• Torn, ragged, unusually short finnage or large patches of white scar tissue on boy near the base of tail and fins.
• Highly contagious.ISOLATION REQUIRED. Can be misidentified as fin biting/nipping.
• Tail tips may turn white or black, and paired with deterioration.
• Cotton Wool (see next) can develop as a secondary disease.
• Fin/Body rot can quickly become advanced Fin/Body rot and become much more difficult to treat.
• Bacteria eat away at the membranes of the fish’s skin and fins.

CAUSES:

• Poor water quality
• Contact with gram-negative bacteria such as: Aeromonas, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Vibrio.
  • Cytophaga, Flexibacter, and Flavobacterium columnare have also been mentioned
• May appear as a white line on the margin of the fin, which expands into the commonly known appearance later on. The frayed fins will eventually disintegrate without treatment.
• Fins may or may not grow back.
• Stress, leading to a compromised immune system which makes the fish vulnerable to a variety of illness.
• Acquired from other fish via cross contamination or lack of quarantine of new fish or infected fish.

TREATMENT:

• Water Changes (25% daily)
• Remove/Disinfect all decor.
• Vacuum substrate weekly (half at a time)
• Avoid Overfeeding
• Medicate (Kanaplex, Betta Revive, BettaFix)
  • It has been noted that 1:2000 solution of copper sulfate for 1–2 min until the fish is in distress (Hora and Pillay, 1962). painting the site of infection with a concentrated solution of copper sulfate has also been suggested. An alternative to these would be using a Copper Sulfate based treatment*

*Be aware that copper sulfate can kill snails and other inverts. Use mindfully.

FOR ADVANCED FIN/BODY ROT:

• 100% Water Changes (every 3 days)
• Standard treatment methods may be used
• Medicate (Kanaplex, Betta Revive, BettaFix)

Images from https://fishkeepingadvice.com/wp-content/uploads/Fin-Rot-300x274.jpg and http://www.aquariumfishparadise.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Finrot-678x381.jpg

• Appears as white, yellow, or brown fuzzy patches on fins and mouth, but can be elsewhere.
• Can become spotted with blood, inflamed, or patches of blood are visible.
• Can be and cause secondary disease.
• Can lead to mouth rot from ulceration of the oral mucosa
• Can quickly spread to mandible and maxilla, causing mouth fungus.
• May cause acute ulcerative dermatitis extending to hypodermis and muscle. Waterlogging may occur from a broken osmotic barrier, leading to severe dermal edema.
• Gills are a major release site of this pathogen.
• FATAL WITHIN 72 HOURS OF BEING CONTRACTED. ISOLATION REQUIRED. CAN BE TREATED.

CAUSES:

• Contact with gram negative, yellow-stained Flexibacter Columnaris bacteria
  • calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium ions in water are important for long term survival of bacteria.
• Poor Water Quality
• Decaying matter in tank (excluding tannin-producing matter such as leaf litter and woods)

Treatment:

• Water Changes (25% daily)
• If possible, increase salinity to 1.0%, or 3-4% respectively.
  • Note that not all fish can survive this method.
• Medicate (Oxytetracycline, Maracyn-Two, Copper Sulfate, potassium permanganate, chloramphenicol,nifurpirinol, nifurprazine, oxolinic acid )
  • 37 mg/L (1:30 000) copper sulfate bath for 20 minutes has been shown effective.
  • Potassium Permanganate dosing at 2 mg/L
  • 15 mg/L chloramine-T dosing has been seen effective in channel catfish and reduced mortality rate from 84%-100% to 6%-14%.
  • Chloramphenicol, nifurpirinol, nifurprazine , oxolinic acid should be further researched, but have been effective in bath treatments.
• 75-77 degrees Fahrenheit. The low end of the tropical spectrum.
• BACTERIA STRAINS CAN BECOME RESISTANT TO MEDICATIONS.

Morphological and biochemical characteristics:

Chart From: (See Reference Page for [#] sources and proper citations) https://veterinaryresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1297-9716-44-27

• Causes redness and bleeding in mouth from subcutaneous hemorrhages in the mouth and throat
• Swimming near surface
• Lethargic movements and loss of appetites
• Exophthalmia and darkening of skin

Internal Identification Factors:

• Petechial Hemorrhage may occur on the surface of the liver, pancreas, pyloric caeca, swim bladder, and lateral muscles. Spleen may become black and enlarged, intestines may become red and full of an opaque, yellowish, fluid.

CAUSES:

• Contact with Yersinia Ruckeri bacteria
• Poor water quality
• Weak Immune System
• Direct contact with infected fish, infected feces,

TREATMENT:

• Medicate (Ampicillin, BettaFix/Revive, oxytetracycline, amoxicillin, oxolonic acid, sulfadiazine in combination with trimethoprim, florfenicol)
  • Dietary supplementation with Bacillus sp., and Aeromonas sobria have been shown to protect fish in the future and reducing mortalities from 80% to 0% in the control group of a study, 6% with Aeromonas. Enterobacter cloacae fed alongside Bacillus mojavensis was shown to reduce mortalities from 65% to 0.8%
    • supplementation with Carnobacterium maltaromaticum B26 and Carnobacterium divergens have also been shown protective.
    • Feeding a plant based diet may also help to alter the microfauna in the gut, and therefore aid in protection

• Eyes become cloudy and vision is impaired, can cause blindness

CAUSES:

• Poor Water Quality
• Age can also make a fish more likely to develop eye cloud
• Vitamin A or other nutrient deficiencies
• Bacterial Infections

TREATMENT:

• Daily 25% Water Changes
• Medicate (Metafix, Betta Revive/Fix, Fungus Clear)
• Generally Self-Treats with proper water

• CAN BE FATAL, BUT TREATABLE
• Skin Ulcers and Red Sores.
• Hemorrhages at base of tail
• Erosion of Pectoral Fins
• Bloody, potentially hemorrhagic vents
• Red or purple spots caused by broken capillary blood vessels (less than 3mm)
• Hemorrhages on the ventral surface

CAUSES:

• Poor water quality
• Contact with causing bacteria - Aeromonas salmonicida

TREATMENT:

• Daily 25% water changes
• Medicate [Fungus Clear, Medicated food with Terramycin (oxytetracycline) at the rate of 3.0 g/l00 lb fish, fed daily for 10 days, Sulfamerazine (5-10 g/100 lb fish and fed for 10-15 days).]

• Head may swell
• Eyes bulge
• GENERALLY A SECOND INFECTION.
• Fluid builds up in eyes due to an issue with osmoregulatory processes.
• Potentially Fatal. In bad cases, fish may end up losing an eye due to rupture.

CAUSES:

• Poor water quality
• Overcrowding
• Nutritional Deficiencies
• Osmoregulatory processes are hindered and fluid may build up behind one or both eyes.
• Bacterial or viral. Can also be a side effect of tumor growth.

TREATMENT:

• End Overcrowding.
• Daily 25% water changes
• Medicate (Kanaplex, Betta Revive/Fix, Tetracycline, Penicillin)
• Increased tannins are also known to be effective.
• AQUARIUM salt baths (.3% to .4% - 15 to 18 grams of aquarium salt per gallon)
• Nutritional Supplements such as Vita-Chem may prove effective

• Causes white lines and clumps around mouth. Not a true fungus.
• Potentially FATAL IF NOT TREATED QUICKLY
• Caused by the same bacteria as Cotton Wool, which are present in all aquariums, but generally do no harm.

CAUSES:

• Poor water quality
• Old age and open wounds may make a fish more susceptible.
• Contact with bacteria that causes it - Flexibacter Columnaris or Flavobacterium Columnare.

TREATMENT:

• Medicate (Amoxicillin, Methylene Blue, Malachite Green, Acriflavin(e)*)
• Daily 25% Water changes
• Aquarium Salt (1-3 grams per liter

*Acriflavin(e) is toxic to humans, and is being removed from treatment courses. It may still be suggested on online sources, which is why this notice is being included

Images from https://dlgdxii3fgupk.cloudfront.net/myaquariumclub.com/images/fbfiles/images/neon_tetra_tumor0002_v_1468643410.jpg and http://www.aquariumlife.net/images/mouth-fungus.jpg

• Often seen as secondary symptoms for other diseases, but may be bacterial.
• Raw, open areas on the skin with red edges.

CAUSES:

• Contact with or infections caused by: AEROMONAS, PSEUDOMONAS, MYCOBACTERIUM, and VIBRIO
• May also appear with other types of infections. Be sure to take note of any other symptoms that may be presented to have a better idea of how to treat your fish.

TREATMENT:

• Improve water quality with frequent water changes
• Attempt to identify the bacteria causing the ulcers, or other infections for more specific treatment.
• Medicate (Use medications recommended for a more specific infection if possible. Baths and dips using Phenoxyethanol are also common)

• Inflamed, Red, Patchy Gills
• Lethargic with a Loss of Appetite
• Bulbous enlargement of gill filaments (swelling), excess mucus, and detritus, as well as lamellar fusion (lamella within the gills reduce their lamellar space, reducing flow over the respiratory space and causing respiratory distress. Microscopic, but visible in gill tissue samples)

CAUSES:

• Amoebas and contact with Flavobacteria, Aeromonas and Pseudomonas spp.
• Contaminated Water Source or Transmission through other fish
• Crowding

TREATMENT:

• 25% Daily changes
• Avoid Crowding
• Medicate: [kanaplex, readily bacterial medications, potassium permanganate, hyamine, Four Power)
  • IN LARGER STOCK: potassium permanganate (KMnO4) with certain precautions at l-2 ppm, Hyamine 1622 and 3500 at l-2 ppm calculated on the basis of active ingredient ( 8.4-16.8 ppm also recommended), Purina Four Power at 3-4 ppm in one-hour baths or flushes where water hardness affects the ability to use other treatments, Chloramine-T in a single round at 10 ppm in a one-hour flush (heavily influenced by water quality-- CARCINOGENICITY makes it likely unavailable)]

• Similar to Enteric Redmouth Disease (see above)
• Red spot lesions will form in early stages, small reddening section over a single scale
• Red spot expands and deepens later in development
• Severe ulceration with loss of scales and skin, revealing underlying muscles may be seen
• Lesions may appear as large red patches with varying shades of red across the fish’s body
• POTENTIALLY FATAL
• May resemble Motile Aeromonas Septicemia (MAS)in early stages:
  • Petechial hemorrhages around fins and skin
  • Dorsum discoloration
• Ascitic fluid (protein-containing fluid) may be present
• Unilateral or bilateral exophthalmos (one or both eyes)
• Hyphema (collection of blood between the cornea and iris) may be observed
• Loss of appetite and darker colors
• Localized swelling and raised areas on body
• Protruding scales, scale loss, and scale erosion
• Infected fish may float by surface of water
• Hyperactivity with a jerky movement pattern is also seen
• Note that lesions may indicate a variety of other infections as well. They are not specific to any illness or infection.

Internal Identification Factors:

• Oral cavity hemorrhage and skin erosions in the mouth
• hemorrhage of the gills, kidney, liver, spleen, and heart, as well as muscle.

CAUSES:

• Contact with Yersinia ruckeri bacteria
• Contact with the filamentous eukaryotic microorganisms Aphanomyces invadans or A. piscicida
• Parasitic Protozoans have also been recorded on infected fish, but are not confirmed to be causes: (Chilodonella sp., Costia sp., Epistylis sp., Glossatella sp., Ichthyophthirius sp., Scyphidia sp., Trichodina spp.), myxosporeans (Henneguya sp. and Thelohania sp.), monogeneans and crustaceans (Lernaea sp.)
• Poor water quality
• Weak immune system
• Direct contact with bacteria or microorganisms through infected water or fish

TREATMENT:

• Maintain proper water quality
• Potentially similar treatment for Redmouth may be effective with Red spot:
  • Medicate (Ampicillin, BettaFix/Revive, oxytetracycline, amoxicillin)
    • Some medications removed since this information is not confirmed to be effective with this illness. Few resources have mentioned specific treatments if any.

Images from http://www.scielo.org.za/img/revistas/jsava/v83n1/13f03.jpg , http://library.enaca.org/Health/FieldGuide/images/EUS2.jpg, and https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw81L4lmRkH_elRKVQaheIe4F_rlcxFU4WGhvaKFRWcNLLFIHK

• Two forms: Acute and Chronic

Acute:

• Death may occur suddenly before any notice of disease.
• Increased respiration Rate
• Lethargy and hemorrhages

Internal Identification Factors:

• Enlarged Organs

Chronic:

• Exophthalmos
• Ulcers
• Fin rot or pale gills may also be seen

Internal Identification Factors:

• Enlarged Organs
• Swollen Intestinal Tract After Death

Both forms may share symptoms:

• Anorexia and lethargy
• Abdominal Distension, Anemia, Dermal (skin) Hemorrhages
• Red spots on ventral and lateral areas of fish
• Ulcers caused by lesions under skin
• Eye lesions such as Corneal edema (swelling of cornea), ulceration (open sore on cornea, may be underlying inflammation), or exophthalmos (pop eye)

Internal Identification Factors:

• Congestion and swelling of liver, spleen, and/or kidney
• Intestinal hyperemia and clear viscous fluid in intestinal tract (fluid does not flow easily and is like the consistency of honey)
• Boil-like lesions under the skin may be seen

CAUSES:

• Contact with Vibrio spp. (V. anguillarum (Listonella anguillarum), Vibrio salmonicida, V. carchariae and/or V. cholerae, etc)
• May be transmitted orally, externally (parasites or abrasions)

TREATMENT:

• Medicate (Furazolidone, Chloramphenicol, Sulfamerazine, Oxytetracycline)
  • While dosing varies, the following are recommended**:
    • Sulfamerazine: 12gm/100lb of fish/day for three days followed by 7 gm/100lb of fish/day for 11 days.
    • Oxytetracycline: 3-5mg/100lbs (fish/day) for 10 days
    • Furazolidone (Medicated Food): 100mg/kg (per fish) for 6 days.

**Be sure to follow instructions on medication. These dosages have been sourced from: (http://www.aun.edu.eg/developmentvet/fish%20diseases/2_7.htm) and may not be accurate for your aquarium.

Images from https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/723963.Haenen.pdf , http://www.vetcare.gr/ARTPRES/vib_lesions_files/vib_ext_lesions_1.jpg, and https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51568632/figure/fig4/AS:281258782412823@1444068727263/Haemorrhaging-on-the-fins-and-around-the-operculum-of-a-sea-bass-caused-by-Vibrio.png

• FATAL.
• Various sizes of skin lesions (hemorrhages or necrosis, commonly near tail and fin bases) which may progress into reddish brown ulcerations
• Exophthalmos, ascites (fluid build up in peritoneal cavity), visceral petechiation (< 3mm reddish-purple spots appearing on the viscera), hemorrhagic and swollen lower intestine and vent.
• Anorexia
• Cutaneous Discoloration.
• Scale Protrusion may occur
• Distention may be seen. Distention and protrusion of scales may resemble dropsy.

Internal Identification Factors:

• Necrosis of intestinal mucosa, heart, liver, gonad, pancreas, as well as the renal and splenic hematopoietic tissue.
• Liver may become pale or greenish
• Kidney may become swollen and friable
• Intestine may be filled with a yellow, mucus-like material

CAUSES:

• Unlike VHS, MAS is caused by various bacteria;
• Contact with A. hydrophila, A. formicans, A. sobria, A. veronii, A. caviae, A. liquefaciens, and A. hydrophila complex
• Stress and poor water quality

TREATMENT:

• Potentially the same treatment course as Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia may be prove effective against Bacterial Hemorrhagic Septicemia as well.
• Medicate [Oxytetracycline (Terramycin), Furanace*, Chloramphenicol (chloromycetin)**
  • Oxytetracycline: 50 to 75 mg/kg of fish for 10 days (in food).
  • *Furanace is not registered for use in the US but has been studied to be effective in treatment: Bath in 5 to 10 minutes in water containing 1-2 mg/L, or 1 week in water containing 0.1 mg/L. Toxic to fish if used improperly.
    • **Used successfully to treat frogs and fish. THIS DRUG IS DISCOURAGED AND SHOULDN’T BE USED FOR FISH. It is only used as a last resort, even with human diseases.

Images from https://media.springernature.com/original/springer-static/image/chp%3A10.1007%2F978-94-007-4884-2_4/MediaObjects/978-94-007-4884-2_4_Fig6_HTML.jpg , https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBpAAx4kw--GQF5c7MYeS9ZkOtF2CGn9RKtCLgxodI1TUKh87s

• Mostly only affects farmed catfish (Included for reference to Ictalurid Herpesvirus).
• Fish may be seen swimming in tight, small circles, chasing tail, spinning, spiraling, etc. caused by inflammation of the brain
• Abdominal distention
• Exophthalmia
• Small, red and/or white ulcers form (sized from pinhead to 1/4th inch in diameter)
• Petechial hemorrhage (appears as pinpoint red spots) on lower jaw or underside of fish
• Raised, eroded red ulcers protruding through cranial foramen

Internal Identification Factors:

• Inflammation of the brain
• Internal build up of fluids
• Clear, straw colored or bloody fluid (ascites) in body cavity
• Pale areas of tissue destruction present on liver (liver necrosis)
• Mottled, red and white on liver may also be seen from necrosis of tissue
• Swollen posterior kidney and/or spleen
• Petechial hemorrhage in muscle, intestines, as well as the fat of the fish.
• Bloody fluid may fill the intestine of the fish as well

CAUSES:

• Stress
• Overcrowding
• Improper diet may make a fish more likely to fall ill
• Low chloride levels in water
• Low oxygen levels but high nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels in water
• Birds may introduce the infection
• Bacteria is shed in feces
• Oral transmission through ingestion of bacteria.
  • Infected food, or ingesting infected water during a feeding
  • Feeding on infected carcasses is also a known cause
• Contact with gram-negative bacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri

TREATMENT:

• Improved Nutrition:
  • The following does not affect disease resistance;
  • vitamin E 60 to 2500 ppm (60 to 2500 iv mg/ kg)
  • iron 60 to 180 ppm (60 to 180 mg/kg)
  • vitamin C 50 to 2071 ppm (50 to 2071 mg/kg)
  • folic acid 0.4 to 4 ppm (0.4 to 4 mg/kg
  • zinc 5 to 30 ppm (5 to 30 mg/kg)
    • Menhaden oil increases susceptibility to ESC infection
• Medicated Feed [Romet 30®, Romet TC®, Terramycin®, and Aquaflor® (florfenicol)]
  • Only Romet® and Aquaflor® are designed specifically to treat this

Images from https://empangqq.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/kasus-patin-pendarahan-usus-akibat-edwardsiella-ictaluri.png?w=584 and https://srac.tamu.edu/serveFactSheet/124

• Looks like fin rot, dropsy, crooked spine, lethargic, loss of appetite, starts with bloat and sudden weight loss. Looks similar to wasting disease.
• MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ANY PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS THAT ARE NOTICEABLE.
• Tends to develop overtime without showing signs of being present until treatment will be ineffective.
• Fish with TB likely will not live very long.
• Note: The following are studied exterior symptoms of this disease from Chinook Salmon. They may or may not be a factor of TB within home aquaria:
• Lack of Secondary Sexual Development
• Stunted Appearance
• Brighter Appearance (Noted in Chinook Salmon)

Internal Identifying Features:

• Back of kidney may be soft and mushy with lesions
• Discrete grey-white lesions scattered across the liver

CAUSES:

• Contact with Mycobacterium Marinum, although Mycobacterium Triplex has been reported.

TREATMENT:

• Sanitize after touching fish and water.
• Medicate (Human strength TB meds are good for early stages such as Pyrazinamide**)
• Disinfect everything in tank using a bleach solution
• Treat other fish within the aquarium as well, as they may have contracted the illness from the originally ill fish.

Images from https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hhJhxLWARoU/T44NNZpRBdI/AAAAAAAAAfU/399xTv60_do/s1600/Betta%2BTB.jpg, http://www.fishdeals.com/fish_diseases/vitamin_deficiencies/1.gif and http://meropets.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/guppy-with-fish-TB.jpg

• Emaciation and poor growth
• Skeletal deformities
• Chronic non healing shallow to deep ulcers
• Fin erosion
• Wasting
• Scale loss and ulcerations
• Deep hemorrhagic skin lesions may also be present
• Extreme abdominal distention and fluid accumulation
• Scale protrusion may be seen with M. fortuitum infections.
• Exophthalmia
• Unexplainable reproductive issues

Internal Identification Factors:

• White nodules on viscera, liver, kidney (1-4mm)

CAUSES:

• Contact with M. marinum, M. fortuitum, and M. chelonea
• long-term use of corticosteroids
• Bacteria known to thrive under the following conditions:
  • warm water temperatures, low dissolved oxygen levels, acidic pH, high soluble zinc, high fulvic acid, and high humic acid
• Immunocompromisation making it easier for infection by the bacteria
• Oral transmission through the consumption of dead individuals
• Horizontal transmission (fish to fish contact- indirect or direct) and Vertical transmission (mother to offspring)

TREATMENT:

• UNTREATABLE.
• When precautions are taken, maintaining a mycobacteriosis-positive aquarium is possible and some people do choose to do this. Be sure to take zoonotic safety precautions if this method is taken.

DISINFECTING EQUIPMENT:

• Lysol® or concentrated (60 to 85 percent) isopropyl or ethyl alcohol can be used.
  • Be sure to THOROUGHLY rinse all products from equipment after sterilization, as these can KILL fish if added to the system. If using Lysol, be sure to move all other animals out of the room and cover all aquariums (even if they have a hood/canopy) with a towel or blanket.

See Effective Disinfectants Against Zoonotic Infections on page 4 for more information about disinfecting after a zoonotic infection taking place and more methods on eradication of the mycobacterium

• Black Patches on Body/Fins, Abscesses Ulcers, or Small, Rounded Skin Lesions. Ulcerations and hemorrhages can occur after the rupture of an internal muscle lesion. Abdominal Distention or Skeletal Deformities may also occur, or Pale Gills, Loss of cutaneous pigmentation
• Fish May be Anorexic or Emaciated, Erratic Swimming may also be seen. May be Listless and Lethargic
• Popeye, Fin/Tail rot may form as secondary illness or symptom
• Excessive slime production
• Swollen and/or softened gills and impaired breathing
  • Chronic and Acute Forms:
    • Chronic: caused by lowly virulent myxobacteria strains, large skin lesions which cause death
    • Acute: generalised infection caused by extremely harmful myxobacteria strains

CAUSES:

• When an infected fish is consumed by tank mates or injuries of the skin allowing in bacteria or compromised immune system
• Contact with Myxobacterium
• some myxobacteriosis agents, (Flexibacter psychrophilus syn Cytophaga psychrophila, affect fish at a relatively low temperature, around 37.4 to 59°F).

TREATMENT:

• Regular weekly changes
• Bacteria Treatments
• Medicate (medicated feedings of or injections to the body excluding to the stomach, esophagus or intestines with sulfisoxazole with doxycycline or minocycline, baths or intraperitoneal injections of kanamycin, streptomycin, use of isoniazid or rifampin dosed feedings, phenocide)