Diseases
Livebearers that stays in clean and un-crowded aquaria oddly contract
disease. In purchasing a fish, always examine the tank where they came
from. Make sure that the fish are swimming actively and have their fins
erect. There are few diseases of which most livebearers are prone to.
White-spot, Ich, Ick: This disease is
distinguished as small white spots covering the fish's body. New
parasites reproduce quickly and once begun the disease became very
contagious. When not treated it can kill most of the fish within a week or
10 days.
The treatment is simple. Commercial preparations compounded to treat ich
rely for their effectiveness on either quinine hydrochloride or
malachite green. These solution is readily available in most drug
stores.
Fin and Tail Rot, Mouth Fungus: These diseases are commonly
caused by bacteria and generally start after an injury, such as might be
caused by rough handling or severe anxiety which causes the fish to gash
them against the rocks or gravel. Fin rot causes the fins to rat away
with the remaining edges becoming ragged and fuzzy in appearance. Mouth
fungus like small cotton on the fish's lips. They are both contagious
and usually fatal.
Fishes which are not in advanced stages of the disease usually respond
to one of the tetracycline antibiotics. The dosage is 250 mg per 19
litres. You should change 50% of the water after all symptoms of the
disease are gone. Partially destroyed fins or lips will grow back after
few weeks.
Saprolegnia-true fungus: Fungus organisms grow on dead or
extremely bruised tissue. It is the fungus which is found on a fish
which has laid dead for a day or two unseen in an aquarium. It usually
attacks a severe wound like a frightened fish might incur dashing into a
rock. It manifests itself as a cottony filamentous white growth on the
fish's body. The finest treatment is removing the fish in a net, and
while it is being held gently, swabs the affected area softly with dry
cotton to remove some of the fungus. Then a second swab is dipped in
acriflavine, methylene blue or malachite green solution then wipes it
over the wound. All these dyes are readily available in any fish shops
in the proper concentrations. Treatment must be done twice daily and
fungus must disappear in two to three days.
Potassium permanganate is particularly useful in the treatment of
fungus. Follow the directions carefully on the bottle as this chemical
can be toxic in overdoses.
Dropsy and Pop-Eye: These two conditions are classified as both
external manifestations of any one of a variety of internal bacterial
infections, usually with kidney or liver involvement. In dropsy the
scales stand on edge, the fish is swimming lethargically, becomes pale
and swollen. An eye or both bulge prominently from their sockets with
redness at times caused by dilated blood vessels. They must be removed
and treat them in a separate container. Even if recovery is very rare, a
try at treatment can be made by using tetracycline antibiotic at
concentration of 250 mg per 19 litres. These diseases usually attack
older ones and have never been reported seriously contagious.
Velvet or Rust ( Oodinium): A parasitic originated disease.
Velvet's appearance is a very small, rusty colored dot most apparent on
the fins and scales borders. It unusually affects livebearers but is
really contagious and sometimes lead to death, especially if the fish
are
not very tough. The best treatment with any but the youngest fish is 1
drop of a 0.75% malachite green solution per gallon of aquarium water.
Treat the whole tank as for treating ich. Another treatment is using
copper pennies dropped directly into the tank. The water
must be alkaline pH for this treatment and the fish should be watched
carefully. During the first sign of possible distress remove the copper
then change 50% of the water. Darkening the aquarium during treatment
aids the dye or copper treatment for velvet since the
causative agent depends in part on light for its existence.
Nervousness: Extremely frightened fish obviously produce a
substance which in small amounts causes other in the tank to be very
nervous. They may flit about, hug the bottom or hide in corners. To
avoid the production of this substance ( Schreckstoff) by German
aquarists) prevent sudden moves in front of the aquarium, turning on or
off lights, tapping on the glass. A replacement of water and charcoal
filtration removes the source of this problem.
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