Managing the health of your fish is going to be an ongoing task. Your fish can
come into contact with disease, fungus, viruses and chemicals when you least
expect it so managing your fish health will also include regular inspections of
your fish. Managing your fish health will include balancing their diet, the
water environment, and how the fish intermingle with each other.
Protozoan infections that you need to be aware of include:
White spot – also known as ichthyophthiriasis or also as ich
Your fish will have various white spots all over their body. When you have a
fish that has a severe case of white spot, the white spots will actually seem to
connect in certain areas of the body. Your fish will start swimming erratically
as if they are violent or in pain. Medical treatment is generally the cure here
using methylene blue or copper sulfate. This is a parasite infection so you
should quarantine fish that are infected while treating all fish so that this
parasite can be killed off.
Chilodonelliasis is a protozoan infection is where the skin on the fish and the
gills are going to be slimy coated but they have sort of a lumpy texture to the
sliminess over the fish. Fish will seem to have a hard time breathing even under
the best water conditions. Keeping the water warm, over eighty degrees and using
acriflavine in the water will treat your fish. Also treating your fish with
potassium permanganate daily until the sliminess disappears will help your fish
thrive and live healthy long lives.
Costiasis, infections of the gills or the skin – when your fish is covered with
a thin slimy layer they most likely are suffering from this infection. Not to be
confused with chilodonelliasis (which is a lumpy slimy coating) covers the skin
and the gills on the fish in your pond when infected. You can see blood spots in
the areas that are highly affected with this disease and they will appear to
scratch their bodies on rocks, twigs and even on plants in their environment.
You will have to treat this fish under a quarantine condition where they are
going to be separate from the pond, and you will have to clean the pond out so
that the parasites die without the fish being in the water.