1. Hole on the head
The disease is caused by a single-celled parasite called Hexamita. The cause of the disease is poor water quality and improper fish care. In addition, it can also be due to improper diet.
The disease usually manifests as small blisters or holes appearing on the head of the fish. These pimples are usually white and have mucus around them. When sick, fish is often accompanied with long white string.
Treatment:
This disease can be spread very easy, so it is important to isolate the sick fish as soon as it is detected. We put in the isolation tank a drug called Metronidazole (250mg for 10 gallon of water). Continue to add the drug to the tank with the same dosage as above for 10 days. During this time only change about 20-30% water between each treatment. It is possible that during treatment the fish will stop eating. If this disease is detected in time, the success rate of treatment is very high.
2. Inflammatory skin disease
The disease is caused by bacteria Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Vbrio. It can also be caused by a parasite or fungus. When sick, the external skin of flowerhorn fish will appear red and swollen patches that are getting bigger and bigger, whole body itching. So fish often rub their body against the bottom of the tank or any object in the tank.
How to cure:
When the fish shows the above symptoms, we must first conduct regular water changes. Note: Do not put in the aquarium any object with sharp, sharp edges because it will make the fish more scratched when rubbed. Add antibacterial drugs such as Methylene blue (5ml/10 gallon of water). Give the medicine once every other days for 10 days and change about 50% of the water before putting the medicine in.
3. Fish disease loss of balance
When suffering from this disease, the fish suddenly loses its balance and lies on its side, the body is bent, indicating that there is an injury in the spine. Dermatitis at this time also appears on the fish. Therefore, the cause of the disease is thought to be damage to the muscles or vital areas of the body, genetic defects or malnutrition.
How to cure:
In fact, there is currently no effective treatment for this disease on the market. However, it can also be treated by lowering water level and changing the water every day, feeding the fish with your hands and helping the fish to return to a balanced position when the fish leans away. With this method, it takes a lot of time to be effective
4. Piercing disease
Classified as nutritional and parasitic diseases, cichlids often suffer from this disease. When the fish is infected with this disease, its body, especially the head, often appears small holes, the fish has no appetite, the abdomen is sunken in, white string in fish waste, if not treated promptly, these holes will penetrate through the epidermis or abdomen, causing other diseases, leading to fish death.
Fish with perforated head disease due to nutrition, the body color also gradually turns to a gloomy pale black color, at this time, Vitamin A, D3 can be added to the food. If it is infected, it must be disinfected. If the fish is sick due to parasites, in addition to the symptoms of a punctured head, the intestines and abdomen of the fish are also infected, accompanied by the phenomenon of floating white particles. This phenomenon may also be due to the deterioration of the water source, the change in water temperature, the density of rearing and spawning is too thick, the nutrition and oxygen are not enough to supply the fish. At this time, medicine must be used to treat the fish.
5. White spot disease
Symptoms of the disease are white spots or a cluster of small yellow spots on the outside of the body. When fish are infected with white spot disease, they will be itchy and constantly rub themselves around the tank, so on their bodies appear small white cysts, this disease is easy to arise when the temperature and pH change. sudden change.
White spot treatment:
Mix Epsom salt into the water about 1 teaspoon for every 10-20 gallons, increase the water temperature to about 86 F or more, adding some metronidazole(500 mg / 20 gallon water) can help treating this problem as well. Or you can bathe the fish with salty water for 10 second and every day for 3-5 days. You can also use methylene blue for every other day for 5-10 days until the white spot disappear. This is very simple disease to treat for flower horn. normally just need increase water temperature and bath fish with Salt.
Translated by Son Nguyen