Diseases
Like people, fish get diseases, too. There are different causes for diseases (for example Dropsy is caused by organ failure, high nitrate levels, excessive salt, unsuitable diet, or the environment).
Dropsy
Symptoms are: swollen body of fish (especially the belly) because of build-up of fluid in the fish's body tissues.
Cause(s): (mentioned above in introduction of this "exhibit")
Treatment for this disease: no treatment (as of 1995).
Constipation
Symptoms are: reduced appetite, minimal or no faeces, the sick fish may have a slightly swollen belly and/or rest on the bottom of the tank.
Cause(s): incorrect diet or over-feeding may cause this disease
Treatment for this disease: put half a teaspoon of Epsom salts per 1 gallon (4.5 litres) into the tank. If the fish survives through this disease, improve the diet.
Fin-rot
Symptoms are: fin membranes dissolve and the fin rays swell.
Cause(s): bacterial, which are caused by poor water quality or injury to fins.
Treatment for this disease: remedy the cause; spot treatment with something called gentian violet.
Fungus (these are not mushrooms. Ha! Ha! Ha!)
Symptoms are: white fluffy growths on body or fins.
Cause(s): fungus attacks areas where the protective mucus coating is damaged by injury, parasites, or the fish's environment.
Treatment for this disease: (same as fin-rot except that you can use an aquarium fungicide for big outbreaks of fungus.)
Gill Parasites
Symptoms are: scratching, laboured respiration (both of these two symptoms can be a result of environmental problems) ; in severe cases heightened colour, glazed eyes, and loss of motor control (fish don't have engines attatched to them. Ha! Ha!) as oxygen shortage affects the brain.
Cause(s): usually flukes.
Treatment for this disease: "Sterazin" (which can be had from aquatic dealers.)
Intestinal Parasites
Symptoms are: emaciation despite a good appetite and worms sometimes come out of the vent.
Cause(s): different species of intestinal worms
Treatment for this disease: an anthelminthic (which you can get from the vet) administered in the fish's food.
Large Skin Parasites
Symptoms are: scratching, you can see individual parasites on the fish's skin.
Cause(s): fish lice and anchor worms. Fish lice may be hard to spot because they're almost transparent. Anchor worms look like worms or maggots.
Treatment for this disease: remove the parasites from the fish with tweezers and apply antispetic to the wound. If you have a pond add 1.125 - 1.8 mg per 4.5 litre (1 gallon) of Metriphonate.
Hole-in-head
Cichlids are mainly affected by this disease.
Symptoms are: white stringy faces (which is sometimes enlarged), pus-filled sensory pores on the head.
Cause(s): Hexamita, an internal parasite when the fish is weakened by its age, stress, and its environment.
Treatment for this disease: metronidazole or di-metronidazole. Add 50 mg per 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of this medicine (mixed with water before treatment) and do this repeatedly for 3 days.
Pop-eye
Symptoms are: the eye protrudes from its socket (doesn't pop out).
Cause(s): if the cause is parasitic it is uncurable (as of 1995) but the causes are usally environmental.
Treatment for this disease: correct water chemistry/quality (the fish may take several days to recover).
Skim Slime Disease
Symptoms are: scratching or shimmying, a fine grey coating on the body and/the fins.
Cause(s): parasites. These generally attack only when the body mucus of the fish has been affected by poor environment.
Treatment for this disease: use a proprietary medicine ; correct water chemistry and/or quality.
Swim Bladder Disease
Symptoms are: loss of balance, the fish swims upside-down or on its side.
Cause(s): the fish's swim bladder is bruised or a bacterial infection which usually comes from poor water quality.
Treatment for this disease: move the sick fish to shallow water or improve water quality as well as treating the fish with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. If the fish's condition doesn't improve after a week, consider killing the fish.
How to kill your pet fish
There are different ways to kill a fish. My friend flushes the fish down the toilet. Make sure not to try to flush a big fish down, like a dinner-plate diameter wide Discus or a 6-inch diameter wide eel! You can also put the fish into a deep freeze by putting it in the freezer. Or you can take a big knife to press down hard with the knife just behind the fish's head. If you can't kill your fish yourself, consult your vet.
Bibliography
Bailey, M. and Sandford, G. The Ultimate Aquarium, Smithmark Publishers, New York, 1995.
The music being played now is named "I am King Henry the Eigth" done by the "Herman's Hermits". Thanks for Barb Burman for suggestion this info on the song.
