Freshwater aquarium fish, just like humans, sometimes develop problems with their health. This is not uncommon, but when your freshwater fish become ill, it is very important to “Know What to Look For” and “How to Treat Them”. This can be very difficult at times and it is always best to educate yourself before it happens.
As previously mentioned, knowing what to look for is the first step. Although this sounds quit simple, it can be very difficult to spot the early signs of a problem. Always know your fish behavior patterns and be very observant when they start doing something different. One of the major contributors to any type of disease is maintaining good water quality. Poor water quality often cause more severe cases of disease and is harder to treat.
Your freshwater fish can be suspect to bacteria, virus infections, fungus, protozoa, worms, and crustacean diseases. Although we will cover all of these diseases in upcoming articles, this particular article will focus on worms and crustacean diseases. Listed below are signs of “What to Look For” and suggested treatments for each form of disease.
Angelfish Worm Diseases
- Tapeworms will not be visible on your freshwater fish. They usually attack the inside of your fish resulting in weight loss and very poor growth. This will be more like a behavior change you will need to spot when feeding your fish.
- Skin and Gill Flukes will be visible and show up as inflamed gills and excess mucus on the skin. This usually results in a behavior change that is seen when your freshwater fish scrapes it body against the rocks.
- Camallanus worms can be visible in the form of red worms protruding from the vent of your freshwater fish.
These worm diseases all listed above must be treated with medication containing a dewormer agent. It is also best to isolate your sick fish and treat them separate from all of your other freshwater fish. Some suggested medications are Parasite Guard, Parasite Clear, Anti-Parasite medicated fish food, Dylox, and General Cure. Please remember to always follow the manufactures labels for the proper dosage amount.
Angelfish Crustaceon Diseases
- Fish Lice (Argulus) can appear as small discs which move across the body of your freshwater fish. Not only can these discs appear on the skin of your fish, they also can visible moving throughout your water.
- Anchor Worm (Lernaea) is a little different from fish lice. They attach themselves to the skin of your freshwater fish in the form of a grayish color worm like parasite.
These crustacean diseases should both be removed with tweezers if possible. However, most of the time removing the parasites manually cannot be accomplished very easily. In this situation you should isolate your freshwater fish and treat them with medicated parasite treatment, repeating the treatment until all of the parasites are no longer visible. Some suggested medications are Parasite Guard, Parasite Clear, Anti-Parasite medicated fish food, Dylox, General Cure, and Dimilin. Please remember to always follow the manufactures labels for the proper dosage amount.
In closing, these are some helpful facts and techniques that should help you spot and effectively treat your freshwater fish for worm and crustacean diseases. It is important to always follow manufactures labels for medicated treatments, treat your fish in an isolated tank, maintain good water quality, and always monitor your freshwater fish behaviors on a daily basis. This will ultimately help you spot the early signs of a disease and give you the opportunity to effectively treat your freshwater fish back to a healthy life.
Angelfish Care | Freshwater Angelfish | Angelfish Acclimation | Freshwater Angelfish Care
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