Freshwater

chlorine from your tap water) in your home to make daily water changes if
they become necessary? Have you sterilized your hospital tank since its last
use? Is it ready? Being prepared can make all the difference between saving
your wet pets and losing them.
Monthly measures
Monthly chores are much easier to remember if you mark them down on a
calendar. Or you can simply tack a reminder note up on the fridge.
Replace all filter mediums that contain carbon. Carbon loses its effectiveness
after a period of time. If your filter isn’t carbon-based, gently rinse it under
water to remove debris. Don’t use hot water for this task, as excessive heat
can destroy the entire beneficial bacteria colony living on the filter.
Clean all algae from the glass so that your fish won’t think they’ve gone blind.
Common Ailments and Cures
The list of common tropical fish illnesses in this section gives you general
guidelines for identifying and treating various diseases (Figure 11-1). Keep in
mind that several common medications and salt treatments may be detrimental
to live plants, some species of catfish, and other delicate or sensitive tropical
fish. It is always best to treat sick fish in a hospital tank, away from the
main population.
How stress leads to disease
In your home aquarium, your fish live in an
enclosed ecosystem that is very different from
and slightly imbalanced compared to the natural
stability of their native environment. The
majority of health problems tropical fish experience
are the direct result of stress, which is
often caused by being moved around and by
poor environmental conditions when they are
placed in a home aquarium.
Chapter 11: Diseases and Treatments
Your fish are capable of carrying all types of diseases
that generally are not a threat to their
everyday health. These diseases usually remain
dormant until your aquatic pets are weakened
by fluctuating environmental factors such as
unstable temperature and pH, dirty water, and
poor diet. When environmental stability problems
occur, your fish’s latent disease can manifest
quickly and cause health problems. Sick
fish can be a real bummer, but this chapter
helps you overcome most fishy health problems.
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