Arowana Disease
This is what most Arowana owners are afraid of. These diseases can always be prevented by keeping your water condition in tip top condition and spending more time looking after the fish. We'll list some common problems encountered by most hobbyist and hope it'll be helpful.
White Spot(Ich)
Caused by the parasite Protozoan Ichthyoohtirius ,which will attack weak/sick fishes as they have lower resistence to these parasites.Poor water conditons are the main causes. Symptoms :White spots all over the body of the fish, affecting mainly the fins.The fish's appetite will decrease and often seen rubbing itself against the side of the tank or bottom of the tank.Advanced stages will see the parasites attack the gills , this can be fatal. Remedy : Commercial treatment is readily available. Increase water temperature gradually by 1-2°C to 33ºC. Add salt 0.3% and if condition is very bad place fish in medicated bath for Ich and provide good food to allow it to build up its resistence.
Cloudy Eye
Physical injury due to bad handling, poor water conditions,contaminated water or rubbing of eyes against contaminated tank glass. Symptoms : Eye appears to be blurred and covered with thin white membrane. In some cases the white film will cover the center part of the eye, making the eye appear blur and not clear. Remedy :Increase temperature to 30°C or even up to 33°C. Conduct regular water change and and see if condition improves, usually 3-6 days.For advanced stage treat with tetracycline add 0.3% salt and continue providing good water quality.Condition should improve within 4-6 months.
Tilted Gills (Overturned Gills)
Cause : Bad water conditions, space constraint, insufficient dissolved oxygen and sudden water temperature change. Symptoms :In the initial stage of the disease, you will notice that the fish shows irregular movements of the gill covers, its breathing will also be rapid.Later the soft membrane of the gills will curl outwards and not in line with the body. You can see the gill filaments(Red) exposed. This is very dangerous as it will result in death of your fish as the gills can no longer function properly. Remedy : Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter media and add coral sand.The advance stage of this disease would see the soft part of the gills hardened and thus that leaves you no choice but to perform a operation.For this you will need a pair of scissors,gloves,surgical spirit,clean damp cloth,waterproof fine sandpaper,anesthetic(to make the fish drowsy and immobilised) and lastly a steady pair of hands. Procedure : Transfer the fish into a holding tank with very low water level(about 3-6 inches above the fish) , add anaesthesia into the tank drop by drop.Watch the fish for few minutes before adding another drop, never overdose especially when administering anaesthesia!Once the fish loses consciousness, remove the fish and place it on the clean damp cloth.Use the scissors(make sure sterilized) to carefully trim of the affected gill cover, if there are any signs that the gill cover is not properly trimmed off leaving the jagged edges, simply use the waterproof sandpaper to sand away the jagged edges.Place the fish back into the tank and increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the tank, if necessary direct the airflow of the airstone towards the gills of the fish to help accelerate consciousness.After regaining its consciousness, let the fish rest and off all lights so as to let the fish recuperate under dim conditions.Feeding is not required if the fish shows no signs of interest in food.Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.Salt may be added to reduce parasite attacks and help to increase recovery rate. (See movie clips on gill cutting)
Protruding Scales Disease(Dropsy)
Cause : Extreme sudden change in water temperature in the tank, sudden PH change , poor water conditions. Fatal disease. Symptoms : Scale tilt outwards and when making a turn a few scales will appear protruding out. When viewed from the top this becomes more obvious, the fish may stop eating and lose their sense of balance usually struggling to swim properly.If the scales continues to protrude till its near the head of the fish then it is in its final stage where within a few days it will die. Remedy :Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Increase air supply to water. Do 25% water change every 2 days. Add tetracycline (yellow powder) as per the supplier written instruction. Add black water or Ketapam leaves to soften the water. Stop feeding for the time being. Continue treatment until the scales are flatten.
Droopy Eyes
Cause : Fat accumulation on the eyes due to overfeeding. The "looking down" for food and other attractions due to tank kept environment. Another known cause is feeding chunky pieces of meat. This is non fatal and it is only cosmetic. If the fish is released back to the pond, the eyes will be back to normal. Symptoms : The eye protruding and slanting downwards. Remedy : Cover all sides of the tank completely with thick dark colored paper all the way up to the top (prevent outside light from entering into the tank from the side). Position a centralised light source. Switch on the light for 12 hours a day. During feeding, try feeders that float..eg.. frogs and crickets. If feeding market prawns, try hand feeding and not letting it sink to the bottom. Cut down on diet. Cut feeders into small pieces before feeding it to the Arowana. Change the location of the tank to one of lower elevation. Remove the paper covers only after 3 months.
Tail Biting
Syndrome : There are two suspected causes namely,Bacteria Infection on Tail due to poor water quality or bacterias introduce from feeders (esp frogs) or tank mates.The fish tries to reduce itchness by biting its own tail. The fish mistaken the tail as another fish and starts to attack the intruder which happens tp be its own tail. The condition can be improved by switching off the tank light. Symptoms : The fish bites its own tail. The end result would torn and uneven tail fin. Remedy : Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter.Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Add commerically available fin rot solutions. .Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality. If condition doesn't improve, introduce other attractions to the tank, eg, place a mirror near the tank to distract its attention or introduce another tank mate (parrot fish etc).If tail biting never ceases, the last option will be to perform a tail cutting operation on its tail. However, in many cases, the tail will not regain its previous glory after the operation. It is adviseable to get a professional to perform this operation and many local fish shops do provide this service for S$50.
Tail Cutting Procedure. Transfer the fish into a "holding tank; with very low water level(about 3-6 inches above the fish) , add naesthesia
into the tank drop by drop.Watch the fish for few minutes before adding another drop, never overdose especially when administering anaesthesia!Once the fish loses consciousness, remove the fish and place it on the clean damp cloth.Use the scissors(make sure sterilized) to carefully trim of the affected tail fin by following the fan shape contour of the fin. Place the fish back into the tank and increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the tank, if necessary direct the airflow of the airstone towards the gills of the fish to help accelerate consciousness.After regaining its consciousness, let the fish rest and off all lights so as to let the fish recuperate under dim conditions.Feeding is not required if the fish shows no signs of interest in food.Change water everyday (20-30%)for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.Salt may be added to reduce parasite attacks and help to increase recovery rate.
Fin Rot
Cause : Bacteria Infection on fins due to poor water quality or bacterias introduced from feeders or tank mates. Symptoms : The fin edges become pale and start to rot. Remedy :Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter.Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Add commerically available fin rot solutions. .Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.
Swollen and Protruding Anus
Cause : Bacterial infection. Intestine injury due to eating "sharp" feeders. This is quite a difficult to cure disease. Symptoms : Stomach anus becomes reds and protuding. In later stage, the fish will stop eating, the swim bladder will lose its function and the fish will be out of balance. This disease could be fatal if not treated probably. Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Increase air supply to water. Do 25% water change every 2 days. Add tetracycline (yellow powder) as per the supplier written instruction. Add black water or Ketapam leaves to soften the water. Stop feeding for the time being. Do not feed feeders that have sharp edges (eg. remove the shrimp head gear before feeding it to the arowana)
by: Kelvin Fong (www.arowana.com)
This is what most Arowana owners are afraid of. These diseases can always be prevented by keeping your water condition in tip top condition and spending more time looking after the fish. We'll list some common problems encountered by most hobbyist and hope it'll be helpful.
White Spot(Ich)
Caused by the parasite Protozoan Ichthyoohtirius ,which will attack weak/sick fishes as they have lower resistence to these parasites.Poor water conditons are the main causes. Symptoms :White spots all over the body of the fish, affecting mainly the fins.The fish's appetite will decrease and often seen rubbing itself against the side of the tank or bottom of the tank.Advanced stages will see the parasites attack the gills , this can be fatal. Remedy : Commercial treatment is readily available. Increase water temperature gradually by 1-2°C to 33ºC. Add salt 0.3% and if condition is very bad place fish in medicated bath for Ich and provide good food to allow it to build up its resistence.
Cloudy Eye
Physical injury due to bad handling, poor water conditions,contaminated water or rubbing of eyes against contaminated tank glass. Symptoms : Eye appears to be blurred and covered with thin white membrane. In some cases the white film will cover the center part of the eye, making the eye appear blur and not clear. Remedy :Increase temperature to 30°C or even up to 33°C. Conduct regular water change and and see if condition improves, usually 3-6 days.For advanced stage treat with tetracycline add 0.3% salt and continue providing good water quality.Condition should improve within 4-6 months.
Tilted Gills (Overturned Gills)
Cause : Bad water conditions, space constraint, insufficient dissolved oxygen and sudden water temperature change. Symptoms :In the initial stage of the disease, you will notice that the fish shows irregular movements of the gill covers, its breathing will also be rapid.Later the soft membrane of the gills will curl outwards and not in line with the body. You can see the gill filaments(Red) exposed. This is very dangerous as it will result in death of your fish as the gills can no longer function properly. Remedy : Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter media and add coral sand.The advance stage of this disease would see the soft part of the gills hardened and thus that leaves you no choice but to perform a operation.For this you will need a pair of scissors,gloves,surgical spirit,clean damp cloth,waterproof fine sandpaper,anesthetic(to make the fish drowsy and immobilised) and lastly a steady pair of hands. Procedure : Transfer the fish into a holding tank with very low water level(about 3-6 inches above the fish) , add anaesthesia into the tank drop by drop.Watch the fish for few minutes before adding another drop, never overdose especially when administering anaesthesia!Once the fish loses consciousness, remove the fish and place it on the clean damp cloth.Use the scissors(make sure sterilized) to carefully trim of the affected gill cover, if there are any signs that the gill cover is not properly trimmed off leaving the jagged edges, simply use the waterproof sandpaper to sand away the jagged edges.Place the fish back into the tank and increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the tank, if necessary direct the airflow of the airstone towards the gills of the fish to help accelerate consciousness.After regaining its consciousness, let the fish rest and off all lights so as to let the fish recuperate under dim conditions.Feeding is not required if the fish shows no signs of interest in food.Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.Salt may be added to reduce parasite attacks and help to increase recovery rate. (See movie clips on gill cutting)
Protruding Scales Disease(Dropsy)
Cause : Extreme sudden change in water temperature in the tank, sudden PH change , poor water conditions. Fatal disease. Symptoms : Scale tilt outwards and when making a turn a few scales will appear protruding out. When viewed from the top this becomes more obvious, the fish may stop eating and lose their sense of balance usually struggling to swim properly.If the scales continues to protrude till its near the head of the fish then it is in its final stage where within a few days it will die. Remedy :Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Increase air supply to water. Do 25% water change every 2 days. Add tetracycline (yellow powder) as per the supplier written instruction. Add black water or Ketapam leaves to soften the water. Stop feeding for the time being. Continue treatment until the scales are flatten.
Droopy Eyes
Cause : Fat accumulation on the eyes due to overfeeding. The "looking down" for food and other attractions due to tank kept environment. Another known cause is feeding chunky pieces of meat. This is non fatal and it is only cosmetic. If the fish is released back to the pond, the eyes will be back to normal. Symptoms : The eye protruding and slanting downwards. Remedy : Cover all sides of the tank completely with thick dark colored paper all the way up to the top (prevent outside light from entering into the tank from the side). Position a centralised light source. Switch on the light for 12 hours a day. During feeding, try feeders that float..eg.. frogs and crickets. If feeding market prawns, try hand feeding and not letting it sink to the bottom. Cut down on diet. Cut feeders into small pieces before feeding it to the Arowana. Change the location of the tank to one of lower elevation. Remove the paper covers only after 3 months.
Tail Biting
Syndrome : There are two suspected causes namely,Bacteria Infection on Tail due to poor water quality or bacterias introduce from feeders (esp frogs) or tank mates.The fish tries to reduce itchness by biting its own tail. The fish mistaken the tail as another fish and starts to attack the intruder which happens tp be its own tail. The condition can be improved by switching off the tank light. Symptoms : The fish bites its own tail. The end result would torn and uneven tail fin. Remedy : Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter.Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Add commerically available fin rot solutions. .Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality. If condition doesn't improve, introduce other attractions to the tank, eg, place a mirror near the tank to distract its attention or introduce another tank mate (parrot fish etc).If tail biting never ceases, the last option will be to perform a tail cutting operation on its tail. However, in many cases, the tail will not regain its previous glory after the operation. It is adviseable to get a professional to perform this operation and many local fish shops do provide this service for S$50.
Tail Cutting Procedure. Transfer the fish into a "holding tank; with very low water level(about 3-6 inches above the fish) , add naesthesia
into the tank drop by drop.Watch the fish for few minutes before adding another drop, never overdose especially when administering anaesthesia!Once the fish loses consciousness, remove the fish and place it on the clean damp cloth.Use the scissors(make sure sterilized) to carefully trim of the affected tail fin by following the fan shape contour of the fin. Place the fish back into the tank and increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the tank, if necessary direct the airflow of the airstone towards the gills of the fish to help accelerate consciousness.After regaining its consciousness, let the fish rest and off all lights so as to let the fish recuperate under dim conditions.Feeding is not required if the fish shows no signs of interest in food.Change water everyday (20-30%)for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.Salt may be added to reduce parasite attacks and help to increase recovery rate.
Fin Rot
Cause : Bacteria Infection on fins due to poor water quality or bacterias introduced from feeders or tank mates. Symptoms : The fin edges become pale and start to rot. Remedy :Immediately change water, provide more aeration, add more air stones to increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water.Change the filter.Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Add commerically available fin rot solutions. .Change water everyday (20-30%) for 3-6 days to maintain good water quality.
Swollen and Protruding Anus
Cause : Bacterial infection. Intestine injury due to eating "sharp" feeders. This is quite a difficult to cure disease. Symptoms : Stomach anus becomes reds and protuding. In later stage, the fish will stop eating, the swim bladder will lose its function and the fish will be out of balance. This disease could be fatal if not treated probably. Raise water temperature to 34°C gradually (1 degree over 2 hour). Add 1% coarse salt to the water. Increase air supply to water. Do 25% water change every 2 days. Add tetracycline (yellow powder) as per the supplier written instruction. Add black water or Ketapam leaves to soften the water. Stop feeding for the time being. Do not feed feeders that have sharp edges (eg. remove the shrimp head gear before feeding it to the arowana)
by: Kelvin Fong (www.arowana.com)
