Pet Fish

A clean tank kept at the right temperature, and a balanced diet will go a long way toward keeping your fish healthy. But fish do get sick at times.

Get to know your fish so you know what is "normal" for them. Watching your fish will teach you how they communicate by positioning their bodies up, down, or sideways and raising or lowering their fins in threat or submission. This can also help you identify differences in appearance, behavior, activity or eating habits. You owe it to your fish to know all you can about their behavior, health and disease problems.

The best prevention against disease is to keep your fish healthy in a stress-free environment. A varied diet, stable water temperature, good water parameters, daily observance and responsible stocking are a few ways to ensure healthy fish, free of disease.

Indications of Disease Include:

• Abnormal behavior (rapid respiration, clamped fins, lethargy, poor equilibrium, reduced appetite or refusal to eat, prolonged hiding, immobility, whirling and shimming, erratic swimming or feeble swimming)



• Skin abnormalities (excessive mucus, grayish patches, white spots, tumors, cotton-like growths, lesions and loss of scales)



• Bloated abdomen and protruding scales



• Darkening or washed out appearance, cloudy eyes



• Upper half of body sunken in, retracted belly, sunken eyes

It is difficult at present to find private practice veterinarians trained in fish medicine, but they are becoming more common. For now, people usually rely on the expertise of knowledgeable aquarium store dealers. The Internet may offer some help. Try www.fishypharmacy.com/diseases for help with diagnosing and treatment.