Treating Common Fish Illness

August 18, 2015

If you plan on keeping fish, you should be prepared to care for them when they get sick. Just like other pets, it’s wise to be informed about the basics when it comes to fish health. The best line of defense is to know, in advance, how to properly treat them.

Most fish issues can be avoided by following a few simple, preventative measures:

Understand Your Water Quality

The majority of issues are caused by poor water quality. Make sure that the fish population is under control and don’t be afraid to do partial water changes often and consistently. Make sure when adding water, or when doing a partial water change, that you treat the water with Pond Detoxifier to eliminate chlorine/chloramines and chelate heavy metals. Aerating pond water is also something that can potentially increase water quality dramatically.

Buy Your Fish From a Responsible Retailer

Never buy sick fish and, if possible, quarantine fish for a few days before adding them to your pond. Always ask how long the retailer has had the fish. If they have just received them in, ask the retailer to hold the fish for a few days to make sure the fish recovers from stress related to transport and new water chemistry.

Keep a Close Eye on Your Fish

If any signs of disease are seen, start using Pond Salt immediately and start feeding with medicated fish food. If things look like they are getting worse, immediately treat the pond with the appropriate treatment. The longer you wait to treat the problem, the less chance you have of saving your fish.

Test Your Water

Test it yourself or have your local retailer test it for any signs of a problem. It is also important to test the water coming directly from your tap as it is increasingly common to have issues including ammonia coming directly from your source water.

Feed Your Fish a High-Quality Food

Feeding a high-quality food will not affect water quality and will ensure that your fish are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need to maintain proper health. Be sure to feed often and consistently.

Before treating any potential problem with your fish, it is important to make sure that you are using the correct treatment, dosage or treatment rate to prevent any re-occurrence.

Remember, prevention is the best cure. The easiest way to avoid disease problems is to maintain optimum water conditions. Feeding a quality diet and adding beneficial bacteria on a regular basis will help maintain a balanced Ecosystem. Disease problems must be addressed in the early stages to be successful.

Use the table below to assist you with treating common problems that may arise with fish in a water garden.

Fish Symptom	Possible Problems	Treatment
Erratic movement, flashing or rubbing on rocks and surfaces throughout the pond	– Parasite Problem	• Aquascape Parasite & Ich Treatment • Aquascape Praziquantel Treatment • Aquascape Pond Salt
Growths that look like “cotton balls”	– Fungal Infection	• Aquascape Fungus Treatment
Open wounds or ulcers	– Bacterial Infection	• Aquascape Ulcer & Bacterial Infection Treatment • Aquascape Medicated Fish Food
Fins appear to be rotting away	– Fin Rot – Bacterial Infection	• Aquascape Ulcer & Bacterial Infection Treatment • Aquascape Medicated Fish Food • Aquascape Pond Salt
Red streaks in the fins	– Bacterial Infection – Parasite Problem – Ammonia Poisoning	• Aquascape Parasite & Ich Treatment • Aquascape Praziquantel Treatment • Aquascape Medicated Fish Food • Aquascape Pond Salt and water change using Aquascape Pond Detoxifier • Aquascape Ammonia Neutralizer
Small, white spots that look like salt stuck to the body of the fish	– Ich – Parasite problem	• Aquascape Parasite & Ich Treatment • Aquascape Pond Salt
Gasping at the surface of the water	– Oxygen Depletion	• Aerate the pond and agitate the pond surface • Reduce fish load
Bulging eyes	– Bacterial Infection	• Aquascape Ulcer & Bacterial Infection Treatment • Aquascape Medicated Fish Food
Scales protruding from a swollen body like a pine cone	– Dropsy – Bacterial Infection	• Difficult to treat; treat the pond as a preventative measure • Aquascape Ulcer & Bacterial Infection Treatment
Difficulty swimming underwater floating at the surface upright	– Swim Bladder Disease	• If the fish is still feeding, feed fish with canned peas or a Spirulina-based fish food
Red or swollen gills	– Parasite Problem	• Aquascape Parasite & Ich Treatment • Aquascape Praziquantel Treatment • Aquascape Pond Salt