Lepidortosis, Infectious scale protrusion.
A contagious disease. The causative agents are bacteria Aeromonas punctata, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Achromobacter punctatum. Pathogens are widespread in nature and are introduced into aquariums from natural water bodies. A widespread disease of aquarium fish. Most aquarium fish of all ages are affected. Weak fish kept in poor conditions fall ill first. The disease proceeds as a slowly developing epizootic and often ends in the death of the fish.
The presence of symptoms alone does not provide grounds for diagnosing lepidortosis, since scale protrusion is also observed in Fish Tuberculosis and Ichthyosporidiosis. Microscopic examinations must be performed. An internal tumor, just like in dropsy, causes scale protrusion, but only on one side. The formation of pustules, scale protrusion, and their loss lead to impaired gas exchange, which is especially dangerous for young fish whose gill apparatus is still poorly developed, and skin respiration is of particular importance during this period.
Symptoms: •— Protrusion and loss of scales. In an outwardly healthy fish, scales are raised either in limited areas of the body or over the entire body surface. In the early stages of the disease in an outwardly healthy fish, scales rise in limited areas; at a later stage, the protrusion spreads to the entire body, and scales fall off. This occurs as a result of the formation of small bubbles filled with serous fluid (pustules) located under the skin at the site of scale attachment. Sometimes scale loss is observed. •— The fish looks like a pine cone. This phenomenon is combined with a swollen belly. The cause is abdominal bloating.
Treatment: The disease is curable only in the early stage when scale protrusion is observed in separate small areas of the body. Fish with fairly extensive scale protrusion are destroyed, while the remaining fish and plants should be bathed in potassium permanganate. The aquarium, catching tools, and fish-farming equipment are disinfected with 5% solutions of hydrochloric, sulfuric acid, or chloramine. The substrate is disinfected by boiling or roasting, and aquatic vegetation with bicillin-5 solutions. When treating in a separate vessel, Methyl violet K (Aniline violet), biomycin, and white streptocid can be used.
Medicines: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals All-Natural Melafix; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals E.M. Tablets; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Furan-2; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Nala-Gram; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals T.C. Capsules; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Triple Sulfa; Sera bakto tabs; Sera Baktopur direct; Sera baktopur; Tetra Medica Fungi Stop; Tetra Medica General Tonic; Biomycin; Rivanol; Common and sea salt; Sulfanilamide; Fisept; Furacilin;
Fin rot.
A contagious disease. The causative agents are various species of bacteria – Pseudomonas fluorescens, Flavobacterium Columnare. It does not form spores or capsules. The infection is caused by opportunistic bacteria that under normal circumstances are present in the water or located on the fish without causing harm. An infectious disease of aquarium fish characterized by fin erosion, destruction of the ray and inter-ray fin tissues. The caudal fin is more susceptible to this disease.
It affects fish at low temperatures and poor keeping conditions. Beginning fin rot is the first signal that keeping conditions are far from optimal. Aquarium fish of all age groups get sick, but juveniles are more susceptible to the disease. Not all fish fall sick at once, and the disease spreads gradually.
The disease poses a greater threat to labyrinth fish, tetras, barbs, angelfish, and livebearing fish. It is often accompanied by mass mortality of fish fry, while adult specimens die much less frequently. It is often found as a secondary infection in systemic bacterial disease. In this case, it is frequently accompanied by other signs of disease, such as ulcers or bloating. It should be distinguished from alkaline disease, where in strongly alkaline water, fish fins shorten without visible damage, seemingly melting at the edges.
Symptoms: •— Fin rot is progressive erosion and decay of the fins. •— In young fish, the disease begins with the decay of the pectoral and caudal fins. This sequence is not observed in adults. In all cases of fin rot, the pathological process begins at the peripheral part of the fins and spreads toward their base. •— The first sign of the disease is the presence of a bluish-white clouding of the fin edges. A light bluish-white border appears on the fins of sick fish, which then expands, completely capturing the fins. This is especially noticeable in small fish with transparent fins.
•— Red spots or stripes on the fins are a sign of incipient fin rot. These stripes are caused by blockage of blood vessels (fin congestion). Destruction of the fins begins from their edges. •— The rotting edge of the fin becomes inflamed, and if the infection is left untreated, it will begin to move toward the base of the fin. Then the decay zone increases: the ends of the rays fall off, due to which the fins shorten, but their splitting is shallow. In fry, the caudal fins fall off completely. During this period of the disease, the line of decay of the fin tissue is particularly well visible due to the white coloration.
•— Ulcers form at the bases of the destroyed fins. A distinctive feature of these ulcers is their white coloration, caused by the presence of shiny light pus. Erosion and dying off of the caudal fin. Subsequently, the infection can even spread to the body of the fish, as a result of which the affected tissue becomes very pale, sometimes with a pinkish blush, after which death usually ensues. •— Sometimes the same clouding of the cornea of the eyeball is expressed.
Treatment: Since this disease clearly manifests and usually (though not always) progresses slowly, serious infection and final loss of the fin can be prevented by timely treatment. Fish with pectoral, anal, caudal, and ventral fins destroyed to the base are culled. In earlier stages, before the bases of the fins are affected, treatment is possible. Often it is enough to improve keeping conditions. First of all, the water temperature in the aquarium should be raised to the maximum limit. Treatment of sick fish is carried out in a separate vessel and in the general aquarium. Time is required for fin regeneration. After completing the course of treatment, you should observe the condition of the fish for some time.
If no improvement occurs, then presumably treatment with another drug should be carried out. Methyl violet K, Malachite green are used in a separate vessel. The affected fish can be immersed in a salt solution or in a drug solution based on Phenoxyethanol. The use of Gentian violet is very effective. Aquarol 2 g per 25 l, exposure for 30 minutes, repeat every 3 days. If treatment is carried out in a separate vessel, the aquarium where the sick fish were kept, substrate, catching tools, and fish-farming equipment are disinfected.
Medicines: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Bettafix remedy; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Fungus Cure Powder; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Furan-2; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Liquid fungus cure; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Pimafix; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals E.M. Tablets; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals T.C. Capsules; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Triple Sulfa; Sera Baktopur; SERA omnipur; Tetra Medica Fungi Stop; Tetra Medica General Tonic; Tropical MFC POND; Aquarol; Antibac; Antipar; Biomycin; Gentian violet (merbromin); Levomycetin; Malachite green with copper sulfate; Neomycin; Biomycin; Nifurpirinol; White streptocid; Tetra Gold Oomed; Trypaflavin; Fisept;
Prevention: Bacteria can become pathogenic as a result of adverse environmental factors such as injury, unsuitable water conditions, and if the fish has a weakened immune system. A combination of these factors is often observed – for example, mechanical damage to the fins simultaneously with poor water quality. The fin injury itself does not necessarily lead to fin rot if the fish is healthy in all other respects. Good care and careful selection of compatible fish species will minimize the likelihood of this disease.
Bacterial gill disease.
A contagious disease. Cytophaga. Fish with gills damaged by various poisons, including ammonia, fall ill. In mild cases, fish quickly recover after being transferred to fresh, clean water. Heavily damaged gills, even after the infection is eliminated, do not recover and the fish must be destroyed. Bacteria can enter the circulatory system and infect the internal organs of the fish. It is a sign of the final stage of most diseases; all other symptoms should have already appeared, and as a rule, it is too late to treat.
If fish have frequent, difficult breathing, noticeable redness of the gills, stay near the water surface, and ammonia poisoning or gill parasites are ruled out, it can be assumed that such symptoms are caused by a bacterial infection of the gill apparatus. The disease can be avoided in aquariums without elevated levels of ammonia, ammonium, and organic substances.
Symptoms: •— Difficult breathing, fish suffer from severe shortness of breath. They swim near the surface and gasp for air. •— Gills are inflamed, swollen, colored yellow-red or whitish-yellow. With severe damage, whitish-gray dots and spots are also noticeable on the gills. The skin is milk-colored. •— Gills protrude from under the gill cover, making the head look slightly enlarged. •— Damaged, overgrown gill epithelium provides a breeding ground for many bacteria.
Treatment: Even if the infection is eliminated with antibiotics, the gills will not be able to function normally. Destroyed gill filaments do not recover. Sick fish are destroyed. In mild cases, fish quickly recover after being transferred to well-aerated, fresh, clean water.
Medicines: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals E.M. Tablets; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Furan-2; Aquarium Pharmaceuticals T.C. Capsules; Sera baktopur; Sera baktopur direct; Malachite green.
Recent changes and additions were made on August 6, 2012.
