Marine Fungus Disease

Although it is rare, marine fungus disease, also known as CNS disease, can occur when an aquarium is in poor condition. A fish that is under stress is also susceptible to marine fungus disease. The disease can be treated with anti-fungal medication and special food from the veterinarian.

  1. Signs

    • Marine fungus disease can be detected through physical and behavioral changes. A fish with this disease will begin to appear darker in color, according to Aquarium Resources. Their scales will also become rough and sandpaper-like in appearance. Their behavior can also change as a result of marine fungus disease. A fish may swim less and move slower. Marine fungus disease can also cause a fish to stop eating.

    Causes

    • Stress to the fish can cause marine fungus disease. Stress factors can include the introduction of another fish or poor water quality, according to Aquarium Resources. Sometimes new fish bring fungi with them, which can cause marine fungus disease. It the water temperature is too high, it can reduce the oxygen holding capacity of the water and make a fish sick, according to Reef Stewardship Foundation.

    Treatments

    • The first way to treat a sick fish is to remove the cause of stress, according to Aquarium Resources. This can mean removing a new fish or changing the water quality. An anti-fungal medicine prescribed by a veterinarian can be added to the water to remove any fungus. Fish food soaked in phenoxetol is another good treatment.

    Prevention

    • The best thing that can be done for a fish is to prevent it from getting sick in the first place. The best way to keep a fish from getting sick is to maintain an aquarium's water, by making sure the pH, salinity and oxygen are at the recommended levels. Keeping perfumes, smoke and paint fumes out of the room that holds the aquarium is another way to prevent marine fungus disease, according to Reef Stewardship Foundation.

    Other Fish Diseases

    • There are several other types of fish diseases that can effect your fish. Marine whitespot disease is brought on by an infestation of parasites that show up as white spots on a fish. Marine velvet disease involves parasites moving into a fish's gill plates and suffocating a fish. Similar to marine fungus disease, bacterial finrot is brought on by stress and poor water conditions.