6 Tips To Help You Tackle Fishkeeping Problems With Ease
Every once in a while our fish get sick, our tank gets cloudier, or we unintentionally harvesting snails in our aquarium.
Most of these problems can be taken care of easily without doing drastic measures that result in endangering our fish.
1. White Spots in Bettas
First, negate all possibility of disease. Are the bettas eating well and behaving normally? Are their fins clamped?
Are the white spots spreading? Is there excessive slime production? If you fish have one or more of these symptoms, they may have ick. If you have used the right medication, you fish should be cured.
Pigmentation, or the lack or it, can also cause white spots. If this is the cause, do not worry. The spots should grow or disappear as the bettas age. Some bettas with “marble” genes have this syndrome.
2. Torn Caudal Fins in Goldfish
Torn caudal fins in a goldfish, if uninfected, will grow back, though the form may not be the same as before.
If there are fin-nippers (e.g. Serape tetras, tiger barbs) living with your goldfish, they could be the cause. Otherwise, a goldfish’s long flowing fins may also be torn when brushed against sharp objects such as tank décor or gravel. In such cases, you may want to remove these causative objects or fish.
Good water maintenance will also prevent a secondary infection to the torn fins, and can mean a faster healing time.
3. Color Fading in Brightly Colored Goldfish
The color pigmentation of fish usually depends on water quality. However, if your goldfish is imported from seasonal countries, the climate may play a part in their discoloration.
If they are bred locally, try feeding them with food containing carotene. You might want to try color enhancer as an alternative.
4. Eye-Dropping Goldfish
This is an unusual occurrence as compare to cloudy eyes in goldfish. Do you have other fish in the tank that love nibbling at the slower-moving goldfish?
Though goldfish may look peaceful in a cramped environment, they may start getting aggressive with one another.
If this is so, reduce the number of goldfish you keep in your tank, before they start taking matters into their own fins!
5. Snail Infestation
Proprietary medication sold in shops will kill the snails. However, the medication may also kill your water plants. Instead, try purchasing freshwater puffer fish.
They are known to be avid snail eaters. There are a few more tips to nailing down aquarium snails infestation here.
6. Contaminated Aquarium Equipment and Accessories
Wash items that are contaminated by disease or dead fish thoroughly under running water. If you use detergent, rinse well until all lather disappears.
You can buy commercially prepared prophylactic medication from aquarium shops, or potassium permanganate crystals from pharmacies.
Dissolve the potassium permanganate crystals in water until the water turns dark purple, and soak the containers in it for a day. It may, however, stain your containers.
GET FRESHWATER AQUARIUM GUIDE WORTH $99 FOR FREE!
Topics Covered
