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5 Common Fish Diseases Every Fish Enthusiast Should Know

You love those colorful fishes swimming in the aquarium, don’t you? How gorgeous they look! However, there are times when your fishes are in blues.

They too encounter bad days and it becomes a little difficult for the owners to understand whether their fishes are suffering from some illness or not. Definitely there are symptoms that your pet will show and it is your duty to bring them back to their happy days!

The very common question that I come across from the fish owners is “I think my fish is not having his food properly. Is he ill by any chance?” or “hey, I feel that one of my fishes is feeling left out, is anything wrong?”

It should be noted that fishes come across a lot of diseases if proper care is not taken. Now you would say, “But I have always taken the best care!” No, I am not blaming you for making your pet ill, but there are possibilities that you have missed on something. Maybe, you brought a fish that was already ill (and you had no idea about it!).

Fret not. This blog offers you a complete knowledge about the common fish diseases along with the symptoms and the treatments. Keep reading.

The diseases:

  • Fin rot- As the name suggests, your fish will have a rotten fin. Fin being an important part of their body; a fish with a rotten fin will not be able to move swiftly across the aquarium. They would mostly appear at the bottom of the aquarium and will be in a static position. This usually takes place when your fish suffers from some kind of infection.

The remedy- Either some negative organism is triggering the infection or the water levels aren’t up to the mark. You can visit the pet supplier and purchase medications that can wipe out the pesky organisms. Whenever you pour in the medicine, remember to remove the carbon filter. This is because the carbon filter will absorb the medicines. The next thing you can do is check the levels of the water. Does it have the right pH balance? Not having the right water balance can stress out your fish and may lead to death too. Hence, you have quite a lot of homework to do. Go ahead!

  • Dropsy- Seems like something has dropped doesn’t it? No, this is an infection where the scales of the fish are raised upwards (as it the body has swelled up).

The remedy- This is an internal disease which when treated earlier will increase the chances of your fish to be alive. It may not be contagious, but it is better to keep the infected fish separately. Medications are available which has a 50-50 chance of its effectiveness.

  • The deadly ammonia- No, this is not the name of the disease! You know that how ammonia forms up in the aquarium? It occurs from organic waste from a fish. A populated aquarium will have too much organic waste leading to ammonia poisoning. Your fish will have inflamed gills and will be found gasping at the bottom of the tank.

The remedy- Changing the water in certain intervals is the best way to keep the ammonia level down. Ensure that the filter is working properly. You may also use products that remove the poisoning. These are easily available at any pet store.

  • Pop eye- Seems like your fish is in utter shock and has popped its eyes. Jokes apart, it is a serious case where the eyes of the fish get enlarged. This definitely has to do with the bacteria. It is said that if there is too much of dissolved oxygen in the aquarium, the fish will suffer with an enlarged eyes.

The remedy- Sadly, there is no such remedy. All you can do is to keep your fish in a separate tank and treat it with anti-bacterial medicine.

  • Fish lice- Yes, these lice are visible and you would see the fish rubbing hard on the substrate (being irritated). You would see red spots on their body.

The remedy- Simply take the tweezers and start removing the lice. Ensure that the substrate is free of any eggs. A regular cleaning is necessary.

Are there any other fish diseases you know about or want to know about? Please share it in the comments below and also share this article in your favorite social media outlet.

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