Treatment of Fish
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN TREATING FISH DISEASES
Treating Fish Diseases in an Aquarium is not a Very Simple Matter
it depends largely on the accurate diagnosis of the cause of the harsh diseases, correct application of medications, prevailing water conditions, type and effectiveness of filters, etc.
Whenever new fishes are added into a fish tank, they are subjected to shock which can kill them. The shock from the temperature changes and chemical differences in water chemistry between where they were last kept and the new environment. Slight variations can be tolerated but each species has different degrees of tolerance. Even the same species have different tolerance levels. The basic solution is to limit or lessen as much of the shock as possible.
APPLICATION OF MEDICATIONS
Making a prompt and accurate diagnosis is vital for successful treatment and long-term prevention of fish diseases problems. The correct usage and selection of the right remedies are also as important. It is therefore advisable to INSIST on the use of the “RID-ALL” range of products which are extensively tested before they come on the market. When using any medication, please be careful of the side effects or contra-indications on the fish which are very unpredictable, especially in different water conditions.
No one can predict exactly how any medication or treatment will react in any particular aquarium.
There are so many variables not only in water chemistry parameters but in possible reactions to plastic ornamentals and other materials in the aquarium that any treatment may go wrong. It is always better to treat diseased fish during the day so that if the fish displays any sign of poisoning or discomfort, treatment can be interrupted immediately.
WATER CONDITIONS
Fishes took from one water temperature and placed into a higher or lower temperature usually should not be subjected to immediate change of more than 2 to 3 °C – to reduce thermal stress. The temperature may be increased or decreased by 1°C per minute slowly.
Most aquarium fishes live in environments with a pH level between pH 6.20 to pH 8.20. To avoid fish pH trauma, environmental pH levels must remain fairly constant and if necessary adjust gradually in steps of not more than + 0.3 pH units per day.
Incorrect or fluctuating water conditions particularly pH, hardness, specific gravity and temperature, excessive levels of nitrite or ammonia(mainly due to poor filtering systems), presence of other toxins, and low levels of dissolved oxygen are the main causes of environmental problems which cause fish diseases.