Sometimes others can get throught to a site and I can't and vice versa.
(It sounds like majic to me...) If you already have seen this, sorry to
waste your time. However here is the text from that page Hugo alluded to. In
light of what you and others have been writing on and reporting on the
topic, their's is either amusing or highly distressing. Lurking as I have on
the RML has been very rewarding and your discussions of the fish
"tuberculosis" leaves me very much in your debt.
All the best,
Scott
Common Freshwater Diseases
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This is a glossary of common diseases which infect freshwater fish. Although
not
every disease is treatable--or easily diagnosed, this list should serve as a
basic aid in diagnosing ailments. If you need assistance in diagnosing a
specific problem, click here to run the AquaLink Diagnostic Utility
Here is a list of categorized diseases.
Ammonia Poisoning
Black Spot
Cataracts
Corneybacterium
Dropsy
External Bacterial Infection
Fungal Infection
Ich
Internal Bacterial Infection
Myxobacteriosis
Oodinium (Velvet)
Parasitic Infection
Ammonia Poisoning
Symptoms: Red or bleeding gills. Fish may appear darker in color and may
gasp
for air at the surface.
Treatment:Ammonia Poisoning can be prevented but is impossible to cure.
Avoid
adding expensive fish to new tanks. New tanks must sit for two to four weeks
until the bacterial level is sufficient to handle the tank load; add a few
inexpensive fish at this time. Purchase an ammonia and nitrite test kit.
Test
the water until the ammonia drops to nearly zero. At this time, you should
notice an increase in the nitrite level. When the nitrites are gone, it will
be
safe to add fish. Note that the bacterial phases will not take place unless
the
tank is initially stocked with feeder fish which can be removed after
treatment.
For larger biological loads, purchase a wet/dry filter (marine only) or a
freshwater biological filter such as the Penguin Bio-Wheel by Marineland.
For
the immediate removal of ammonia, purchase an ammonia detoxifier such as
Kordon's Amquel. However, it is best left alone until the bacterial load is
sufficient.
Information: Ammonia Poisoning is common in new aquariums, especially when
immediately stocked to full capacity. Ideally, the level of ammonia should
be
zero. Although trace amounts are generally harmless, they can still lead to
problems over time. Understanding the nitrogen cycle is essential for the
keeping of any aquatic life. In essence, try to maintain your aquarium with
no
traceable ammonia present. The amount of ammonia present is usually
accompanied
by a rise in pH. As ammonia is a strong base, it is stabilized by alkaline
water. It can cause damage to the gills at a level as small as 0.25 mg/l.
External Bacterial Infection
Symptoms: There are a great deal of possible symptoms associated with this
disorder. There may be spots on the body which appear red or orange. Watch
for
red streaks on the surface on the body. Dropsy (bloating) is also a sign of
a
bacterial disorder. "False Fungal Infections" look like fungus but is
actually a
bacterial infection known as Columnaris. These symptoms may include a white
or
gray film on the body.
Treatment: There are a number of effective treatments for many stains of
bacterial infections. Three of the most common are tetracycline, penicillin
and
naladixic acid. Salt baths are another effective treatment.
Information: Bacterial infections are often difficult to diagnose due to the
many different types. Orange or red streaks on the body is usually the only
fool-proof method for the determination of a bacterial infection.
Black Spot
Symptoms: Small black specks on the body.
Treatment: Black spot is generally easy to cure. There are a number of
commercially available treatments and preventatives.
Information: Black Spot, or diplopstomiasis, often follows the addition of
new
aquarium fish. All fish are susceptible, especially the Silver Dollar and
Piranha. It is fairly easy to diagnose and treat.
Cataracts
Symptoms: White or gray material covering the eyes only.
Treatment: As far as I know, the only treatment specifically designed for
this
ailment is Eye Fungex by Aquatronics. In the process, special attention
should
be made to assure that ammonia and nitrite levels stay within accepted
measures.
Information: Cataracts are fungal growths on the eyes. Treatment with any
aquarium fungicide should work. Its probability increases with water rich in
ammonia or nitrates.
Corneybacteriosis
Symptoms: Bulging eyes
Treatment: There are a few commercially available products which treat
corneybacteriosis. Penicillin and tetracycline are among them.
Information: Corneybacteria causes swelling in the head which will push the
eyes
outward. It is caused by overcrowding and water of poor quality, having an
excess of ammonia and / or nitrites.
Dropsy
Symptoms: Bulging sides and stomach. Scales may be forced outward.
Treatment: See Internal Bacterial Infections
Information: Dropsy is not a disease. It is, however, a sign of an internal
bacterial infection. It is so often a symptom of bacterial infections that
it
has been classified separately.
Fungal Infections
Symptoms: White or cotton-like substance concentrated mainly on scrapes,
surface
injuries, fins or mouth.
Treatment: Treatment of fungal infections is relatively easy. There are a
great
many commercially available products for this, including MarOxy by Mardel
Laboratories and Super Sulfo and Would Control by Aquatronics.
Information: This is a very common disorder which infects all kinds of
tropical
fish. It is intensified greatly with fish having damaged fins or cuts and
scrapes. It is also much more likely in poor water conditions in which there
are
unacceptable levels of ammonia or nitrites. Fungal infections are also a
sign of
bullying by other fish. Fin nippers will damage the fins of other fish
making
them more susceptible to fungal infections and external bacterial infections
such as fin and tail rot.
Ich (Ichthyophthiriasis)
Symptoms: Small white pimples concentrated mainly on the fins. Pimples look
like
granules of salt.
Treatment: Treatment of Ich can be difficult. There are several medications
and
preventatives available including Super Ich by Aquatronics and Maracyn and
Maracyn-Two by Mardel Laboratories.
Information: This is the most widespread and common freshwater fish disease.
The
small pustules are actually sacks of tiny protazoans. In a few days, the
sacks
break open and the parasites fall into the aquarium gravel where they
multiply
in great numbers. When mature, the new protazoans attack the rest of the
fish.
It is this lifecycle that makes Ich so contagious. The protazoans will
weaken
the fish progressively by destroying the protective coating.
The protazoans may only be destroyed after they have left the sacks. When
embedded in the aquarium gravel, they are susceptible to medication.
Therefore,
increasing the temperature of the water during treatment can speed up the
life
cycle, causing the pustules to break open quicker. After exposed, the
protazoans
are killed before they can multiply.
Internal Bacterial Infection
Symptoms: One of the most common symptoms is Dropsy. The body may be
enlarged in
various areas.
Treatment: Treatment is relatively easy. There are a number of medications
available such as penicillin, tetracycline and naladixic acid.
Information: There are many different types of internal bacterial
infections.
However, they are relatively easy to cure.
Myxobacteriosis
Symptoms: Symptoms may include black patches on the body and fins. The body
may
become bloated or swollen in some areas.
Treatment: As far as I know, there is only one medication designed
specifically
for myxobacteriosis--Phenocide by Aquatronics.
Information: This infection is rather uncommon but fairly easy to treat. Its
probability is intensified by overcrowding and poor water quality with high
levels of ammonia and / or nitrites.
Velvet
Symptoms: Very small white speckles on fish. Resembles a fine powder.
Treatment: There are many commercially available products to cure Velvet.
Among
them are Maracide by Mardel Laboratories and Super Velvet by Aquatronics.
Information: Velvet, or Oodinium, is a very common disease which resembles
Ich.
The white pustules are much finer and are located mainly on the body. It is
a
little easier to cure than Ich, since the life cycle is not so rapid. It
commonly follows chilling or stress caused by transportation or poor water
quality.
Parasitic Infestation
Symptoms: Visible worms, flukes or lice on the body.
Treatment: Pick the visible parasites from the fish. Follow with
commercially
available treatment such as Aquatronic's Diacide or CopperSafe by Mardel
Laboratories.
Information: Parasitic infestation is perhaps the easiest to diagnose. The
fish
must be removed from the tank while the parasite is removed. Follow up
treatment
is essential to prevent fungal or bacterial growth.