- Messages
- 1,033
- Location
- toronto, canada
many people have watched their fish get thinner and expire or watch new fish or established fish die. all of these fish were likely raised healthy, but developed a problem which was either not treated properly, or the fish was medicated too late, or improperly.
medicating fish is an art. if you wait too long to treat your fish, death will likely be the result. the list of parasites that can infect your fish is very long. and it is likely that you are not going to be able to provide a correct diagnosis, except with the aid of a microscope. but, there are many things that likely are present in your aquarium fish, which can be treated for, with no harm to the fish provided they are treated before the fish shows signs of stress from them.
gill flukes are likely in your aquarium, and the more fish that you get from different places, the more likely your fish have them. they are a very persistent problem, but an otherwise healthy fish can easily live through a treatment for gill flukes, provided that the fish is not in the late stages. the late stages would be severe gill damage, followed by a bacterial or viral infection which the fish is suffering from, because of this damage.
let me tell you what i do for these buggers. i treat all new fish with quickcure or formalin. this will clean the fish from most external parasites, and any healthy fish will live through a treatment of quick cure, ime. i acclimate the new fish into a small tank with an airstone and an aquaclear filter with no media. (i don't waste my filtration media on fish that are suspect. all new fish are suspect.) the fish stay in this tank for a couple of days, for observation. on the third day or so, i set up another tank, and treat the first tank with quick cure or formalin for 4 hours. then i net them out of this tank into the new tank set-up. some fish will get a second treatment. then i may treat for intestinal worms. if nothing comes out, i consider this fish to be 'clean', and move it to it's new home, complete with bio-filtration.
please note, that for the tougher strains of flukes, they are not killed by formalin. the fluke falls off of the fish and curls up on the bottom of the tank (excapsulates). this is why it is VERY IMPORTANT to remove the fish to a clean tank. the fluke on the bottom is quite capable of reviving, to lay it's egg, and re-infestation will be the result.
these steps are practiced by many of the top breeders, and i consider it to be prudent for anyone who has a large amount of time and money invested in their fish stock.
meds are not 'the devil', unless you treat fish improperly. improper use of meds is the number 1 cause of fish death. you must be able to follow directions to the letter, and if you do, your fish problems will be greatly reduced. imo, most viral or bacterial infections are caused as a secondary result of damage caused by parasites destroying the membranes of the fish they inhabit- the gill membranes, skin or stomach lining, etc.
i have treated very tiny discus (pea sized), and other 'sensitive' fish. as long as the fish is healthy to start, there will should be no damage to the fish yet, the parasitic damage will cease, providing relief to the fish. if the fish dies from the med, it is likely that either you did it wrong, or the fish was on it's way out anyway.
note: there is absolutely NO SUBSTITUE for clean water of the right parms, the right temperature and good food ie, properly fish husbandry. no med will give the benefits this will. but meds are a tool to keeping your fish in good health, used properly.
rick
medicating fish is an art. if you wait too long to treat your fish, death will likely be the result. the list of parasites that can infect your fish is very long. and it is likely that you are not going to be able to provide a correct diagnosis, except with the aid of a microscope. but, there are many things that likely are present in your aquarium fish, which can be treated for, with no harm to the fish provided they are treated before the fish shows signs of stress from them.
gill flukes are likely in your aquarium, and the more fish that you get from different places, the more likely your fish have them. they are a very persistent problem, but an otherwise healthy fish can easily live through a treatment for gill flukes, provided that the fish is not in the late stages. the late stages would be severe gill damage, followed by a bacterial or viral infection which the fish is suffering from, because of this damage.
let me tell you what i do for these buggers. i treat all new fish with quickcure or formalin. this will clean the fish from most external parasites, and any healthy fish will live through a treatment of quick cure, ime. i acclimate the new fish into a small tank with an airstone and an aquaclear filter with no media. (i don't waste my filtration media on fish that are suspect. all new fish are suspect.) the fish stay in this tank for a couple of days, for observation. on the third day or so, i set up another tank, and treat the first tank with quick cure or formalin for 4 hours. then i net them out of this tank into the new tank set-up. some fish will get a second treatment. then i may treat for intestinal worms. if nothing comes out, i consider this fish to be 'clean', and move it to it's new home, complete with bio-filtration.
please note, that for the tougher strains of flukes, they are not killed by formalin. the fluke falls off of the fish and curls up on the bottom of the tank (excapsulates). this is why it is VERY IMPORTANT to remove the fish to a clean tank. the fluke on the bottom is quite capable of reviving, to lay it's egg, and re-infestation will be the result.
these steps are practiced by many of the top breeders, and i consider it to be prudent for anyone who has a large amount of time and money invested in their fish stock.
meds are not 'the devil', unless you treat fish improperly. improper use of meds is the number 1 cause of fish death. you must be able to follow directions to the letter, and if you do, your fish problems will be greatly reduced. imo, most viral or bacterial infections are caused as a secondary result of damage caused by parasites destroying the membranes of the fish they inhabit- the gill membranes, skin or stomach lining, etc.
i have treated very tiny discus (pea sized), and other 'sensitive' fish. as long as the fish is healthy to start, there will should be no damage to the fish yet, the parasitic damage will cease, providing relief to the fish. if the fish dies from the med, it is likely that either you did it wrong, or the fish was on it's way out anyway.
note: there is absolutely NO SUBSTITUE for clean water of the right parms, the right temperature and good food ie, properly fish husbandry. no med will give the benefits this will. but meds are a tool to keeping your fish in good health, used properly.
rick