As the zoologist Conrad put it, nature has a hard time finding animals as susceptible to infectious diseases as fish.
Almost all ornamental fish are affected by a variety of factors, such as sudden weather changes, unstable water temperatures, spoiled water quality, parasites or infections with bacteria and other microorganisms.
In general, healthy fish scales are smooth, bright color, no damage to the appearance, the fins are not broken, the gills are bright red and intact, the eyes are smooth and flawless, except when the water temperature is very low, other times they swim freely and are very lively. The opposite is true after illness.
Here are 5 common parasitic diseases in ornamental fish.
Small melon worm disease, also known as white spot disease, is more common, and the pathogen is multi-branched melon worm.
At the beginning of the disease, the mucous membrane on the surface of the sick fish is thickened, and white dot-like vesicles gradually appear on the body surface, fins and gills, and in severe cases, the white spots will be connected, and the body surface will be covered with white spots and white mucus. The diseased fish gradually lose their appetite, are slow and inactive, the scales fall off, the fins rot and crack, and they are lazy to swim and often float on the surface of the water, and their breathing is blocked until they die.
The suitable water temperature for the propagation of small melon insects is 15 to 25 °C, and when it is below 10 °C and above 25 °C, the development of small melon worm larvae stops or gradually dies. Therefore, this disease mostly occurs from early winter to late spring.
Small melon worm disease often occurs after sudden changes in weather or water changes, due to fish body colds or body damage, resulting in diseases and insects taking advantage of the deficiency.
We can take advantage of the characteristics of the small melon worm is not tolerant to high temperature, the water temperature is slowly raised to 28 ° C, after a few days of resting, the small melon worm sporangia begin to fall off, then it is necessary to change the water in time, and the diseased fish will gradually recover. If supplemented with drug-assisted treatment, the general cure rate can reach 90%, and the recovery speed will be faster.
There is also a case where there is no heating condition, which can only be treated with drugs. Because small melon worm disease is very contagious and fast, once found, it should be isolated immediately and then equipped with drug treatment.
Treatment:
(1) It can be soaked with 0.1 ml/l white dot (copper sulfate reagent) plus 0.03g/l of vitamin C soaking, and generally can return to normal within one week.
(2) Treatment with 0.1 ml/l methylene blue plus 0.03g/l vitamin C soaking.
Wheelworm disease is caused by the parasitism of wheelworms on the surface of the body, often floating on the surface of the water, and it is obviously difficult to breathe. Usually a large number of gills invade, resulting in the destruction of gill tissue, body color blackening, loss of appetite, thin body, isolated swimming, swimming slowly. Sometimes whitish or bruised body surface may be seen.
(1) Soak with 2% salt solution for 5 to 15 minutes.
(2) Copper sulfate and ferrous sulfate compound (ratio 5:2), dosage 0.7mg/l. After dissolving, the whole pool is evenly sprinkled. Copper sulfate alone can also be used, the dosage is the same as 0.7mg/l, the effect is very good.
(3) Use 20ppm potassium permanganate solution to soak for 20 to 30 minutes at water temperature of 10 to 20 ° C; soak for 15 to 20 minutes at water temperature 20 to 25; and soak for 10 to 15 minutes when the water temperature is above 25 ° C.
Another saying is the use of Chinese herbal neem leaf control, aquaculture can be used 15kg ~ 20kg per acre of water, every 7d ~ 10d change, has the effect of inhibiting the reproduction of wheel worms, or per acre with fresh branches and leaves 25kg ~ 30kg decoction juice sprinkled in the whole pool.
Also known as white-sided disease, the pathogen is oblique tubeworm, which parasitizes the skin and gills of fish. It mostly occurs in small tanks or small pools with dirty water.
When the epidermal tissue of the fish body is invaded, the secretion will increase, and gradually form a white misty membrane from small to large, which will spread throughout the surface of the entire fish body when severe, so that the fish body loses its original luster, the body color becomes dark, and gradually emaciated.
The fins tend to shrink and stiffen and do not extend sufficiently. When a large number of oblique tube worms parasitize the gills, it will also make it difficult for the fish to breathe, prompting the diseased fish to swim to the surface of the water in a floating head shape, accelerating the death of the fish.
The water temperature suitable for breeding is 12 to 18 °C, and when the water temperature is reduced to 8 to 12 °C, it can still appear in large quantities. The insect body can multiply in large numbers after 3 to 5 days, and the epidemic season is from December to May of the following year. In general, when the water temperature reaches above 25 °C, it is usually not infected with oblique tubeworm disease.
The treatment is the same as for the above-mentioned wheelworm disease.
Because there are second-generation fetuses in the body, it is called three-generation insects, and the pathogens are medium-sized three-generation insects, fine anchor three-generation insects and caenorious three-generation insects.
Three generations of insects parasitize on the surface and gills of the fish body, which will stimulate the fish body to secrete too much mucus and seize nutrients, resulting in lack of light on the body surface, decreased appetite, emaciation of the fish body, and high mortality rate of young fish, which can cause a large number of deaths. When parasitized in large quantities, it may also cause cloudiness and blindness in the cornea of the fish body.
The sick fish is extremely restless in the early stage, sometimes swimming wildly, sometimes swimming sharply sideways, and will bump into the aquatic grass or the tank wall, thus damaging the skin of the diseased fish.
The most suitable water temperature for the propagation of three generations of insects is 20 °C, which is generally the epidemic season from April to May.
(1) Use 0.2~0.4ppm crystal enemy insect medicine bath for 20~30 minutes, or sprinkle the whole pool to make the water body contain 0.2~0.4mg/kg.
(2) Use 20ppm potassium permanganate solution to soak for 20 to 30 minutes at water temperature of 10 to 20 °C; soak for 15 to 20 minutes at water temperature 20 to 25 °C; and soak for 10 to 15 minutes at water temperature above 25 °C.
The pathogens are medium-sized ringworms, ring gills, and arc ringworms. Ringworms generally parasitize the gills, destroy the gill tissue, obstruct breathing, and can also make the fish anemia, the initial pathology is not obvious, the gills are significantly swollen in the later stages, and the gill lid is open. Milky white insect bodies can be seen on the gills.
Fish with ringworm disease initially float on the surface, do not eat, swim weakly, have difficulty breathing, have large gills, frequently hiccup water, such as floating heads, but are unresponsive, and do not sink or scatter when frightened. Some stayed still on the edge of the fish tank, some showed extreme irritability, scurrying or swirling in the water, and then gradually dying.
Water temperature of 20 to 25 °C refers to the breeding period of ringworms, generally spring to early summer and autumn for the occurrence of seasons.
The treatment is the same as for three generations of insect disease.
The above views have been actually tested, but for reference only, you can learn from it. Or the saying "prevention is the mainstay, treatment is supplemented", after illness, we must find early and treat early.
As long as most fish diseases are detected early, there is still a high chance that they can be cured in time. Don't delay. Of course, usually pay more attention to observation, regular quantitative water change and bacterial solution, to ensure that the water quality is stable and good, so that the fish can be less sick, or even not sick.
Due to the limited level, if there is a mistake or there is a better treatment, please point it out to the masters of the gods, thank you. I am Xiao Luo, welcome to pay attention to the exchange.