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Fish & Coral Diseases

Diagnosing and Treating Fish and Coral Diseases

By Stan & Debbie Hauter, About.com Guides

By diagnosing a disease, illness, health or harassment problem a fish, coral as well as other invertebrate may be dealing with in your aquarium, here you can learn about how to treat fish disease by quarantining an animal if necessary and take steps quickly to protect or treat them, whether using an ozone or UV sterilizer, medications, QT, or other means to care for them.

Marine Ich Diseases & Other Parasitical Fish Diseases

The many types of saltwater "Ich" parasites can plague a saltwater aquarium, killing the entire marine fish population in a matter of days. The parasites collectively known as "Ich" (or "Ick") can take many forms. Outbreaks of:

White Spot (Cryptocaryon)
Black Spot Disease
Velvet or Coral Fish Disease (Oodinium) and

as well as a New Type of Marine Ich which can wipe out fish in 24 - 48 hours! and other parasitic animals like fish flukes and lice typically occur in a stable aquarium when new livestock is added, or when even one of the population becomes stressed. Early diagnosis and rapid treatment of the particular parasite strain are keys to an effective cure.

Brooklynella (Clownfish Disease) Diagnosis and Treatment

Clownfish Disease is a type of saltwater ich caused by an infestation of the ciliated protozoan Brooklynella hostilis, this disease is most closely and commonly associated with Clownfishes, and therefore is typically referred to as Clownfish Disease. Although this parasitic scourge requires a fish host to survive, it is not particular in its quest to find one. These protozoa multiply rapidly, which is why they can kill fish within a few days and even hours upon recognition.

An effective treatment for this fish disease is the judicious use of formaldehyde in the form of Formalin.

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) fish Disease

Steven Rhodes

Referred to as HLLE or LLE, which means Head and Lateral Line Erosion, this disease first presents as a discoloring of the skin along the fish's lateral and spreading to the head area over time. Find out how this disease relates to the lateral line on fishes, what may cause this problem, and how to treat or reverse its effects.

Bacterial, Fungal, Viral & Other Fish Diseases

The Bacterial Diseases Profiler shows how to recognize, identify and treat both internal and external bacterial diseases or infections that can afflict saltwater fishes in aquariums.

The Lymphocystis Virus which has been seen sporadically in the past seems to be popping up more and more on saltwater aquarium fish, lately. The virus been identified as the Lymphocystis Virus presents as a white or beige colored cauliflower like growth or growths on the skin or fins.

When one or more of your fish's eyes are cloudy or "bugging out", the cause is probably the result of a bacterial infection. Commonly known as "Pop Eye" , the Causes & Treatments of Popeye are fairly straightforward.

Osmotic Shock (Hyposalinity) Treatment

Osmotic Shock has been found to be an effective treatment for a variety of parasitic fish diseases. While this treatment can not be used in reef tanks with corals, it can be successfully utilized in Fish Only tanks and in Quarantine Tanks (QT's).

A primary form of Osmotic Shock is a Freshwater Dip, which can quickly remove many surface parasites before placing the affected fish in a QT for longer Osmotic Shock treatment.

Knowing What Hyposalinity Kills and The Effects of Osmotic Shock Therapy (O.S.T.) is important before you begin a course of treatment. It may actually be possible to perform the treatment in you Fish Only tank with no ill effects.

QT Quarantine Tanks

Many new aquarists ask: "Is a QT Really Necessary?". Absolutely required? No. A very good idea? Yes. The Benefits of a Quarantine Tank are clear and numerous.

While you can spend more than a little of your hard earned money of a Quarantine Tank (QT), you don't really have to. How do I create a fast and cheap QT? explains how easy and inexpensive it can be to put together a QT tank when you need one.

For those who see the benefits of using a QT for their new additions to their tanks, but don't want to spend forever waiting for their new fish to show up with a disease to treat, the Aggressive Quarantine Treatment Tank might be just the ticket to speeding up the quarantine process.

Fish Disease Diagnostic Tools

There are a number of Fish Disease Diagnostic Tools available to help you diagnosis your fish's health problems. Among them is the Fish Disease Trouble Shooter which walks you through the process, step by step, one symptom at a time.

Ozone & UV Sterilizers

Energy Savers Turbo-Twist UV Sterilizers

PriceGrabber

Among the parasite and disease preventative devices available on the market are Ozone and UV (UltraViolet) Sterilizers. The use of Ozone Sterilizers has pretty much fallen out of favor with saltwater aquarists over the years while UV (UltraViolet) Sterilizers are still in use to help destroy free floating parasites and algae.

UV Sterilization:

What is it and How is it Used? is a discussion of the value of UV Sterilizers in saltwater aquariums.
You can read product reviews and Compare Prices on the Top UV Sterilizers on the market.

Coral Diseases & Health Issues

Information about coral diseases such as bacterial, white pox, band and rapid wasting disease, coral bleaching, shedding and other issues that pertain to the health of corals both in nature and in reef aquariums.

Some of the challenges with raising corals are: