THE GOLDEN RULES OF PREVENTION
- Know your aquarium; regularly analyze certain parameters - nitrites, pH;
have good-quality water;
- Know your fish and their habits - behavior, feeding.
- Avoid overpopulation.
- Avoid both overfeeding and underfeeding;
- Avoid any permanent stress, particularly from mixing fish that are incompatible
due to their size or behavior, or from a lack of shelters and hiding places.
- Do not introduce new fish directly into the aquarium.
Powders such as copper sulfate and methylene blue are weighed
and then diluted in water to form a mother solution.
Medicines
There are a great many medicines on the market, specifically formulated for one
or several diseases. Constant progress is being made in this field, with new medication
for marine fish also being produced in the last few years. It is important to respect
the instructions regarding both the dosage and the treatment schedule.
Bacterial diseases can be combated with antibiotics. However, the use of these
substances, which are difficult to obtain, is not recommended, and could lead to
the creation of resistant strains.
Various chemical products can be used in treatment, provided the dosages are
fully adhered to.
Firstly, and only to be used in fresh water, there is kitchen salt, which is
effective in certain cases. It must be added gradually to the water until a level
of 5-10 g/liter is reached, but this dose must not be exceeded. Once the fish is
cured, the water is returned to its initial unsalted state, by means of successive
changes of 25% of the volume of the tank per day.
Methylene blue is efficacious against fungi. Dissolve 1 g of powder - which can
still be found in some pharmacies - into 1 liter of water. Treat fish with 0.5-1
ml/liter of this solution, and eggs with 1 ml/liter.
The product is then eliminated through gradual changes of 25% of the volume of
water. Methylene blue cannot be used in sea water.
Malachite green is particularly effective against fungi, but also against ichthyophthyriasis
(white spot disease). A solution of 1.5 g per 10 liters is prepared just before
use. and the treatment should not last more than 2 hours.
A The quantity required for treatment is taken from the
bottle on the left, which can then be stored.
Formol is active against external parasites. A commercially available 40% solution
of formaldehyde is used, after diluting at the rate of 20 ml/100 liters of water.
Generally speaking, 15-20 minutes of treatment is sufficient, but in any case it
must never exceed 30 minutes. The treatment can be repeated twice, at 48 hour intervals.
(Copper sulfate is often used in sea water, but it is toxic for invertebrates
and some plants. The ailing fishes must therefore be treated in a hospital aquarium
if they are not the sole occupants of the marine tank. Dissolve 16 g of the crystals
into 1 liter of water; the treatment dose is 10 ml of this dilution per 100 liters
of water. As a precaution, the product's introduction into the water can be spread
out over one day. The dilutions of methylene blue, malachite green, and copper sulfate
must be carried out with distilled water. All these products, apart from the salt,
must be kept in a cool, dark place - ideally, in the refrigerator.
However, be aware of any possible dangers, especially to children, who might
be attracted by the colored liquids formed by copper sulfate and methylene blue.
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