Mycobacteriosis in fish is a fairly common pathology. Moreover, the disease can affect both aquarium inhabitants and the inhabitants of natural reservoirs. A lover of domestic animals should be extremely careful, because the disease is insidious and is treated only in the initial stages. If appropriate measures are not taken at the first sign of pathology, the fish will die.
Mycobacteriosis in fish: symptoms
Symptoms of pathology are quite extensive and multifaceted. The aquarist may suspect something is wrong with the general appearance of the fish. She becomes lethargic, loses her appetite and is actively losing weight. In this case, the color turns pale, the scales fall out and the fins are destroyed.
Among the more rare, but possible signs are noted:
- eyeballs;
- darkening of the eyes;
- the appearance of black spots and the presence of open wounds.
You should know that such signs can be both single, and manifest themselves in a complex.
Signs of disease depending on fish species
When mycobacteriosis develops in fish, the symptoms and treatment may vary, depending on the species of aquarium inhabitants. So, among the representatives of Pizeliev’s, sick relatives keep in isolation from the rest of the group. They completely refuse food, while their sharp depletion is noticeable. The abdomen is retracted, the back bends, teething through the scales and falling out of the eyes are noted.
If the disease has overtaken the appearance of macropods, then it can be calculated by the red skin and the raised scales. This situation occurs due to fluid pressure that accumulates inside the flake pockets. You can notice a thorn in front of the fish. After the development of bulging eyes and comes complete blindness. The body of the fish is covered with black dots.
If there are cockerels in the aquarium, then their skin stretches and after about a month it becomes completely transparent. Fishes move in jerks, while their complete apathy is observed. They stop eating and swim belly up or on their side.
Reasons for the development of pathology
Mycobacteriosis in aquarium fish is often called tuberculosis of aquatic inhabitants. The disease is tolerated:
- with soil;
- contaminated feed;
- by plants.
Infected mollusks or other fish can also be a provoking factor. Cases have been recorded when insects that flew into the watering hole served as a source of infection in an open water body. Aquarium water is contaminated due to improper keeping of fish. Weakened immunity can serve as an impetus for the development of the disease.
note
Experienced aquarists know that mycobacteriosis in fish can develop when an infected individual enters the water. Therefore, special attention must be paid to those cold-blooded, who are selected for sharing. Do not purchase:
- small relatives (compared with the rest in the entire pack);
- with suspiciously large eyes;
- too thin.
Some feel sorry for these fish and think that with proper care they will get better. However, most often their body is already affected by the deadly bacteria of mycobacteriosis. The cold-blooded body stubbornly resists the disease, so the fish look a bit different than others. It is worth remembering that it is already impossible to cure such an individual.
Mycobacteriosis in fish: treatment
To achieve a positive result in treatment is possible only if the pathology was detected in the early stages. If an individual with suspected tuberculosis is detected before the moment she has lost her appetite, it is possible to use drugs.
When mycobacteriosis in fish is confirmed, treatment with Pyrazinamide should be carried out according to the following scheme:
- You can dig 10 milligrams of the drug for every 10 grams of feed;
- You can add 3 grams of medicine per 100 liters of aquarium water.
"Pyrazinamide" belongs to the category of antibiotics. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that the medicine, along with pathogenic bacteria, kills all useful ones. As a result, quite often against the background of treatment, the bio-balance in the aquarium fails.
Advanced treatment
If mycobacteriosis in fish is detected in the later stages, then, according to experienced aquarists, treatment is no longer possible. The following actions are required:
- completely destroy all sick individuals;
- drain the aquarium;
- thoroughly disinfect the walls of the container using a 5% bleach solution or a 3% chloramine solution.
- mollusks and plants are also subject to destruction;
- decorations and primers can be sanitized, but it is best to replace them as well.
It must be remembered that the bacterium that causes tuberculosis in fish is resistant to acids. In addition, she feels great at the temperature characteristic of aquarium water (from 18 to 25 degrees).
Danger to humans
It is necessary to be extremely careful, because mycobacteriosis in fish is dangerous to humans. If the disease is found in the inhabitants of the aquarium, then all work on disinfection should be carried out by a person who does not have abrasions or cuts on his hands. If the skin has open wounds, then the pathogenic bacterium quickly penetrates the affected epithelium and provokes the development of the inflammatory process. If infection is suspected, a dermatologist should be visited immediately.
Do not neglect safety. Sores may form on the skin of the hands, the healing of which will last for years. Of course, fish tuberculosis will not go beyond the skin of the hands, because the temperature inside the human body is too high.
Disease therapy
Mycobacteriosis in fish can only be treated in the initial stages. Effective methods of treating pathology in the subsequent stages have not yet been developed. The disease is considered incurable, therefore, usually therapy is reduced only to a qualitative improvement in the conditions of detention.
If not very affected individuals are found, then with an optimal standard of living, self-healing can occur. However, with obvious signs of the disease, it is necessary to destroy the fish and the surrounding plants. If it is necessary to preserve the soil, then it is boiled.
In order to properly disinfect the aquarium, it is necessary to fill it with a solution of chloramine and wipe all internal and external corners several times during the day. Only after this should you thoroughly rinse the aquarium with very hot water. Then fresh or boiled soil is filled up and the settled water is poured. After the plants are planted, you can run completely healthy fish.
Prevention of a dangerous disease
To protect the wards from the aquarium from a dangerous disease, it is necessary to maintain optimal conditions for their maintenance. Mycobacteriosis is considered a typical pathology of a weakened organism. Therefore, if the disease is detected, then this means unsuitable conditions for the fish:
- overpopulation;
- sanitary and hygienic disorders;
- lack of oxygen;
- poor filtering.
Therefore, the prevention of the disease of mycobacteriosis is to ensure perfect hygiene in the aquarium and the presence in the water of everything necessary. The level of beneficial microbes in the water should be maintained at the proper level. Moreover, the content of pests should be minimized. To do this, the aquarium should be placed in a place that is well lit by the sun. Some microbes kill ultraviolet radiation.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that bacteria of a dangerous disease affect not only fish. Pathogenic microorganisms are dangerous for humans, therefore, when working with infected individuals, maximum caution should be exercised.
Infection can occur through abrasions and wounds on the hands, as well as through the mouth. If there is a suspicion of bacteria entering the site of abrasion or cut, you should consult a doctor.
The incubation period lasts three weeks. After that, ulcers appear on the skin. If treatment is not started on time, then healing takes place only after two to three years. At the same time, the quality of human life is significantly changing for the worse. He experiences constant itching, pain, and general deterioration of well-being. Only the complex treatment prescribed by the dermatologist can quickly restore the health of the skin of the hands and at the same time guarantee the absence of side effects.
The disease concerns not only aquarium fish. Therefore, reasonable caution should be exercised during fishing and to get rid of clearly infected individuals. Of course, such a fish will not cause special harm to health during heat treatment. However, when cutting it, infection of the hands may occur. In this regard, do not give small children caught suspicious fish in their hands.