Basic HTML Version
27
AVAILABLE FROM
WORLD OF WATER
www.worldofwater.com
●
Melafix treats
bacterial infections
and ailments and
does it in a less
harsh, more natural
way than some
chemical treatments.
●
The aquarium treatment range
from Interpet treat all common
fish diseases and make
diagnosis easy.
●
A good brand of flake food
like Aquarian will keep your fish
healthy, and healthy fish are more
resistant to disease.
Feeding
After water quality, proper
feeding is paramount to
keeping your fish healthy. A
well-fed fish will have a strong
immune system and will be
better at fighting off disease.
Feeding a combination of a
good staple food, occasional
treat foods and frozen foods is
best for all fish.
Staple, dry foods like flake
are complete foods that
contain all the vitamins and
minerals that fish need to
survive and grow.
Frozen foods are whole
foods that have been freshly
frozen. They offer the fish
variety, and condition them
for breeding and better
colouration. Frozen foods
can themselves be varied to
provide more variety.
Consider the feeding
requirements of each
species and do your best to
accommodate it. Once a diet
has been chosen, choose a
food particle size that suits the
size of the fish. Large Oscars
need large, protein-rich food
sticks and small rasboras need
micro pellets or crushed flake.
And take a look at how often
your fish should be fed.
Fast-swimming, active fish
have fast metabolisms and
should be fed little and often.
Large, slower-moving fish such
as big catfish will eat more per
sitting, expend less energy in
the daytime, and can be fed
once per day or even every
other day.
Only feed as much as any
fish will consume within a few
minutes and syphon off any
uneaten food.
Fish health
The vast majority of fish health
problems are related to water
quality. With regular water
changes and maintenance, few
problems will occur. But fish
can still get ill sometimes.
Recognising the symptoms
early goes a long way to curing
any problems that crop up.
If your problem isn’t detailled
below, ask advice at your local
World of Water branch.
Whitespot
Look closely at the fish. Are the
spots circular and the size of
a pin head? If they are it could
well be whitespot, a parasitic
infection. The problem is
common and easy to treat, but
must be caught in time before
your fish get too ill to recover. It
is stress related.
Fungus
Fungus looks like patches of
cotton wool on a fish and are
a secondary infection that may
result from poor handling, injury
or poor water quality. Fish with
fungus are best isolated.
Fin and mouth rot
This comes from damage or
prolonged periods of poor
water quality. Fix the water
first, then treat them with an
antibacterial remedy.
Healthy
fish
A healthy, happy aquarium is the goal for every
fishkeeper. We offer you some advice for keeping your
fish healthy and disease free.
■
Whitespot treatments are more effective when you
combine them with a rise in water temperature.
■
When using medications, aerate the water heavily
to help the fish breathe.
■
Whitespot is stress-related, so find out the cause
for a more effective treatment.
■
Remove carbon from your filter when adding
medications. Carbon removes them and will render
them useless.
■
Copper-based parasite treatments are harmful to
shrimps, crabs, snails and crayfish. Always read the
label before treating your tank.
Basic health tips
Whitespot is a
common ailment but it
can be avoided.
Tail rot and fungus
on a fish will
mean a course of
treatment.
Mouth rot.
●
Catching nets
can transmit disease
from tank to tank so
use one per tank or
better still, two to
minimise stress
when catching
fish.