The Pet Fish Care Blog

Fish pop eye as the name indicates is the bulging of the eyes in fishes. Fluid accumulates behind the eyes of the fishes and causes bulging. It is mainly a symptom of some underlying disease. Initially the eyes become red and start to bulge. In the later stages the bulge becomes more prominent that the fish look strange.

The bulged eye will be covered wit ha transparent soft tissue, that stretches as the eyes bulges. The fish becomes less active and stops feeding.

Early detection of this condition can prevent the fish losing its eyesight and becoming blind. In order to prevent the disease anti bacterial drops must be added weekly once to the water.

Causes

The bulging can be because of some fight injury or some bacterial infection. If the bulging appears only to one eye, it could be from the fight trauma. If both the eyes are affected, the possibility is for a bacterial infection. High nitrate content, contaminated water, ammonia, saline water etc are favourable conditions for the growth of bacteria in water. Other reasons include vitamin A deficiency, air embolism and tumors.

Symptoms

Gas bubble disease occurs as a result of over saturation of water with nitrogen. This happens when the concentration of nitrogen in water is more than that of the surroundings. Nitrogen from fish’s blood stream is pulled out forming gas bubbles in the blood. Other symptoms include the formation of bubbles under the skin of the fish, possibly because of the water pressure from the tap water while filling the tank.

Treatment

The fish with bulges eye need to be isolated immediately and treated. It is difficult to know the line of treatment as till the reason is found out. Treatment with Epsom salt draws fluid from the eyes of the fish. 1 table spoon of Epsom salt must be added with 5 gallons of water for 5 days. Epsom salt is chemically Magnesium sulphate, different from the normal salt.

Any new item, a fish, a plant or even a filter must be monitored carefully to make sure it is not releasing any toxins that are harmful to the fish. Always use a good quality water conditioner instead of picking a cheap one. Water from only a good source is advisable in the aquarium. Monitor the water reading frequently for possible contamination. You should never over crowd your aquarium with fishes as there will be shortage of oxygen inside the tank and chances of fighting between the fishes.. Never over feed the fishes as the unused food gets decayed inside the tank and act as a source for bacterial growth. Any dead fish in the aquarium should be removed immediately. Metal parts are not advised to use inside the aquarium. Plastic materials like filters should be of very fine quality. The poor quality plastic releases a poisonous substance that is dangerous to the fishes.

If the bulge eye is caused from bacterial infection, anti bacterial agent such as Maracyn should be used.

Fishes by nature swim in order to adjust their body weight without drowning or raising in the water. It is the result of the muscles at the sides of their body. Swim bladder is an air filled structure seen in fishes to maintain the buoyancy. It is located at the dorsal aspect of a fish body. In some species it also helps in respiration. If there is an injury or a disease that affect swim bladder, fishes find it difficult to manage their body weight. You can easily make this out if you carefully observe the fish, they looks drunken. There are a number of conditions in which a fish can get infection to its swim bladder.

External factors are the common thins that affect the swim bladder. It could be from a fight with the other fish or from the hits with the walls of the tank or accessories. These physical injuries can sometime become fatal. The sudden temperature changes inside an aquarium can also affect the swim bladder and swimming of a fish.

Some fishes due to genetic reasons are prone to develop a deformed swim bladder as they grow. This commonly occurs during the line breeding to acquire high quality fishes. The same species fishes with a certain quality when line breeded, results in fishes with impaired swim bladder.

Cancer and tuberculosis in fishes are another factor that affects the swim bladder. If the cancer or tuberculosis is affecting an organ that is close to the swim bladder, the chances of swim bladder getting infected are very high.

Under nutrition can cause swim bladder disease as the fish is not getting enough nutrition for the growth of internal organs. The initial stages can be cured giving a proper balanced diet. Improper feed also causes constipation in fishes. The swelling of internal organs results in compression of swim bladder and the fish may find difficulty to swim. Gold fishes are the most affected by this condition.

Swim bladder disease can be a result of various fungal, bacterial, parasitic infections.

This problem should be cured according to the underlying cause. Severe damage from external factors cannot be treated and the fishes will be dead within 2 weeks. The fishes need to be in a healthy environment for it to be free from diseases. Keep the water clean and give an adequate quantity of food at regular interval. Monitor frequently for any contamination and treat the water with anti fungal drops if necessary.

Dropsy is not really a disease. For all intensive purposes we will call it one. It’s really an internal bacterial infection usually caused by poor water quality.

Fish may recover with no treatment and may die despite it. There are multiple possible causes. Sometimes it’s not contagious, but sick fish should be isolated and treated since determining the actual cause may be impossible. The swelling is because the fish is absorbing water faster than it can eliminate it, and it can be caused by many different problems. High nitrates are one thing to check. Internal bacterial infections, including fish TB, are other possibilities. If there are no water quality problems, you may want to attempt antibiotic treatment in a separate tank.

There are multiple possible causes. Usually caused by kidney damage. Kidney damage may be caused by overuse of drugs or a disease. Eventually the swelling will cause the scales to raise, giving the fish what is called the “pine-cone” appearance.

You can best see this by viewing your fish from the top. Fish may also stop feeding, appear off-color, become listless and/or lethargic, have sunken eyes, and hang at the top or stay at the bottom of the aquarium.

Dropsy Treatments

Dropsy is not very contagious; however, Fish usually die from this, but in some cases where the problem is due to bacteria, if detected early enough, it can be treated.

It’s possibly the hardest internal bacterial infection to cure. There are a number of medications available such as penicillin, tetracycline and naladixic acid. The fish usually doesn’t make it. By the time the scales begin to raise, however, it is very fatal to the fish. Salt baths can help to draw the fluid out of the fish. A variety of medications can be purchased that treat dropsy, which sometimes occurs due to an internal bacterial problem. Medications for external bacterial problems only will not be effective for this problem.

Dropsy Prevention

Poor water conditions are often the culprit. Gouramies, Cyprinids (barbs, danios, etc), guppies, betta and goldfish are prone to this disease. Goldfish are said to be somewhat more prone to dropsy than other fish. High nitrates are usually the culprit. Clean Water, is a must! Clean Water, should I say that again? Good water conditions prevent this.

White spot disease is a dreadful disease among tropical fishes. It is caused by a organism called- ichthyophthirius multifilii. This disease is also called as Fish Ich. The affected fish would be so lethargic in its movement. It will always rub its body against the wall of the aquarium. It will go off-feed. Finally you can notice white spots all over the body.

It is always advisable to separate this fish from its counter part. Then start treating the fish in a secluded tank. It is always change the water on daily basis of this affected fish tank. Treat the fish with ich with potassium permanganate to remove the white spots on its body. This treatment should be followed for three days.

Although the disease is the equivalent of a skin infection, it can easily be fatal. So consult a fish specialist to get rid of this dreadful condition

Mouth fungus is the fungus like growth that appears on the mouth and the body of infected aquarium fish.  Even though, it looks like fungus growth, it is a bacterial infection caused by chondrococcus columnaris. It is also known as false fungus. This disease is contagious, spread very fast among the other fishes that live together. If one fish is infected, all the aquarium fishes will surely be the victims of this and will die if not treated adequately.

The mouth fungus bacteria are common in all freshwater aquariums. Fishes that are handled rough will be affected soon by this bacterium. The water quality and diet of the fishes are important factors in preventing this disease. The fishes that are living in poor water and are given inadequate food are more prone to mouth fungus disease. The infection could also occur through fish nets. This bacteria doesn’t affect fishes that are living in healthy surroundings.

The chondrococcus columnaris attacks mainly the cat fish and the viviparous fishes like guppies, mollies and swordtails. The bacteria get into the fish through small cuts in its body or through the mouth and gills of the fish.

White or grey spots around the gills, fungus like growth around the mouth and head of the fish are the main symptoms of infection from columnaris bacteria. Initially, as the infection spread, the white spots become yellow or brown. The mouth of the fish will be fully destroyed by the bacteria making it difficult for the fish to eat. In later stages, the gills will be affected and breathing becomes difficult.

It is always better to prevent the infection by keeping the aquarium clean and healthy. As once affected the invasion of the disease is fast, it is important to treat it in the initial stage itself. Mixing copper sulphate to the aquarium water is a very effective treatment for this problem. Mixing 10 to 20 milligrams of chormycetin in one litre of aquarium water is also proved to be a good medicine for mouth fungus.

There are many fish foods available in the market that are rich in oxytetracyclin which has anti bacterial effect.If the fishes are highly affected that they stopped their regular feeds, it is best to treat with antibiotics which are available easily available  in most of the veterinary pharmacies.

The infected fishes need to be isolated immediately after they are found to be with the symptoms. They can be placed back after the disease is cured, which approximately takes four weeks.

The columnaris bacteria grow on the organic wastes. Always remember to change the water at regular intervals. Clean all the gravels inside the aquarium so that the waste removal can be done effectively. Anti fungal, antibacterial drops are available in the local pet shops that are to be added as 3-5 drops helps in preventing the attacks of bacteria and fungus in aquarium fishes.

All the new fishes must be placed in a separate tank for two weeks in order to prevent any disease spread that they carry from the previous aquarium.