Fish Health - pt.1

Part 1 – Fish Behavior

Ensuring good health, growth and color in fish means that we need to ensure that the fish are behaving normally, that they are eating and that they are compatible with one another.

The first step and most important is to learn the normal behavior of the fish you are keeping (and then from there you will know abnormal behavior). Once you know the normal behavior of a fish and then observe it acting differently, you should suspect a possible problem.

Appearance – healthy fish

It can be difficult and confusing to describe the appearance of a healthy fish because each specie is different. What might appear normal for a Clown Loach would appear abnormal for, say a Molly.

·        In general, the fish’s eyes should be clear and alert.

·        They should swim normally and not appear sluggish.

·        In most cases, their fins will be erect and should be free of external lesions or damage.

·        Their forehead should be thick and solid, not pinched in.

·        Their stomachs should not be thin and hollow.

·        The fish should feed freely (usually, the best signal on how they are feeling).

·        Their feces should be solid and dark in color.

Appearance – unhealthy fish

·        Fish Hiding when they should be free-swimming

·        Fish lying on the bottom when they should be free-swimming

·        Fish hanging at the surface when they should be free-swimming

·        Clamped fins when they should be erect

·        A shimmy swimming motion (back and forth or side to side)

·        Excessive scratching on rocks, substrate, or ornaments

·        External lesions on the eyes, body, or fins

·        Ragged fins

·        Excessively sluggish

·        Not eating, loss of body weight

·        Feces is white and stringy

·        Excessive darting around the tank

·        Rapid and heavy respiration

Observing the signs and symptoms of unhealthy fish should lead to discovering the cause, which in most cases is some form of stress. There are many conditions that can cause stress in your fish. Learning how to eliminate and/or control these causes will help prevent health problems. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Stressors

·        Bright light

·        Poor nutrition

·        Overcrowding

·        Overfeeding

·        Poor water quality

·        Inadequate niches (hiding places)

·        Mixing of fish not suited

·        Large temperature fluctuations

·        Inadequate lighting

·        Lack of water exchanges

·        Improper acclimation

·        Medications

·        Shipping (transportation)

·        Stirring up the aquarium

·        Adding new fish

·        Too large of a water exchange

·        New aquarium conditions

The ability to manage these stressors is what aquarium keeping is all about. Maintaining a healthy environment through proper water quality, consistent water exchanges, excellent nutrition and feeding regime, research on the fish species being kept and regular monitoring of the aquarium will go a long way in preventing health problems.