article: Managing Fish Health

Managing Fish Health

Providing your fish with a great environment and a balanced diet will promote healthy fish. While there are always going to be some portions of their health that you just can’t control (just as your own) there are also a few topics about your fish health that you should be aware of.

Your fish can be harmed by pathogenic organisms, which are directly and sometimes indirectly related to how you control your environment in the water garden. When these organisms affect your water garden, they will put additional stress on your fish that is how your fish health is affected.

To determine a good diet for your fish, you will need to consider all the risks involved in feeding different types of food. Are your fish going to be totally dependant on you feeding them or should they be catching some of their own food as well?

You will also have to take into consideration what type of fish you are feeding. Do they have very large stomachs or just small ones? This will also help you determine what types of food that they need for a balanced stress free diet. For example, if a fish has very small intestines they will be very unlikely to eat larger pellets.

You will find will studying your particular types of fish, that they are going to eat anywhere from two to twenty percent of their body weight everyday. Of course the younger the fish, the more they are going to eat while they are growing, older fish might need more as their bodies are changing as well.

There are many factors that will determine whether your fish are going to be susceptible to disease such as their diet, the quality of the water, their own history, their handling before they came to you, their handling during delivery to you, and outside chemicals which can affect the water garden. Even with the most careful handling, your fish can still be susceptible to disease, because there are many viral and bacteria in the environment as well.

Most all diseases that are prevalent in fish can’t be transmitted to humans, but you still have to be careful because there are a few that can transmit to humans but under the rarest circumstances. Washing your hands after handling fish, and not handling fish when you have large cuts or open sores on your skin will ensure your own safety.