Common Tropical Fish Diseases You Need To Know About

Your fishes should be full of life and full of color!

Photo by Peter Gustafson

 

If prevention doesn’t get the job done, then you need to know how to treat and overcome tropical fish diseases.

Some diseases are quite common and are easy to cure. In fact, they may be easier to prevent, which would be even better and save a lot more hassle! It might take something simple like filtering the water, or removing organic waste.

Unfortunately, other diseases may cause internal damage and require medication or even a trip to the vet.

Here are a few common tropical fish diseases:

Ammonia Poisoning:

You will notice your fish turning a red-lilac color and usually just floating below the surface panting for air.

To overcome this you need to understand the cycling process of a new tank, and the appropriate pH levels that are required to minimize organic waste in the tank.

Although ammonia poisoning is relatively easy to treat, high pH levels may become problematic for the fish.

Cataracts:

Yep, fishes actually do get cataracts as well. You need to ensure that both the ammonia and nitrite levels remain within acceptable levels.

There are actually a number of treatments for cataracts, and since they are just fungal growths covering the eyes, aquarium fungicide usually does the trick.

Corneybacteriosis:

This is more commonly known as ‘bulging eyes’ because your fish usually looks like it’s got bulging eyes.

This is typically caused by swelling in the head, which pushes the eyes outwards, and is usually a result of overcrowding in the tank and poor water quality.

Dropsy:

If you notice your fish has bloated sides and stomach, and the scales are being forced outward, it may be a case of dropsy.

This isn’t actually a disease, but is in fact an internal bacterial infection. Unfortunately, if it is not treated properly it may cause kidney damage, so appropriate medication for internal infections is required.

Ichthyophthiriasis (or just Ich):

They appear as small white spots covering the body, mainly on the fins, and is probably one of the most common tropical fish diseases.

This can be treated with most over-the-counter medication made specifically for Ich, such as Maracyn Two or Super Ich. However, you will also need to carefully watch the temperature of the water in addition to providing medication in order to completely overcome the problem.

These are just some of the common tropical fish diseases but there are more out there that you will need to know about. In most cases to treat such diseases, you will simply need to check the quality of the water, and provide appropriate medication where necessary.

If you want to learn more about caring for your tropical fishes checkout Katy’s Tropical Fish.

Tropical fish diseases are not difficult to prevent or to overcome; you just need to know what to look for and what to do.