Fish Diseases & Discoloration

Although maintaining fish has had many advances, aquarists will still find times when fish come down with diseases. Unlike other animals, many times the only way to detect problems with fish is to observe their appearance and behavior, and in some cases, the only way to detect a disease is by noticing discoloration.

  1. Causes

    • Many times, after aquarists introduce a new element to a tank, they might see fish that have discoloration, which is indicative of a disease. The new element might not be a fish. It can be something as seemingly harmless as adding a new ornament or a new plant to the tank.

    Fungus or Parasite

    • If discoloration is visible on a fish, the usual culprits are either fungi or parasites. For example, if a fish has little white spots of discoloration on its body, odds are good that the fish has a parasitic ailment known as "ich," while white patches on the body might signify a fungal infection.

    Isolation

    • Many aquarists will isolate a fish when first detecting any kind of discoloration on it. Since many fish ailments are highly contagious, removing the discolored fish from coming into contact with others will reduce the risk of spreading the disease. Isolation tanks can also be effective in giving medications to the diseased fish.

    Identification

    • Correctly identifying the disease is important when it comes to treatment. Consulting with local pet store personnel or going online for visual identification will usually lead to uncovering the correct ailment, and once that happens, it can be treated according. In many cases, visual identification is important; as many discolorations have the same basic symptoms and only when viewed can the subtle nuances appear.

    Treatment

    • Treatment usually consists of placing the discolored fish into an isolation tank and then administering appropriate medication. A fish with ich, for example, would be isolated and treated with a product like Coppersafe or Super Ick Cure, whereas a fungal infection would entail isolation and treatment with aquatic medications such as Maracyn or Methyl Blue.

    Prevention

    • Consumer awareness is the best prevention. Aquarists should never purchase discolored fish, obviously, but many diseases can be dormant. For this reason, many aquarists recommend placing new fish into isolation tanks for a period of five to seven days before introducing them into an established tank. Daily observance of a tank is of paramount importance, as aquarists can prevent an outbreak of disease by identifying and isolating any fish at the first sign of discoloration.