. Fluke tabs are no longer recommended.

Praziquantel (Droncit (USA) or Drontal (UK) are preferred as they are safer for the fish. Other UK treatments include Paragon (for mild infections and safe with shrimps and snails or Sterazin (for serious infections but not safe with shrimps and snails. A follow up bacterial treatment is probably advisable to counteract any secondary infection caused by the parasite.

Hole in the head (Hexamitiasis)

Symptoms: This disease has an effect on the insides of the fish (intestines) and the skin (under it) so you might see pits in its head and its faeces will appear to be thready and white. Discus fish are particularly susceptible. The fish may swim backwards, it might look for shelter with its head facing downwards and the usual color will become darker.

Reason: A parasite called Hexamita is the culprit. It lives in the intestines and can become a problem when fish become stressed and/or weak due to poor environmental conditions.

Treatment: Metronidazole at about 500 mg per 10 gallons is the normal dosage. Dissolve the medication in hot water first. Several treatments may be needed over two weeks with 50 percent water changes carried out before each treatment. I have noted that some folk add Malachite Green to act on secondary infections.

Putting medication in the fishes food is a good idea because the disease has an effect on the fishes insides. 250mg (0.25g) of Metronidazole in 25g of food will do the trick.

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http://www.fresh-water-aquariums-guide.com/disease-aquarium/