Body Fungus In The Aquarium
As the proud owner of an aquarium or fish tank, you have to be vigilant and make sure your tank is free of any parasites or bacteria that can cause disease. Some infections and fish diseases are relatively easy to treat, but others could be more dangerous and even fatal. Whether you own a marine tank or a fresh water aquarium your pets may be at risk of some of the more common fish diseases.
Are you the proud owner of an aquarium? Fish make great pets because they require only a small amount of maintenance and don’t create any mess. They can also be great fun to watch in their watery habitat. In fact, watching fish in an aquarium can be wonderfully relaxing, to say nothing of those bubbly sounds. So don’t let body fungus ruin your joy.
As with any pet, it’s important to take steps to make sure that the tank is properly maintained. Not only will an algae-filled fish tank look unsightly, but it can cause serious health problems for your fish. One of those diseases is body fungus, a serious condition that can severely impact your fish’s well-being. Read on to learn more about body fungus, how it affects the fish and what you can do about it.
What Is Body Fungus?
Body fungus is a condition that occurs when fish are stressed by poor environmental conditions. These can include things like an uneven water temperature or unclean conditions. These difficulties cause the poor little fish to experience stress, which causes lowered immunity and a lowered mucus level. Their systems then can’t fight back against body fungus, which can cause significant suffering and even death.
You can tell if your fish have body fungus if they have what looks like white fuzz anywhere on their bodies, including fins, mouth, eyes or bodies. Aside from looking unsightly, it will lead to other infections, such as fin rot, and eventually cause your fish to die. It’s a serious condition that needs to be treated immediately. Body fungus can also affect unhatched fish eggs.
What To Do About Body Fungus?
Body fungus can be treated with anti-fungals. One quick way to fight body fungus is with a few drops of body fungus treatment in the water. Tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal agent, and can also be used as a preventative measure, but once your tank is infected it may not help. You can also use salt or organic dyes, but these can be dangerous to your fish. However, it is best to prevent body fungus before it makes an appearance. Keep the aquarium clean, minimize handling of fish, and treat injuries as soon as they occur.
It is also important to follow proper feeding and care requirements, such as avoiding overfeeding, cleaning the tank regularly, and keeping the water temperature constant. In severe cases, body fungus will need to be treated by a professional.
