Diseases

Ichthyophthirius or Ich

Otherwise known as "white spot disease" because of the appearance of the encysted adult parasite on infected fish, Ich is caused by the protozoan parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. .

Ich goes through three definite stages: First, the adult parasite lives in the skin of the host fish, feeding on the tissue and body fluids of the fish and appears as a white spot; second, the mature parasite leaves the host and falls to the bottom where it divides; third, as many as 2000 free-swimming youngsters all seek a host fish that they can attach to. This is the stage where most treatments are affective.

Higher temperatures will cause the cycle to complete faster so it is suggested that you raise the temperature to around 80 degrees F. as part of the treatment. This gives the free-swimming parasites less time to find a host before they die.

Your favorite pet supply store will have Ich medication on hand.

Exophthalmia or Pop-Eye

This is one of the more often encountered diseases of angelfish although not common. Pop-eye is a symptom, not a disease and it can have a number of causes. Some are incurable, some can be cured.

Some of the causes of this condition are: Not making partial water changes often enough resulting in a build-up of dissolved waste products, infection by a parasitic fungus called Ichthyosporidium. Other symptoms of this disease, also known as Ichthyophonus, are usually present when it is the cause of Pop-eye. The symptoms are body sores, bloody spots,staggering, black spots,tumors that have erupted, emaciation or scale protrusion, loss of fins. Usually this is introduced with other fish and is considered incurable. Some success has been reported using 1% phenoxetol at about 50cc per gallon of water.

Bacterial infections can also cause Pop-eye and may be treated with 50 mg. per gallon of Tetracycline or Terramycin added every other day or mixing with the food 200 mg. antibiotic to 4 oz. of food and feeding this for 10 days.

Another cause of Pop-eye is otherwise known as "worm cataract disease". The eyes bulge and the cornea becomes cloudy because of the invasion of types of flatworms. These must live through a stage in which snails are the intermediary host and if they don't find a fish within a short period, will die. Once a fish is infected, there is no effective cure.

This parasite is introduced with snails, so wild snails should be avoided. Aquarium snails pose no problem as they are not exposed to water birds who serve as another intermediary host and from which the snails become infected.

Not Eating

Loss of appetite and eventual refusal to eat should not be a problem in a well maintained tank. As long as regular partial water changes are made and the general guidelines for cleanliness are followed, this should never happen to you.

In case you notice your angelfish going "off their feed", bribe them with live brine shrimp, live guppy fry or any other clean live food. In no time they will be eating again.

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