Dropsy in fish is an extremely dangerous disease, which in most cases leads to the death of the animal. It has an infectious nature, which means that it can affect all fish in the aquarium in a short time. Consider the essence of dropsy in fish? Its symptoms, causes, methods of treatment and prevention.
General information
Dropsy in fish (ascites) is an infectious disease that is characterized by the appearance of edema filled with fluid. With dropsy, the stomach of the fish increases significantly in size and takes a rounded shape. Scales begin to puff up, eyes crawl out of their sockets. The bacteria that cause ascites live in all aquariums, but with proper care and strong immunity in animals, they are not dangerous. The disease manifests itself in the case of poor conditions or sharp changes in the aquarium.
Although under normal conditions the bacteria causing the disease are harmless, the disease itself in most cases leads to the death of the fish. Most often, treatment is ineffective, so it is important to create conditions so that the disease does not manifest itself. In the case of infection of one fish, the disease can very quickly affect other inhabitants of the aquarium. Therefore, when a sick animal appears, it is important to take measures in time that will prevent the spread of infection.
Most often, larvae are susceptible to this disease. It manifests itself in the swelling of the yolk sac and filling it with a blue liquid. Also, the disease is more often observed in labyrinths, cyprinids and viviparous fish. Nevertheless, under poor conditions, it can affect other fish species.
Symptoms
The first symptoms of dropsy in fish can most often indicate other diseases. For the purpose of prophylaxis, a sick animal must immediately be deposited in another container. We list the main symptoms of dropsy in fish:
- bulging eyes;
- very swollen belly;
- tubercles on the body;
- decreased activity and lethargy;
- gills become pale;
- the anus swells;
- ulcers on the body;
- white stool and mucous discharge from the anus;
- refusal of food;
- rapid movement of the gills;
- decrease in color brightness;
- the code is pulled, and the scales are uplifted;
- rachiocampsis;
- fish is located at the very surface of the water.
All of these symptoms together can indicate irreversible changes in the internal organs of the fish. In this case, the treatment is no longer able to help. The animal must be euthanized, and the aquarium urgently needs to be sanitized. Bloating in fish can also occur before spawning or from exposure to internal parasites. The main symptom that indicates dropsy in fish is clumping scales. At the same time, fish skin is clearly visible through it, it swells and turns white.
Background
The appearance of dropsy of aquarium fish is facilitated by:
- poor quality and improper chemical composition of water;
- untimely change of water and cleaning in the aquarium;
- poor and uniform nutrition;
- lack of oxygen;
- unsuitable conditions of detention;
- prolonged stress;
- sharp fluctuation in temperature in the aquarium;
- genetic predisposition;
- other diseases;
- old age of fish.
It is adverse conditions of detention that affect a sharp decrease in the immunity of fish. It becomes vulnerable to all kinds of viruses and bacteria. Once harmless microorganisms have a devastating effect.
Causes
Dropsy in fish may appear from:
- bacterial infection;
- viral infection;
- infection with simple parasites;
- reduced immunity in fish.
If several fish get sick at the same time, then we can talk about a bacterial infection. Bacteria called Mycobacterium and Aeromonas can become its source. They can accumulate in an aquarium that is rarely cleaned. They can also be brought in with new fish or food.
Treatment
Most often, treatment is ineffective, because many experts advise euthanizing sick fish. The aquarium must be disinfected, and the rest of the fishermen should be closely monitored.
There are some helpful tips among the reviews. For example, if other animals show signs of the disease, they must be urgently quarantined. To reduce the number of harmful bacteria in the aquarium, antibiotics are often used internally and antibacterial drugs in the water. For example, Oxytetracycline (judging by the reviews, it is very effective). True, these drugs are no longer aimed at treating dropsy in fish, but at preventing disease in other aquarium inhabitants.
It is also necessary to normalize the quality of feed and water in the aquarium, to remove the possible causes of the disease.
Antibiotics for treating the disease are given to sick fish along with food. If the disease is at an early stage, then there is a small chance to overcome it. If the fish eat live food, antibiotics are added to the water.
Prevention
Prevention of abdominal dropsy in fish is to maintain optimal conditions for their maintenance in the aquarium. It is necessary to clean the aquarium on time, constantly check the quality of water, adhere to the optimum temperature. It is not necessary to settle nervous and shy fish with active ones, because they will become a constant source of stress. Before acquiring new species of fish, you must carefully familiarize yourself with all the conditions of their maintenance. In this case, special attention should be paid to the compatibility of individual species. Care must be taken to avoid a sharp change in conditions of detention, because it can also cause stress. The diet of fish should be varied, while not saving on high-quality feed.
If you notice a fish that has begun to behave strangely, or has symptoms of the disease, it must be urgently quarantined and continued to be monitored. Sick individuals should not be left in the general aquarium, because the spread of the disease is possible.
Thus, dropsy in fish is a contagious and dangerous disease. It is associated with improper conditions of detention or their sharp deterioration. The stomach of sick fish is filled with liquid, which causes deformation of the internal organs. Treatment in the early stages of the disease can be effective. If it has passed to the last stage, the fish must be euthanized, and the aquarium urgently needs to be sanitized to avoid infection of other individuals.