The following is a list of aquarium diseases. Aquarium fish are often susceptible to numerous diseases, due to the artificially limited and concentrated environment. New fish can sometimes introduce diseases to aquaria, and these can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Most fish diseases are also aggravated when the fish is stressed.
Common aquarium diseases include the following:
| Disease | Cause | Fish Affected | Image | Symptoms | Treatment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neon tetra disease | Pleistophora hyphessobryconis (Microsporidia) | Neon tetras, zebrafish, various aquarium fish | Heavily infected fish appear emaciated and lethargic. Infection targets skeletal muscle, which will appear more opaque through the skin. | |||
| Piscine tuberculosis | Mycobacterium marinum bacteria | All | Weight loss evident on underparts, with corresponding loss of appetite, papules, discoloration and bulging eyes. | Amputation | ||
| Bacterial | All | Erosion at edges of fins | Improve water quality, remove fin-nippers and feed vitamin C enriched food. Use anti-fungal treatment to prevent secondary infections | |||
| Flexibacter bacteria | Cottony growth near jaws and loss of appetite. | Improve water conditions. Use commercially available antibiotics | ||||
| May be bacterial, or caused by chilling or digestive issues | All, especially balloon mollies | Inability to balance in the water | Check water temperature. A medical bath may help. | |||
| Vibrosis | Vibrio bacteria | All | Discoloration, reddish staining of fins, bulging eyes, lethargic behavior | Medicated food | ||
| Pseudomoniasis | Pseudomonas bacteria | All | Hemorrhages in mouth and ulceration on body | Medicated food | ||
| Oomycetic | All | Whitish, fur-like growths | Vitamin C enriched food, or a commercial remedy in a medical bath. Check to make sure that your fish doesn't prefer Brackish water | |||
| Egg fungus | Fungal | Eggs only | Fungal growths on eggs | Remove affected eggs. Use methylene blue to medicate the hatching tank. | ||
| Viral | All | Cauliflower-like growths and white areas around the eyes | Vaccines may be available | |||
| Viral | Gouramis, angelfish, Ramirez dwarf cichlids and others | None | ||||
| Singapore angelfish diseases | Inactivity, loss of appetite, high and rapid mortality | None | ||||
| Malawi bloat | Probably viral | Lake Malawi cichlids, especially vegetarian ones | Offer a high-fiber diet | |||
| White spots (ick) | Ichthyophthirius multifiliis parasite | All | Small white spots, which may ulcerate | Raise water temperature slightly and treat water with commercially available remedies | ||
| Hexamita parasite | Pale ulcerated area around head | Metronidazole or similar medication. Use food containing vitamin C | ||||
| Pleistophora hyphessobryconis parasite | Neon tetras | Discoloration | None | |||
| Skin or gill flukes | Gyrodactylus and Dactylogyrus parasites | All | Labored breathing, scraping against objects, abnormal gill function | Commercially available medication | ||
| Lernaea parasite | All | Visible parasites attached to body leading to ulceration and irritation | remove parasites with forceps and use medicated bath to prevent secondary infection. Insecticide may help | |||
| Varies from temperature, to indigestion to infection | All | Bloat, scales stick out | Varies depending on the cause | |||
| Tetrahymena | Parasite | Freshwater fish | None |
| Disease | Cause | Fish Affected | Image | Symptoms | Treatment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine velvet | Amyloodinium parasite | All, fresh and salt water | Powdered appearance, gasping and disorganized swimming | |||
| Oodinium and other parasites | All salt and freshwater fish | Golden dots, rubbing against rocks while swimming | ||||
| Septicemia or Egtved virus | Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus | Many fresh and salt water fish | hemorrhaging, internal and external | Virkon AQUATIC |
The goal of quarantine is to prevent problems in the main tank due to sickness. A quarantine tank should be used before to introduce any newly acquired animals in the main tank and to treat fish that are already sick. By doing this, the aquarist can avoid the spread of the disease and make it easier to treat the fish.[1]