healthy aquarium fish - sera · healthy aquarium fish ... 2.4 diseases caused by ﬂagellates...

Healthy aquarium fish

n Recognize fish diseases, find out causes

n Treat successfully with sera treatments

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Contents

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1 Prevention is better than the cure! ............... 32 Recognizing fish diseases ............................ 52.1 Diseases caused by viruses ......................... 72.2 Diseases caused by bacteria ....................... 72.3 Diseases caused by fungi ............................ 102.4 Diseases caused by flagellates .................... 112.5 Diseases caused by ciliates ......................... 132.6 Diseases caused by Plathelminthes

(flatworms) .................................................... 162.7 Diseases caused by fish leeches ................. 182.8 Diseases caused by crustaceans ................. 182.9 Multiple infections ........................................ 203 Deficiency diseases and malnutrition .......... 214 Maintenance mistakes and intoxications ..... 225 Treatment chart

– the most important information in brief! .... 26

6 Treating fish diseases ................................... 276.1 Treating virus caused diseases .................... 276.2 Treating bacterial diseases ........................... 286.3 Treating fungal infections ............................. 306.4 Treating flagellate infections ......................... 306.5 Treating ciliate infections .............................. 326.6 Treating flatworm infections ......................... 346.7 Treating fish leech infections ........................ 356.8 Treating crustacean infections ..................... 366.9 Treating multiple infections .......................... 377 Preventing and treating deficiencies

and malnutrition ........................................... 388 Preventing and remedying maintenance

mistakes and intoxications ........................... 41

9 sera med Professional treatments ............... 469.1 sera med Professional Flagellol ................... 479.2 sera med Professional Protazol ................... 489.3 sera med Professional Tremazol .................. 519.4 sera med Professional Nematol ................... 549.5 sera med Professional Argulol ..................... 57

10 General recommendations for application .............................................. 60

11 Checklist ...................................................... 64

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1 Prevention is better than the cure!Stress affects the immune system and weakensdisease resistance. It therefore is – just as inhumans – one of the main factors for fish dis-ease outbreaks. Stress is caused by differentfactors. Maintenance mistakes (too many, in-sufficient or wrong measures taken), a fishstock that does not harmonize, adding toomany fish, strongly varying temperatures,overfeeding and correspondingly high organicwater pollution along with a large number ofpathogens in the water are among the mostcommon ones. Frequently, diseases thenbreak out whose unnoticed correspondingpathogens were already present in the tank(secondary parasites, among others).

Other important stress factors include monot-onous or unsuitable nutrition, fear due to beingcaught, frequent maintenance in the aquarium,transport, toxic substances in the water andunsuitable plant fertilizers.

You will find extensive and well founded infor-mation about keeping your aquarium fishstress free in the sera guides “How to set upan aquarium”, “How to feed your tropical fishnaturally” and “Aquarium care according tonature”, and on www.sera.de. Your specializedretailer can counsel you in detail which fish aresuitable for keeping together, and which spe-cial features and water parameters they re-quire. If you then dedicate one to two hoursper week to your aquarium it will provide youplenty of joy for a long time. In case a diseaseever actually occurs, this guide and the seraproducts will provide excellent support forhelping your fish quickly and effectively.

We want you to enjoy your aquarium and yourhealthy, lively fish to the fullest.

How does stress develop in an aquarium? – Examples

• Fish transfers and transports• Varying temperatures • Frightened fish, e.g. due to keeping unsuit-

able species together or due to permanenthierarchy fights

• Frequent maintenance in the aquarium, e.g.due to permanent decoration changes

• Aquariums without places to hide or retreat• Too strong water agitation• Unsuitable water parameters• Improper application of chemical agents

(e.g. unsuitable fertilizers, wrong applicationof treatments)

• Poor hygienic conditions, e.g. by insufficientor wrong care

• Overfeeding or wrong/deficient nutrition dueto feeding poor quality food

• Overstocking

Avoiding stress = preventing diseases

!!The sera UV-C Systems reduce the numberof pathogens in fresh and salt water aquari-ums as well as in ponds in a merely physicalway, without chemical agents. Manypathogens as well as annoying algae are re-duced or even almost entirely removed by di-rected use of a UV-C lamp. Filter bacteria re-main largely unaffected as most of them cling

1 Prevention is better than the cure!

to the filter material (sera siporax is particu-larly well suited) and to the bottom gravel.The sera UV-C Systems therefore provide animportant contribution to disease preventionand largely contribute to high life quality inaquariums.

Tip

UV-C lamp

filter mat (floss)

filter sponge

sera siporax

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sera UV-C System 5 W for adding toexisting filters

2 Recognizing fish diseasesUnfortunately, fish diseases may occur evenwhen best care conditions are provided. It isimportant to recognize these diseases, allo-cate them correctly and treat them. Some ba-sic knowledge about the most common fishdiseases is required to do so.

You should observe the fish for disease symp-toms and unusual behavior every day whenfeeding them, as to ensure you can judge theirhealth status. Be extremely vigilant even if onlyone fish separates from the others or behavesconspicuously in another way.

Generally, external and internal diseases aredistinguished, depending on where they occur.

External diseases mainly occur on the fins,the skin and the gills. They can usually be rec-ognized in early stages and therefore be treat-ed in time.

Internal diseases are less easy to recognize.However, upon careful observation almost alldiseases lead to untypical behavior. This in-cludes loss of appetite, conspicuous swim-ming behavior, apathy and color changes (es-pecially darkening).

Attentive aquarists therefore can quickly no-tice something is wrong also in case of internaldiseases.

Regular and careful observation allows to rec-ognize many diseases already in their earlystages. The affected fish are not yet weakenedtoo much, and chances are good that healthyfish will not be infected at all.

Correct diagnosis is a precondition for suc-cessful treatment. sera treatments are tai-lored to specific diseases and does not unnec-essarily burden the fish nor the aquarium.

A general rule applies for all diseases: treatingquickly considerably increases the chances forrecovery. This in particular applies for verycontagious diseases.

We will provide you with exemplary picturesand symptom descriptions for diagnosis sup-port in the following chapters. Please takeyour time and carefully read the sectionsabout all possible disease causes as well asthe general useful advice at the end of thisguide booklet. Some disease symptoms lookvery similar at first. A hasty and, accordingly,possibly wrong diagnosis may lead to a wrongtreatment with possibly far reaching conse-quences. If in doubt, please consult a special-ized veterinarian.

Tip

Observation Diagnosis Treatment!!

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The contents of this guide were compiled byan expert team with all required care and ac-cording to newest scientific findings. Never-theless, this short brochure can only give anoverview about the most common fish dis-eases and their causes. Rarely occurring dis-eases or those that cannot be treated at all oronly with support from a veterinarian (e.g. ul-cers caused by cancer, nerve damages andgenetic deformations) are not included here. Insuch cases, we wish to refer you to furtherspecific literature, e.g. to the easily under-standable and abundantly illustrated book,“Krankheiten der Aquarienfische” by the seraspecialist Dieter Untergasser, issued by theKosmos Verlag (available only in German lan-guage).

2 Recognizing fish diseasesPlease note that the chemical and biologicalconditions in different aquariums may differvery strongly. It is therefore not possible toprecisely predict the exact reaction for eachsingle aquarium and for each animal species.This in particular applies if chemical sub-stances have entered the aquarium with water,organic pollution or previous treatments andmight cause unpredictable cross reactionswith the treatments. A general warranty and li-ability for personal injuries, property damageor financial loss due to the treatment sugges-tions in this guide is therefore excluded by theeditor.

You will find extensive advice about setting upand maintaining your aquarium on our Internetsite www.sera.de or in our numerous guidebooklets.

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Diagnosis: Lymphocystis(possible in freshwater and saltwater fish)

Diagnosis: Columnaris disease

Pearl Gourami with Lymphocystis cysts in its skin

2.2 Diseases caused by bacteria

2.1 Diseases caused by viruses

Treatment: page 28

Columnaris disease, also affecting scale pockets

ObservationClamped fins, white lips, white edged scales andwhite coatings in the head and back area; skintears open; loss of scales; spreads wider withinhours.

ObservationFirm, globular cysts measuring 0.5 to 1 mm on the skin and thefins (mucous membrane cells strongly enlarged by the virus).

Treatment: page 27

White lips caused by Columnaris disease

White spots underneath the skin

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Diagnosis: Fin rot

Treatment: page 28

ObservationFins rot away with white edges, in final stagesup to the fin base.

Diagnosis: Bacterial gill rot (mostly secondary infection, e.g. after a parasite infestation)

Treatment: page 28

ObservationPale gills, milky skin areas, the gill filamentsdecompose in final stages.

Decomposed caudal fin

Bacterial gill rot (gill lid removed)

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Diagnosis: Infection by Aeromonas orPseudomonas bacteria

Treatment: page 28

ObservationSmall bleeding spots on the skin, the fins andthe gills, or boils and ulcers that break upbleeding.

Diagnosis: Dropsy (caused by bacteria)

Treatment: page 29

ObservationProtruding eyes, puffed out anus, slimy fishwaste, bloated belly and protruding scales (notall symptoms are always fully distinctive).

Severe dropsy

Silver Molly with multiple bacterial infection: Skin bleeding at the side

… and at the caudal peduncle

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2.3 Diseases caused by fungi

Diagnosis: Fungal infection (Mycosis)

Treatment: page 30

ObservationWhite, cotton-like outgrowths on the skin withlong filaments standing away (often after aprevious injury).

Cichlid with fungal infection on the side

Fungus infected Firemouth Cichlid

Discus with injury infected by fungi

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Diagnosis: Ichthyobodo necator(formerly: Costia necatrix)

Treatment: page 30

ObservationColor changes to gray or milky in some areas of the skin(reddish in case of stronger infestation); long finned fish havefrayed fins; clamped fins.

Fin clamping Platy

2.4 Diseases caused by flagellates

Platy with Ichthyobodo infection

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2.4 Diseases caused by flagellates

Discus infected by intestinal flagellates

Diagnosis: Intestinal flagellates (Hexamita sp., Spironucleus sp. as well as other parasites such as Protoopalina sp., Trichomonas sp., Cryptobia sp.) and/or hole-in-the-head disease

Treatment: page 30

ObservationDecomposing fins, slimy, whitish fish waste, holes in andaround the head (especially in case of discus fish), possiblyemaciation and darkening.

Diagnosis: Piscinoodinium, Velvet disease

Treatment: page 31

ObservationThe fish scrub themselves on decoration and swim hecticallyin early stages, later on fine whitish yellow dots (< 0.3 mm)on skin and fins; frequently infestation of the gills; fish looks– especially in backlight – as if dusted with flour; velvet-likecoating.

Piscinoodinium on the back

Gourami with Piscinoodinium infection

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2.5 Diseases caused by ciliates

Diagnosis: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis(white spot disease),Cryptocaryon irritans (saltwater ich)

Treatment: page 32

ObservationClearly visible white spots (0.4 – 1.5 mm) on skin and fins,clamped fins and scrubbing on decoration.

Black Neon Tetra with white spot infection

Angelfish with infection by Cryptocaryon irritans

Black Molly with “Ich”

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Diagnosis: Apiosoma (formerly: Glossatella) or Epistylis (formerly: Heteropolaria)

Treatment: page 33

ObservationFurry coating after mucous membrane injuries; many elon-gated protozoans on a short stalk (no long threads as incase of fungal infections) are visible with a strong magnifier.

Infected Dwarf Gourami


Firemouth Cichlid with Apiosoma infestation at the caudal fin

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Infected Firemouth Cichlid

Diagnosis: Trichodina, Tetrahymena, Chilodonella,Brooklynella (in saltwater)

Treatment: page 33

ObservationIsolated, whitish thickened areas on the mucous membrane(partially stringy); small pale areas on the skin; apathy andloss of appetite; mucus secretion (in case of marine fish). Thefish scrub themselves and occasionally wince with their fins.

Dark colored Discus with Chilodonella infection (elliptic white thickened skin areas)

Infection by Tetrahymena(net-like thickened mucous membrane)

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Diagnosis: Gill flukes / Dactylogyridea

Treatment: page 34

ObservationBreathing becomes stronger every day until the fish stay un-der the surface panting; sometimes one-sided breathing; oneor both gill lids closed or spread open; small flukes usuallysized less than 1 mm sit on the gills (possibly visible on a se-dated fish with a magnifier); fish scrub themselves at the gilllid.

Discus with breath shortage caused by gill fluke infestation

Diagnosis: Skin flukes / Gyrodactylidea

Treatment: page 34

ObservationThe fish scrub themselves and become apathetic. Cloudyskin and small, motile worms on the skin (partially visible withthe naked eye, otherwise detectable with a magnifier; mostlysmaller than 1 mm).

2.6 Diseases caused by Plathelminthes (flatworms)

Corydoras with skin flukes

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Diagnosis: Transversotrema sp.

Treatment: page 35

ObservationFish scrub themselves; inflammations underneath thescales; emaciation.

2.6 Diseases caused by Plathelminthes (flatworms)

Metacercaria in the finsLarge Metacercaria in a Kissing Gourami from anAsian outdoor hatchery

Swordtail with Transversotrema infection

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2.7 Diseases caused by fish leeches

Fish leech

Diagnosis: Fish leech / Piscicola sp.

Treatment: page 35

ObservationCircular bloody inflamed areas measuring 3 – 8 mm on theskin of the fish; up to 5 cm (2 in.) long (often shorter) wormswith suction cups at both ends of the body and a ring pat-tern; can be found on aquatic plants or on the fish them-selves.

Diagnosis: Fish louse / e.g. Argulus

ObservationFish jump and swim hectically; flat (louse-like), almost trans-parent crustaceans sized 4 – 14 mm with two black eyes vis-ible on the skin of the fish; red sting marks on the fish skin.

2.8 Diseases caused by crustaceans

Argulus on a Koi

Fish leech on a Discus

Treatment: page 36

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ObservationWhite to grayish blue crustaceans sized 0.5 – 3 mm on thegill filaments.

Diagnosis: Anchor worm / Lernaea

Treatment: page 36

Diagnosis: Parasitic copepod / Ergasilus

Treatment: page 36

ObservationWhite, bar shaped crustaceans with two small sacs at theend, they stick deeply and firmly in the skin; anemia andemaciation of the fish.

Platy with Lernaea Lernaea on a caudal fin

Ergasilus on the gills (gill lid removed)Photo: Dr. Dirk Kleingeld

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2.9 Multiple infections

Parasitic isopod

Diagnosis: Parasitic isopods

Treatment: page 36

Diagnosis: Multiple infection (a differentiated diagnosis is usually possible only by a specialist)

Treatment: page 37

Siamese Shark with multiple infection

ObservationClearly segmented, oval, opaque, yellowish to brownisharthropods [1 – 5 cm (0.4 – 2 in.)] are attached to the fish;bloody, dot-shaped sting marks.

ObservationStrong mucus secretion, often with fungal infection in someareas, numerous other symptoms possible.

Parasitic isopod on a Butterfly Cichlid

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3 Deficiency diseases and malnutrition

Cause: Mineral and vitamin deficiency caused by too soft water and unsuitable foodlow in vitamins

Treatment: page 38

ObservationDeformation of gill lids, fins and spine in off-spring.

Discus with fin deformation caused by mineral deficiency

Gill lid deformation

Cause: Poor quality, monotonous food leading to liver fattening, among others

Treatment: page 38

ObservationListlessness, too thin or too thick animals, poor development.

Fatty liver degeneration

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Uniform darkening of the entire fish

Cause: Feeling unwell, caused by unsuitable or pollutedwater, or by not keeping the fish according to their requirements (e.g. no hideaways, keeping unsuitablespecies together etc.)

Treatment: page 41

ObservationPale colors or, in some fish such as Discus, uniform darken-ing.

Cause: Injuries, e.g. by catching with a coarse net, transport injuries, injuries by trying hectically to escape(bouncing into sharp edged decoration objects) or by territorial fights

Treatment: page 41

ObservationMucous membrane rubbed off, skin injuries.

Large-area injury on a Discus

4 Maintenance mistakes and intoxications

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Cause: Air bubble disease (oversaturation of the waterwith gas)

Treatment: page 41

ObservationClear small blisters under the skin (0.5 – 2 mm).

Cause: Acidosis

Treatment: page 42

ObservationSlimy, milky skin, cloudy bleedings underneath; thick cloudycoatings on the eyes; brownish coatings on the gills.

Air bubble diseasePhoto: Dr. Sandra Lechleiter

Cornea swelling caused by a pH lower than 3


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Damaged gills after an ammonia intoxication (gill lid removed)

For comparison: Healthy gills (gill lid removed)

Cause: Alkalosis or ammonia intoxication

Treatment: page 42

Observation Whitish skin slime; frayed fins; gill filaments dying off.

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Cause: Acute nitrite intoxication

Cause: Osmotic shock

Treatment: page 42

ObservationMucous membrane comes off, fins fall off.

Discus with fin parts missing after an osmotic shock

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Treatment: page 43

ObservationFish become apathetic and die suddenly in spite of beautifulcolors, often without other outer disease symptoms.

5 Treatment chartDisease/Pathogen Treatment in aquariums

Aeromonas or Pseudomonas sera omnipur, sera baktopur, sera baktopur direct, sera bakto Tabs

Anchor worm (Lernaea) sera baktopur, sera med Argulol

Apiosoma or Epistylis sera costapur

Brooklynella (only marine fish) sera costapur

Columnaris disease sera omnipur, sera baktopur, sera baktopur direct, sera bakto Tabs

Cryptocaryon (only marine fish) sera costapur

Dropsy sera omnipur, sera baktopur, sera baktopur direct, sera bakto Tabs

Fin rot sera omnipur, sera baktopur, sera baktopur direct, sera bakto Tabs

Fish leech sera baktopur

Fish louse (Argulus) sera baktopur, sera med Argulol

Fungal infection (Mycosis) sera mycopur, sera costapur

Gill flukes sera mycopur, sera omnipur

Gill rot (bacterial) sera omnipur, sera baktopur, sera baktopur direct, sera bakto Tabs

Ichthyobodo necator (Costia) sera costapur

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis sera costapur (white spot disease)

Injuries (infected) sera mycopur

Intestinal flagellates sera baktopur direct, sera med Flagellol

Lymphocystis sera pond cyprinopur

Multiple infection sera omnipur

Parasitic copepods (Ergasilus) sera baktopur, sera med Argulol

Parasitic isopods sera baktopur, sera med Argulol

Skin flukes sera mycopur, sera omnipur

Transversotrema and fluke larva sera mycopur, sera omnipur

Trichodina, Tetrahymena, Chilodonella sera costapur

Velvet disease (Piscinoodinium) sera ectopur

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The best measure against viruscaused diseases is to strength-en the immune system. Besure to maintain good watervalues and provide your fishwith all required nutrients – es-pecially with vitamins (e.g.sera fishtamin). Fish with ac-tive disease resistance areconsiderably less frequently af-fected by virus infections thanstressed animals. If ever theyshould be infected they will be-come healthy again morequickly.

You can suppress further spreading of virusesin your fish stock by quarantining infected fishand using disinfecting agents (e.g. sera pondcyprinopur from the pond product range).Gently increasing the water temperature sup-ports and accelerates recovery in case ofmany viral infections. The immune system ofthe fish is then highly active.

The water temperature can be lowered againvery slowly [max. 1°C (1.8°F) per day] to thenormal keeping temperature after the diseasesymptoms have entirely vanished.

6 Treating fish diseases6.1 Treating virus caused diseases

Lymphocystis

Diagnosis: page 7

After intruding into a mu-cous membrane cell, thevirus multiplies strongly,and the infected cellgrows into a giant lym-phocyst that finally burstsand releases an enormousnumber of the pathogens into the water. Theseviruses then can infect the mucous membranecells of the same fish or of other, not yet af-fected fish. Infected fish should therefore im-mediately be removed from the tank.

Treatment with sera pond cyprinopur, whichis usually used in garden ponds, is suitable forsuppressing this spreading within freshwateraquariums. The treatment prevents the virusesattaching to new skin cells. The infected skinspots heal within a few weeks. Duration of thetreatment depends on the course of the dis-ease. In case of treatments lasting longer thanthree days, the daily treatment addition shouldbe reduced to approximately half dosage [0.5 ml per each 20 l (5.3 US gal.)]. Carry out alarger partial water change every couple ofdays (at least every fourth day). Invertebrates(e.g. snails) and plants may be harmed in caseof longer treatment.

Lymphocystis in a skin swab

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Diagnosis: page 7Treatment: see above

Treatment should beginwithout delay as the dis-ease quickly developsand spreads. Loweringthe pH value to just underpH 7 (e.g. with sera pH-minus) supports thetreatment since the bac-teria prefer alkaline water.Please make sure in ad-vance whether the fishyou keep tolerate thisacidification. This diseasefrequently occurs on fishimported from Asia.

There is a certain risk ofconfusing the diseasewith neon disease,which not only affectsNeon Tetras but also numerous other fishspecies. It is caused by the single celled para-site Pleistophora (Microspora), which may alsocause skin areas turning white. Swimmingaround restlessly at night and spine curvatureare other common symptoms of neon disease.Affected fish should be isolated as quickly aspossible as to prevent the disease fromspreading. There is no known treatment.

6.2 Treating bacterial diseases

Bacteria are present in every aquarium and ful-fill important tasks in there, e.g. the breakdownof ichthyotoxic nitrogen compounds. However,some of the bacteria species may cause dis-eases. This in particular applies for fish with in-juries, a weakened immune system and incase of high pathogen density. There shouldbe hardly any problems caused by bacteria inan appropriately maintained aquarium.

The diseases described in the following arecaused by different bacteria species. Precisespecies identification is usually only possibleby a specialized microbiological laboratory.However, knowing the precise species is al-most always not important for a treatment.The first symptoms for a bacterial infectionmay include fin clamping and the fish tendingto hide.

The preparations sera omnipur, sera bakto -pur direct, sera baktopur and sera baktoTabs are treatments that can safely heal mostbacterial infections occurring in fish. Treatingin time is very important as later infectionstages increasingly affect internal organs, andthe damages quickly become irreparable.

The broad range treatment sera omnipur ef-fectively treats most ornamental fish diseasesin freshwater aquariums – in particular bacter-ial infections. The liquid sera baktopur (infreshwater) has disinfecting and recovery sup-porting effects. It provides good support espe-cially in the early stages of an infection. serabaktopur direct (freshwater and saltwaterfish) and the medicinal food tablets sera bak-to Tabs (freshwater and saltwater fish) are an-tibiotically effective and can even treat somevery advanced infections. You may use thepreparations sera baktopur, sera baktopurdirect and sera bakto Tabs in combination.This is particularly advisable in case of ad-vanced, severe infections. The care productsera ectopur provides support especially ifthe mucous membranes are also affected. Itreleases disinfecting oxygen and stimulatesmucous membrane regeneration due to the in-cluded salt.

Proper water quality and good aeration mustbe maintained in case of all bacterial infec-tions. You should generally not feed – possiblyexcept for adding sera bakto Tabs – duringthe treatment as to prevent additional waterpollution. During and after the treatment itmakes sense to strengthen the immune sys-tem of the animals by additionally applying vitamins (sera fishtamin).

Various bacterial infections may occur in fresh-water and saltwater. Some of the bacterial dis-eases most frequently occurring in ornamentalfish are described in the following.

Columnaris–KrankheitColumnaris disease

Scale with areasdissolved by an infection

Agglomerates ofColumnaris bacteria ina mucous membraneskin swab

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Diagnosis: page 8Treatment: page 28

This disease frequentlyoccurs in case of poor hygienic conditions andoverstocking. These bac-teria, small numbers ofwhich are also present inthe tank otherwise, be-come a serious threat onlyunder such conditions.

6.2 Treating bacterial diseases

Fin rot in its finalstage

Bacterial gill rot


Diagnosis: page 9

Long lasting stress situations, e.g. strongly or-ganically polluted water, weaken the immunesystem of the fish, making the organism vul-nerable for bacterial infections. Often, only afew of the fish are affected. The disease usu-ally begins with a bacterial infection of the in-testines. However, it can also occur as a finalstage symptom of various other diseases. Theinfection of the intestines becomes visible bythe excretion of slimy fish waste. During thefurther course the intestinal mucous mem-brane begins to decompose (it comes off aswhite slime threads). Nutrition taken up cannotbe digested any more. The damaged intestinalmucous membrane has become penetrablefor pathogens, leading to other organs beinginfected or degenerating due to lacking nutri-ents in this stage. When finally the kidneyfunction is affected, unexcreted liquid accu-mulates in the body cavity (bloated belly), in

Dropsy

Aeromonas or Pseudomonas bacteria


the scale pockets (protruding scales) or at thebackground of the eyes (exophthalmus). Addi-tional swimming bladder infections usuallylead to abnormal swimming behavior. Fishshowing these symptoms can often not besaved any more.

An extensive treatment with the above men-tioned treatments must be carried out if onlyone of these symptoms is observed. It is idealto put the affected fish, which excrete plentyof pathogens, into a quarantine tank and usea combination of the three sera baktopurpreparations. You should also treat the maintank with, for instance, sera baktopur afteryou have removed the conspicuous fish, as toreliably prevent the disease from spreading.Be sure to maintain proper water quality in anycase.

Fin rot

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Diagnosis: page 12

A flagellate infestation of the intestines plusthe frequently occurring subsequent severebacterial infection lead to insufficient uptake ofvitamins and minerals. This deficiency be-comes visible by the so-called hole-in-the-head disease, among others. However, the ap-pearance of hole-in-the-head disease is oftenalso caused by malnutrition and too soft watercontaining insufficient minerals alone.

The widespread single celled intestinal flagel-lates are harmless in low density but can mul-tiply very strongly within the intestines in caseof stress and unsuitable or poor quality fishnutrition. They will then harm the infected fish

6.3 Treating fungal infections

Diagnosis: page 10

Fungi (e.g. Saprolegnia) are breakdown organ-isms present in every aquarium. They providean important contribution for hygiene by utiliz-ing waste substances such as fish waste. Aslong as the mucous membrane remains unin-jured the fungi cannot harm the fish since itprovides reliable protection against intrudingfungus spores (their multiplication stages).However, if the mucous membrane is dam-aged, e.g. due to injuries or a parasite infec-tion, spores can adhere within the skin andgerminate. Once the fish are infested, the fun-gus can also overgrow healthy skin areas andinner organs, and it may even kill the fish. Toolow water temperatures support fungal infec-tions.

Fungal infection (Mycosis)It is therefore important to immediately addsera aquatan or sera blackwater aquatan tothe aquarium water even in case of small skinabrasions upon catching and transport as apreventive measure.The contained mucous membrane protectingcomponents quickly seal small injuries andabrasions. You can successfully treat fungalinfections broken out with sera mycopur. Si-multaneous application of sera ectopur sup-ports the effect, accelerates healing and re-duces the risk of secondary infections byprotozoans and bacteria. sera costapur alsoshows very good effects especially in case ofspawn being infected by fungi.

6.4 Treating flagellate infections

Diagnosis: page 11

Ichthyobodo or Costia is asingle celled secondaryparasite that only multi-plies without restraint ifthe fish are stressed andalready weakened. Beingan obligate parasite, the organism exclusivelyfeeds on the mucous membrane and dies inopen water after a short time. Strong infesta-tion leads to destruction of large skin areas,causing the death of the fish. Treat safely andsuccessfully with sera costapur. Afterwards,the care product sera ectopur allows for anaftertreatment that supports recovery.

Ichthyobodonecator

Ichthyobodo necator (formerly: Costia necatrix)

Spironucleus sp.

Intestinal flagellates(Hexamita sp., Spironu-cleus sp. as well as other parasites such as Protoopalina sp., Tricho-monas sp., Cryptobia sp.)and/or hole-in-the-headdisease

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6.4 Treating flagellate infections

very badly and may even be fatal. The sameapplies for severe intestinal infestation withcertain bacteria. The pathogens withdraw im-portant nutrients, minerals and vitamins fromthe food pulp, affect digestion and damagethe intestinal mucous membrane. The fish or-ganism tries to compensate the subsequentdeficiency of minerals, among others, by de-composing and reutilizing cartilaginous tissueat the head. This causes the typical holes.

Recovery of the fishes’ digestive tract is a longlasting process and needs to be supported byan anti-bacterial treatment in many cases ifthere is a strong contribution of pathogenicbacteria. This treatment is very effectively car-ried out with sera baktopur direct.

A varied diet close to nature plus regular addi-tion of sera mineral salt and sera fishtaminprevent hole-in-the-head disease and supportthe healing process. On the other hand, feed-ing beef heart or other warm blooded animalmeat, to which no orna-mental fish is physiologi-cally adapted, supportsthe multiplication of harm-ful intestinal flagellates andbacteria. All sera foods –e.g. sera discus granulat– optimally match the re-quirements of the fish, asexclusively aquatic organ-isms are used as proteinand fat sources. Theytherefore ensure healthydevelopment and vitality.The high quality serafoods are entirely digested, thus avoiding un-necessary water pollution. Food with a highSpirulina percentage, e.g. sera Spirulina Tabsand sera flora, as well as food very rich in min-erals and ballast substances, such as seraGVG-mix and the sera FD range, is particularlywell suited for regenerating the intestinal flora.

Diagnosis: page 12

Piscinoodinium pillulare is asingle celled ectoparasite infreshwater that is often mis-taken for Ichthyophthi rius(white spot disease) due to its appearance. How- ever, the spots caused byPiscinoodinium are considerably smaller incomparison. Longer salt baths with sera ectopur achieve good success (the concentra-tion must be adjusted to the fish species inquestion).

Piscinoodinium pillulare in a skinswab

Piscinoodinium, Velvet disease

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6.5 Treating ciliate infections

Diagnosis: page 13

The treatment should byall means begin as soonas possible. The diseasecan literally spread at anexplosive rate via swarmer stages of this para-site in the rather densely inhabited limited en-vironment an aquarium provides. Treat effec-tively and safely with sera costapur (infreshwater and saltwater tanks). Please notethat some invertebrates are sensitive towardsa treatment – possibly treat in a quarantinetank. Cartilaginous fish (sharks andrays/skates) do not tolerate the active agentmalachite green and similar compounds. A re-covery supporting aftertreatment can be car-ried out with the care product sera ectopur.As far as possible, it is advisable to raise thetemperature slightly for a couple of days as tosupport the treatment (by all means considerthe tolerance level of the fish!). The parasitesgenerally do not tolerate the higher tempera-tures too well, furthermore the immune systemof the fish works more effectively this way. Atemperature of about 31°C (88°F) would beideal. The elevated temperature should be

Ichthyophthiriusmultifiliis

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis(white spot disease),Cryptocaryon irritans (saltwater ich)

maintained for a couple of days after the treat-ment before it is slowly lowered again. Further-more, the water should be aerated well duringthe treatment, and the lighting should remainswitched off at least on the according treat-ment days. The white spots on the fish skin re-main visible for a few days also after a suc-cessful double treatment (on the first and thirddays) but become increasingly transparent(spots with live parasites appear straight white)and finally disappear entirely. Only in case youobserve the formation of new spots for certainyou should surmise pathogens have survivedor were introduced again, making a furthertreatment (on the fifth and seventh days) nec-essary.

White spot disease can be diagnosed ratherunmistakably. However, in some cases infec-tions by Lymphocystis (viruses, page 7) or withsome sporozoan species (other single celledparasites) lead to a surprisingly similar appear-ance. Some reports about suspected resist-ance, sometimes after having treated properlyagainst “Ich” for several times, might be dueto such understandable false diagnoses.

Life cycle of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

1 The adult parasites leave thefish and, swimming freely,look for well-protected placeswith little water flow.

2 The parasite forms a firm capsule (cyst)and divides several times. Several hundredswarmers develop within the cyst.

3 The swarmers penetrate the capsule, swimaround and divide again.

4 The swarmers infest the same fish again,or other fish, penetrating into their skin.

32

6.5 Treating ciliate infections

Diagnosis: page 14

Apiosoma sp. and Epistyliscolisarum are very similarprotozoans that settle onexisting wounds on the fishskin and thus avoid their healing (they are notparasites in the original sense). In the furthercourse, adjacent healthy skin areas can also beinfected, and further pathogens – e.g. fungiand bacteria – may settle. Using sera aquatanand sera blackwater aquatan prevents small-er wounds being infected. In case of slight in-festations, using sera ectopur is usually suffi-cient. Treatment with sera costapur provideshelp in case of a stronger infestation by theseciliates.

Apiosoma sp.

Apiosoma (formerly: Glossatella) or Epistylis(formerly: Heteropolaria)

Diagnosis: page 15

These ciliates are mainlyso-called secondary para-sites. Mass multiplicationusually only occurs if the fish has been previ-ously harmed by another disease, or if the wa-ter conditions are poor. The skin and gill dam-ages caused by the protozoan may be fatal.Quick action is therefore required. Be sure inparticular to maintain good water quality andtreat with sera costapur (freshwater and salt-water fish). Aftertreatment with sera ectopur isadvisable also in this case.

Trichodina

Trichodina, Tetrahymena,Chilodonella,Brooklynella (in saltwater)

33

6.6 Treating flatworm infections

Animals of different phylogeny are classified inthe worm group. Their worm shaped body isall they have in common. The parasitic wormsoccurring in fish need to be treated differentlyand with different active agents, depending ontheir group of related species.Flatworms include many important parasites.Planaria are independently living members ofthis group. They belong to the Turbellaria.They can quickly become annoying in case ofmass multiplication. (If required, they can beremoved with the sera snail collect trap, or byadding macropodes as predators.) Flukes(Monogenea) including skin and gill flukes arereal parasites. Among the Trematodes, aquar-ists may know about scale worms. The fourthflatworm group, tapeworms (Cestoda) can al-so be found in ornamental fish.sera omnipur or sera mycopur are effectiveagainst parasitic flatworms in aquariums. Thecare product sera ectopur has proven wellmany times as a preventive measure, in case ofslight infestations, for accompanying a treatmentor for supporting recovery after a treatment.

Diagnosis: page 16

Flukes of the order Gyro-dactylidea are more likelyto be found on the skinthan on the gills of thefish. They can also bedistinguished from gillflukes (Dactylogyrus) bytheir lack of pigment eyes at the front end. Theworms attach to the skin of the fish with theclasping apparatus at their back end. Theirmucous membrane becomes thicker as a de-fensive reaction. The occurring skin injuries of-ten lead to secondary infections. While an in-festation with only a few flukes often runssymptom free, a mass infestation may quicklycause the death of many fish. Therefore treat with sera omnipur or sera my-copur according to the information for use intime – in a quarantine tank, if required. SinceGyrodactylus is livebearing, it is usually possi-ble to reliably remove the parasites with onetreatment cycle.

Gyrodactylus sp.with three larvae,one inside the other

Skin flukes / Gyrodactylidea

Diagnosis: page 16

Gill flukes (Dactylogyridea)live as parasites mainly onthe gills of fish. The gill fil-ament irritations and in-juries caused by theirclasping apparatus induceincreased mucus forma-tion that inhibits gas exchange more and more,finally making it possible that the fish suffocate.

Dactylogyrus can be distinguished from Gyro-dactylus, among others, by the presence ofpigment eyes at the front end. The differencesto the livebearing skin flukes is relevant for thetreatment: As the gill flukes lay eggs whoseshell is impermeable for the active agent, asecond treatment must be carried out as to killthe larvae that have hatched in the meantimeas well. sera omnipur or sera mycopur areused, just as is the case with skin flukes. Asecond treatment should be carried out after afew days. Development of the worm larvae de-pends on the temperature: it is complete after3 days at a water temperature of 28°C (82°F),while it can take up to 7 days at water temper-atures about 25°C (77°F). However, you shouldnot wait too long before conducting the sec-ond treatment, as the fish might be re-infectedby worm larvae and the worms possibly evenlay new eggs again. In case of uncertain diag-nostic differentiation to a skin fluke infection itis better to surmise a gill fluke infection andconduct a repeated treatment for safety rea-sons.

Gill filaments withDactylogyrusinfestation

Gill flukes / Dactylogyridea

34

6.7 Treating fish leech infections

Diagnosis: page 17

The larvae of this worm penetrate the skin of afish where they live under its scales until theyare mature. (The adult animals are about 3 – 5 mm long and creep around on the skin.They are transparent and hardly visible.) Theinfection leads to inflammations and – in caseof severe infestations – even to large area de-struction of the fish skin and consequentlydeath of the fish. Transversotrema requiresnails as intermediate hosts. Multiplication andspreading of the parasites therefore can be re-duced by removing snails (you can, for in-stance, use the sera snail collect trap for thispurpose). The worms themselves are removed

Transversotrema sp. with sera omnipur or sera mycopur. Thedead larvae (underneath the scales) are reject-ed by the tissue after a while. Larvae of other flukes (so-called Metacerca -riae) wandering through the body of the hostfish may cause damages that lead to somecharacteristic disease symptoms, such asworm cataract (the eye becomes cloudy) andblack spot disease.

Diagnosis: page 18

Fish leeches belong to thejointed worms (Annelida)phylum which also in-cludes many well knownnon-parasitic species suchas earthworms or Tubifex.Fish leeches use their oral suction cup to at-tach to fishes and suck their blood. While do-ing so they inject hirudine into the wound, asubstance that inhibits blood coagulation. Thefull worm lets go of the fish at the latest after 2days. While sucking blood it injures the skin ofthe fish (less frequently gills or fins). The loss ofblood itself – including secondary bleedings –always causes weakening, in case of smallerfish sometimes even immediate death. Danger-ous secondary infections often occur at thespot where the leech sucked blood. Further-more, the leeches my transmit parasite stageswhile sucking blood that they took up the pre-vious time they sucked blood from anotherfish.Fish leeches or cocoons with their offspringcan be introduced with newly purchased fish,live food or aquatic plants. Frequent water

Fish leech

Fish leech / Piscicola sp. changes, collecting the worms and carefullycleaning the decoration and the plants re-duces and finally entirely removes the leechpopulation. Larger cichlids like to eat leechesand should be used for combating them, pro-vided the remaining fish stock allows this. In case it is necessary to remove leeches fromthe fish itself, e.g. in case of a mass infesta-tion, you should remove the worms very care-fully with an edgeless pair of tweezers close tothe front suction cup. Avoid squeezing thestomach of the worm (in the middle), as theleech in this case regurgitates its stomachcontents into the wound, thus increasing therisk of transmitting a disease. The same ap-plies for other measures that might irritate theworm (e.g. by sprinkling salt directly on theworm). It is safer to remove the worm from thetank only after it left the fish by itself. Applyingsera ectopur supports wound healing of thesuction spots and prevents infections. serabaktopur provides help in case of already ex-isting infections.

6.6 Treating flatworm infections

35

6.8 Treating crustacean infections

The large group of crustaceans (Crustacea) al-so includes some species that live parasiticallyon freshwater and saltwater fish. In spite oftheir sometimes misleading names (e.g. fishlouse and anchor worm) and their often un-usual appearance, all parasites mentioned inthe following are crustaceans.

Bloodsucking crustaceans are a threat for fishnot only because of the loss of blood and thepossible infection of the wounds, but alsotransmit different pathogens from one fish tothe next one. There is an additional group ofcrustaceans that do not live parasitically them-selves but serve as intermediate hosts for oth-er parasites. Fish can therefore become infect-ed with parasite stages if they eat thesecrustaceans (e.g. copepods may be interme-diate hosts for tapeworm larvae).

You can prevent introduction of these crus-taceans by not using potentially dangerousfrozen and live food (all sera foods are guaran-teed to be parasite free) and being carefulwhen purchasing new animals and plants (e.g.by quarantine measures). In case parasiticcrustaceans should nevertheless occur oncein a while, you can use, for example, serabaktopur for treating subsequent bacterialdiseases. Strict hygienic measures such as re-peated water changes and the careful cleaningof decoration, bottom gravel and plants re-duce the population of the parasitic crus-taceans until they finally disappear entirely.

In case of severe problems with parasitic crus-taceans, please also refer to the informationabout sera med Professional Argulol, begin-ning on page 57.


Besides usually domesticfish louse species that af-fect pond fish, there arealso tropic fish lice thatoccur in freshwater andsaltwater aquariums. They are good swimmersthat look for a fish as a host in free water andattach to its skin using their two suction cups.They suck blood (sometimes for weeks) andoften change the spots they attach to while do-ing so. Some species additionally inject a toxinor an allergen, which may cause infection or in-toxication symptoms up to death. Furthermore,they may transmit pathogens from one fish toanother while sucking. The affected fish are al-ways weakened due to blood loss. There arefrequent secondary infections.


The crustacean Lernaea is usually called “an-chor worm” by aquarists, as it is deeply bur-rowed in the fish skin with a branched attach-ing organ on its front end, and has anelongated body shape without any visiblelimbs. There are two sacs at the back end offemales in which the eggs develop. The fishare weakened very much by the constant lossof blood and severe infections at the deep at-tachment spots.

Argulus

Fish louse / e.g. Argulus

Anchor worm / Lernaea

36


The crustacean Ergasilushas pointed claspinghooks that it uses to clingto the gills of the host fishfor its entire life. Only thefemales live as parasiteson the fish where they feed on skin cells. Themales swim freely in the water. The females de-velop two large egg sacs at the back end. In-fected fish suffer from constant severe short-

6.8 Treating crustacean infections

6.9 Treating multiple infections


Isopods also belong to the crustaceans. Somespecies parasitize on fish and suck bloodthere. The loss of blood and the sting injuriesweaken the fish.

Parasitic isopodsGill infecting copepod, Photo: Dr. Sandra Lechleiter

Parasitic copepod / Ergasilus

Diagnosis: page 20

Fish can be infected byseveral pathogen speciesat the same time. In suchcases, mucous membraneswelling can often be ob-served as an unspecificsymptom. There often isalso a gray to whitish colorchange. With a microscope, it is often possibleto detect both skin flukes and different proto-zoans such as Ichthyobodo (Costia),Chilodonella, Trichodina and Tetrahymena in askin swab. Bacteria and fungi can also oftenbe found. The fish often scrub themselves onthe ground or on objects in early stages, lateron they stand in the water flow of the filter out-let apathetically, swaying and with clampedfins. In advanced stages, mucous membraneshreds come off, and other unspecific symp-toms occur. Depending on which pathogensare involved, the life of single fish or of the en-tire fish stock may be in danger sooner or lat-er.

Skin swab showinga multiple infection:Ichthyophthirius,Chilodonella, Trichodina, Costiaand Piscinoodinium

Multiple infection (a differentiated diagnosis is usually possible only by a specialist)

Obtaining a complete and reliable differentiat-ed diagnosis is usually possible only for ex-perts with appropriate equipment. This oftenmeans unreasonable effort or is not even lo-gistically possible. The sera product range in-cludes the reliable broad range treatment seraomnipur for such cases in a freshwater aquar-ium. This treatment covers almost the entirepathogen range and prevents secondary in-fections. You can again use sera ectopur as asupport also in case of a multiple infection.

The cumulative occurrence of several patho -gens at once indicates problematic keepingconditions. Therefore please check the waterparameters and other conditions. Immediatelycarry out necessary changes (e.g. reducing thenumber of fish, filter maintenance, waterchange etc.) and support the disease resist-ance of your fish by adding vitamin prepara-tions (sera fishtamin).

ness of breath due to the constant gill irritationand the increased formation of mucus. Partiallyirreparable damages and dangerous bleedingsoccur at the gills. There are frequent secondaryinfections.

37

7 Preventing and treating deficiencies and malnutrition

Cause: page 21

Prevention/Recommendation: Fish withdrawminerals and trace elements from the water viatheir skin and the gills. The balanced minerallevel of sera mineral salt as well as the iodineand magnesium in sera aquatan along withimportant vitamins from sera fishtamin (e.g.vitamin D3 for skeleton buildup) compensatedeficiencies – e.g. in case of deionized (R/O)water. The fish are thus effectively protectedagainst not genetically caused deformations(often on the gills or the fins). Sufficient supplywith minerals and food rich in vitamins (e.g.sera micron) is crucial especially in early de-velopment stages. However, deficiencies mayalso lead to pathogenic physical changes alsoin adult fish (hole-in-the-head disease due todeficiencies in discus fish, among others).Lacking iodine leads to an enlargement of thethyroid gland to a prominent ulcer. Besides us-ing sera aquatan, it is in such cases advisableto feed food types with a high natural iodinelevel, such as sera marin granulat and seraGVG-mix. They contain plenty of marine algaeand crustaceans. The enlarged thyroid glandtissue will regress within the course of severalweeks by itself if you feed food rich in iodineevery day.

Mineral and vitamin deficiency caused bytoo soft water and unsuitable food low in vitamins

Poor quality, monotonous food leading toliver fattening, among others

Cause: page 21

Prevention/Recommendation: Monotonousand wrong nutrition with low quality food man-ufactured from poor quality, unsuitable ingre-dients leads to deficiencies and physiologicalproblems. Such food can only be digested toan insufficient extent, causing unnecessarywater pollution. Furthermore, there is the prob-lem that your fish are on the one hand exces-sively battened by cheap fattening food andon the other hand receive insufficient essentialnutrients such as vitamins, essential aminoacids and omega fatty acids. Food sold loose-ly or in transparent plastic bags is exposed tolight and atmospheric oxygen. The fats quicklybecome rancid, and the vitamins decompose.Some low quality foods even contains ex-tremely toxic mold. Disease patterns such asa fattened liver, intestinal inflammations andrelated subsequent diseases. Many tradition-ally fed live foods or raw materials (e.g. beefheart) are a serious threat to the health of yourfish. The first ones often transmit dangerouspathogens, whereas the latter ones are entirelyunsuitable for the digestive tract of most fishdue to their composition.

The high quality sera foods ensure that yousupply your fish close to nature, well balancedand extensively.

38


Special

Nutrition – Beef heart etc. versus profes-sional dried foodMany dedicated breeders and hobby aquar-ists undergo considerable efforts to providetheir pets with an – according to their opinion– optimal supply with best food. Unfortunate-ly, not all of these efforts are equally reason-able. For example, there are still legends thatdiscus fish will only thrive if they receivescraped beef heart as food. It is now un-known where this misapprehension had itsorigin, but the facts are definitely against thiswidespread assumption. The discus fish ofcourse like to eat fresh meat and quickly puton weight with this nutrition that containsplenty of fat and proteins, but at what price …

Nature has arranged things in a way that theorganism of an animal and the nutrition usu-ally available for it suit each other. The metab-olisms of the specific fish species also haveadapted to certain nutrient sources duringtheir evolution, and only these can be digest-ed optimally. No matter how hungry a discusin nature is, it will hardly have the opportunityto kill a cow and eat its heart. But let us beserious: The meat of warm-blooded terrestricanimals is completely unsuitable for the nutri-tion of fish. Fish require a high percentage ofunsaturated fatty acids in their diet, as theyalmost exclusively occur in aquatic organ-isms (e.g. marine fish, as in the sera fishmeal). Furthermore, the protein compositionof warm-blooded animal meat is unsuitablefor fish. They do not contain sufficientamounts of certain amino acids. Necessaryminerals and trace elements for the balancednutrition of fish are also missing. Furthermore,it has been proven that the lack of digestionsupporting ballast substances may cause anileus in discus fish.

Beef heart or other warm-blooded animalmeat (including poultry) can therefore in noway ensure the permanent supply of the fishwith all required nutrients. Additionally, evenfeeding beef heart only occasionally bearscertain risks, as the meat is unsuitable for thefish body and supports the growth of bacteriathat do not belong to the natural intestinal flo-ra of the fish. They can increasingly outcom-pete the healthy intestinal flora, thus makingthe intestines susceptible for pathogens (e.g.flagellates).

Besides these direct negative consequencesfor the fish and the danger of an infestationwith pathogens that must not be underesti-mated, the enormous water pollution by feed-ing raw meat and some frozen food typesmust be considered. The large amount ofprotein that cannot be utilized by the fish getsinto the water undigested, where it extremelyincreases the organic pollution.

The food blends for discus fish and other fishself-produced by aquarists, often improvisedand following word of mouth without wellfunded specific knowledge, cannot replacesera food with the decades of nutritional re-search that goes into it. The sera food rangeprovides suitable nutrition for all ornamentalfish, for every development stage and foreach nutritional type. Protein, fats and carbo-hydrates are balanced to corresponding fishgroups, are entirely digested by the fish anddo not unnecessarily pollute the water. Thefats in sera food contain a large percentageof unsaturated fatty acids and have a verylow melting point (easier to utilize by cold-blooded animals). The most modern manu-facturing processes (e.g. low temperature ex-trusion and gentle freeze drying – so-called

39

!!


FD process) that sera uses ensure optimalconsistency, taste and preservation of the im-portant nutrients in our foods. The water willremain clear and unpolluted.

Consistently considering research resultsmade it possible to develop high quality foodeven for the fastidious discus, e.g. seraGVG-mix and sera discus granulat, that en-sure appropriate growth, brilliant pigmenta-tion and increased fertility. The fish are wellfed without being battened. The growth iseven and allows building up a firm skeleton.The healthy intestinal flora is supported, andthe immune system is strengthened by se-lected natural ingredients (e.g. garlic, betaglucanes and astaxanthene).

You can provide your fish safe and healthy va-riety with our poplar sera FD food and livebrine shrimp nauplii (sera Artemia-mix).

The advantages of our professionally manu-factured food types over most blends mixed“on good advice” are obvious:

• Balanced nutrition due to the usage of overforty natural ingredients that are selected tomeet the requirements of the fish.

• The high percentage of valuable unsaturat-ed fatty acids (especially omega fatty acids)and the ideal protein composition.

• Optimal preservation of the valuable vita-mins and other ingredients due to carefulprocessing.

• Guaranteed to be free of parasites – nodanger of introducing pathogens!

40

8 Preventing and remedying maintenance mistakes and intoxications

Cause: page 22

Prevention/Recommendation: Obtain de-tailed information about the special require-ments of the fish you keep, use sera qualityfood and check all important water parame-ters. Regular partial water changes and usingsera aquatan (alternatively: sera blackwateraquatan), as well as sera bio nitrivec or seramarin bio reefclear (in saltwater) for breakingdown organic pollution, ensure constantlygood water quality.

Feeling unwell, caused by unsuitable or polluted water, or by not keeping the fishaccording to their requirements (e.g. nohideaways, keeping unsuitable species together etc.)

Cause: page 23

Prevention/Recommendation: Gas oversat-uration may for instance occur after a largerwater change with colder water. Cold, wellaerated water (e.g. directly from the faucet)dissolves more gas than possibly warm aquar-ium water that has stood for quite some time.Gas oversaturation then occurs when theadded water quickly warms up in the warmeraquarium, since the warmer water cannotkeep as much gas in solution. The gas over-saturation, which becomes visible by small airbubbles within the mucous membrane of thefish as well as on other surfaces, may causean embolism within the veins. In case of gasoversaturation, you should uncover the tankand agitate the water surface well (e.g. by in-creased activity of the pump), as to allow forintense exchange with the air and, according-ly, removal of excess gases.

However, you should generally ensure careful-ly to not alter the temperature by more than afew degrees during water changes or whentransferring fish. Strongly varying tempera-tures – e.g. also due to improperly workingheaters – weaken the disease resistance of thefish.

Cause: page 22

Prevention/Recommendation: Avoid injuriesof any kind as far as possible, as the woundsoften become infected and may lead to severediseases. Always carry out necessary mainte-nance measures in the tank very carefully andcalmly as to avoid unnecessary stress andpanic escape reactions that might injure thefish. You should always use the fine mesh,rounded sera fish nets for catching them. Be

Injuries, e.g. by catching with a coarsenet, transport injuries, injuries by tryinghectically to escape (bouncing into sharpedged decoration objects) or by territorialfights

sure to provide a sufficient number of hide-aways, appropriate fish stock density and asuitable combination of fish species as toavoid dangerous fights among the fish. A dou-ble dose of sera aquatan or sera blackwateraquatan provides help in case the fish everget injured nevertheless. Use sera ectopuradditionally in case of deeper injuries, andtreat with sera mycopur if required.

Air bubble disease (oversaturation of thewater with gas)

41

Cause: page 23

Prevention/Recommenda-tion: Measure the pH valuewith the sera pH-Test. Toolow or strongly varying valuesare often related to too lowcarbonate hardness (KH).You should therefore alsocheck the KH level (sera kH-Test). Please be aware thatthe pH value may vary duringthe day and may becomeconsiderably lower especiallyat night. If required, you canraise the pH value with seraKH/pH-plus and at the sametime ensure sufficient buffer-ing (due to the increased KH).Additionally, using seraaquatan or sera blackwateraquatan helps alleviate thedamages and makes themheal quicker.

Acidosis

Cause: page 25

Prevention/Recommendation: You shouldby all means avoid strong conductivity varia-tions, as they may occur when transferring fishor when carrying out a large water change.The sudden change to a considerably higheror lower salinity than the usual one cannot becompensated by the fish.

If fish are transferred from water with a highconductivity (high salinity) into water with alower conductivity without an adaptationphase they will suffer from an osmotic shock(also the other way round). The mucous mem-brane comes off, and the organism of the fishis extremely stressed and weakened. Second-ary diseases occur frequently. In case of largeconductivity differences, the fine cartilaginousjoints in the fin rays can burst due to the highosmotic pressure. The finsthen fall off in large chunks.

Avoid osmotic shocks bychecking the pH value andthe conductivity of the trans-port water and the aquariumwater before transferring the

Cause: page 24

Prevention/Recommendation: Whitish skinslime occurs at pH values above 9, the finsmay become frayed and the gills can getburned. Check the pH value using the serapH-Test and lower it with sera pH-minus if re-quired, or with sera super peat in the longterm. Ammonia intoxications cause symptomssimilar to those of too high pH values. There-fore you should also check the ammonium lev-el using the sera NH4/NH3-Test.

At high pH levels, the ammonium is more andmore converted into its extremely ichthyotoxicammonia form. The measured value should

Alkalosis or ammonia intoxication


ideally be below the detectionlevel. In case of 0.5 mg/l ammo-nium or more you should imme-diately react with a partial waterchange and by adding sera toxivec, especially if the pH val-ue is above 7. Ammonia is fataleven in very low concentrations.

Osmotic shock

42


fish. If in doubt, and if you do not have a con-ductivity meter at hand, please ask your retailerwhether the fish were kept under salt additionwhen purchasing new fish. You must of coursealso be careful when re-transferring fish from asalt bath. The fish are generally less sensitiveto conductivity increases, i.e. when adding salt.Rather quick addition of salt improves the ther-apeutic benefits of a salt bath. However, youshould nevertheless adjust the conductivitystepwise if you want to maintain a high finalconcentration. Adaptation can be achieved byadding sera mineral salt or sera ectopur. Dif-ferences between 100 and 200 μS/cm are neg-ligible (for example, a single preventive dosageof sera ectopur with 0.1 g/l or 5 g per each 50 l(13.2 US gal.) increases the conductivity by on-ly 200 μS/cm). The water conditions can be ad-justed to the according desired levels in smallsteps with adaptation phases of several hourseach.

Filter mediaactivation

Filter medium withlargest possible

filter performance

Biological water purification

sera siporax

sera filter biostart

sera bio nitrivec

NH4/NH3Ammonium/

ammonia

NO2Nitrite

NO3Nitrate

Biological water purification

Clean, crystal clear aquarium water

Cause: page 25

Prevention/Recommendation: Check the ni-trite level with the sera NO2-Test. In case ofdangerously elevated levels (above 0.5 mg/l)you should immediately react with a large par-tial water change and by adding sera toxivec.In the long term you can effectively prevent theaccumulation of toxic nitrite by using a filterwith a – considering the water amount – suffi-cient settling area for bacteria that break downpollutants (especially well suited: the bioactivefilter system consisting of sera siporax withsera filter biostart). Even long lasting low lev-el nitrite pollution may cause permanent dam-ages. Use sera bio nitrivec (freshwater aquar-iums) or sera marin bio reefclear (saltwateraquariums) regularly for maintaining good wa-ter quality.

Acute nitrite intoxication

43

Uncontrolled carbon dioxide addition, espe-cially at night, may become dangerous for thefish. An intoxication may lead up to apnea.Supply your plants safely and reliably with car-bon dioxide by using the seramic pH Con-troller.

Lacking oxygen is likely if the fish suddenlydwell underneath the surface and gasp for air.This can be fatal in extreme cases. Even slightoxygen undersupply may cause deformationsin young fish. Check the oxygen level with thesera O2-Test. sera O2 plus provides quickhelp in case of acute oxygen deficiencies. Usea sera air plus air pump if required. Check thehygienic conditions in the aquarium as to pre-vent oxygen deficiencies in the long term. Alarge amount of organic material compiles es-pecially in overstocked, abundantly fed tanks.Its breakdown consumes oxygen. Make sureyou siphon off the sludge regularly. Also makesure the filter is well maintained and works ef-


Simply pour sera filter biostart onto serasiporax. The filter will immediately become bi-ologically active. Add sera bio nitrivec to theaquarium water. The pollutant breakdown inthe aquarium water will immediately begin orimprove.

Further intoxication causes

Intoxications may be acute or gradual. Some-times the only symptom is that the fish startlemore easily. A precise diagnosis according tothe behavior and the appearance of the fish isthus often not possible. Therefore proceed verycarefully when researching the causes if youobserve the fish being unwell and cannot ex-plain it by the usual pathogens. Also considerunusual causes such as spraying insecticidesin the room where the aquarium is located orhaving used self-built decoration elements (e.g.with unsuitable glue) in the tank.

44


elements (such as some kinds of coated grav-el). Lead and mercury are particularly toxic. Inparticular, invertebrates react extremely sensi-tive to copper – please always consider thiswhen using copper containing treatments suchas sera mycopur. Zinc and even iron (in con-centrations above 0.5 mg/l) are also harmful. Ifin doubt, check the water values, e.g. bymeans of the sera Cu-Test. sera aquatan andsera toxivec bind and neutralize heavy metals.Furthermore, they remove corrosive chlorine.

In case of acute intoxications – also with toxicsubstances not mentioned here – it is alwaysadvisable to carry out a large water changeand to remove the remaining toxic substanceswith sera super carbon.

fectively (bioactive filter system: sera siporaxand sera filter biostart). Plants enrich the wa-ter with oxygen during daytime.

Rot processes occur if anaerobic zones form,i.e. regions that are not supplied with oxygen.This may, for instance, happen in the filter if thepump fails, or in case of firm, non-aeratedbottom ground. Organic material is brokendown anaerobically (without oxygen con-sumption) there. This leads to the formation ofhydrogen sulfide which stinks like rotteneggs, and nitrite – both of them are highlyichthyotoxic substances. Therefore, be sure tocheck the function of your filter regularly andloosen the bottom ground while siphoning offthe sludge.

Heavy metals may also lead to severe chronicor acute intoxications. They are introduced by,for example, old copper pipes, lead containingwire on aquatic plants or unsuitable decoration

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Tip!!Please also read the detailed descriptionsabout the specific diseases on pages 27 to37 as well as the general application rec-ommendations on page 60.

In close cooperation with the working group ofthe well known parasitologist, Prof. Dr. HeinzMehlhorn (Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düssel-dorf/Germany), sera succeeded in marketing arange of unique, highly effective over-the-counter treatments, for some of which a patentis already applied. The products mainly appealto versed, experienced users who look forquick and specific support from highly effectivetreatments after having diagnosed a specificdisease. Such high performance treatments re-quire a certain amount of care while usingthem. Therefore, be sure to treat according tothe corresponding information for use as to en-sure safe and unproblematic application.

Currently, the sera med Professional rangecomprises sera med Professional Protazol,sera med Professional Tremazol, sera medProfessional Nematol, sera med Professio -nal Argulol and sera med Professional Fla-gellol. Each of these treatments is optimally

designed for professional use and works in asafe, effective and directed way even in ex-tremely persistent cases.

In some fields the Professional treatments addto the well proven, reliable sera treatments ofthe standard range. In some other areas thepreparations of this range are unrivaled – alsoconcerning competitors – and we keep on re-searching…

Highly effective and well tolerated

9 sera med Professional treatments

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This treatment effectively rids ornamental fish of intestinal flagellates andother single celled intestinal parasites. The preparation additionally containsvitamins K and C that support quick recovery – especially in case of hole-in-the-head disease. Furthermore, the treatment is effective against thecause of velvet disease (Piscinoodonium pillulare).

Use the water conditioner sera bio nitrivec after a treatment with Flagellolas to ensure quick and reliable regeneration of possibly affected filter bac-teria.

9.1 sera med Professional Flagellol

Discus infected by intestinal flagellates

Hole-in-the-head disease

Diagnosis: Intestinal flagellates (Hexamitasp., Spironucleus sp. as well as other para-sites such as Protoopalina sp., Trichomonassp., Cryptobia sp.)

ObservationDecomposing fins, slimy, whitish fish waste,holes in and around the head, possibly emacia-tion and darkening.

see also page 30

The treatment duration can be extended fromthree days to seven days in single cases, i.e. incase of particularly persistent flagellate strains.Should cloudiness occur during this time, youcan carry out a large partial water change(about 80%) and then re-dose the treatment.The treatment is concluded with another waterchange (at least 80%) after (maximum) sevendays in total.

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ObservationThe fish scrub themselves on decoration andswim hectically in early stages, later on finewhitish yellow dots (< 0.3 mm) on skin and fins;frequently infestation of the gills; fish looks –especially in backlight – as if dusted with flour;velvet-like coating.

Diagnosis: Piscinoodinium pillulare, Velvet disease

Gourami with Piscinoodinium infection

9.1 sera med Professional Flagellol

see also page 31

A treatment with sera med Professional Fla-gellol achieves good success against Pisci-noodinium pillulare (freshwater Oodinium). Ap-ply the treatment in the same way as describedin the information for use against intestinal flag-ellates.

Piscinoodinium on the back

9.2 sera med Professional Protazol

Infections by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (causes white spot disease) andmany other single celled parasites (e.g. Ichthyobodo, Apiosoma, Trichodina,Chilodonella) as well as fungal infections are reliably, quickly and effectivelyremoved by sera med Professional Protazol. The treatment is colorless inthe water and very well tolerated by plants and invertebrates (e.g. snails andshrimps). Cartilaginous fish (sharks and rays/skates) do not tolerate the ac-tive agent the product contains. A recovery supporting aftertreatment canbe carried out with the care product sera ectopur.

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Diagnosis: Ichthyobodo necator(formerly: Costia necatrix)

ObservationColor changes to gray or milky in some areasof the skin (reddish in case of stronger infesta-tion); long finned fish have frayed fins; clampedfins.

Diagnosis: Fungal infection (Mycosis)

ObservationWhite, cotton-like outgrowths on the skin withlong filaments standing away (often after a pre-vious injury).

see also page 30

see also page 30

Cichlid with fungal infection on the side

Fungus infected Firemouth Cichlid

Discus with injury infected by fungi

Fin clamping Platy

Platy with Ichthyobodo infection

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ObservationClearly visible white spots (0.4 – 1.5 mm) onskin and fins, clamped fins and scrubbing ondecoration.

Diagnosis: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis(white spot disease)

ObservationFurry coating after mucous membrane injuries;many elongated protozoans on a short stalk(no long threads as in case of fungal infections)are visible with a strong magnifier.

Diagnosis: Apiosoma (formerly: Glossatella)or Epistylis (formerly: Heteropolaria)

see also page 32

Apply the colorless treatment according to theinformation for use. All parasite stages on thefish and in the water – including cysts – are re-liably killed with just one treatment. A repeatedtreatment is therefore required only in excep-tional cases (in case of a very persistentIchthyophthirius strain or the parasites beingintroduced again), if the formation of new spotswas clearly observed after having finished thetreatment. The treatment is stable against light.The aquarium lighting can therefore remainswitched on. However, strongly affected ani-mals feel better when they are given morecalmness for recovering by longer dark phases.

see also page 33

Black Neon Tetra with white spot infection

Black Molly with “Ich”

Infected Dwarf Gourami

Firemouth Cichlid with Apiosoma infestation atthe caudal fin

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9.3 sera med Professional Tremazol

sera med Professional Tremazol contains the reliably and directedly effec-tive Praziquantel, which has been successfully used against flatworm infec-tions in human and veterinarian medicine for a long time. The patented,highly effective agent dissolving complex ensures even distribution of theotherwise poorly soluble substance in water, making the active agent get tothe pathogen very quickly.

The effect spectrum of the treatment ranges from gill and skin flukes to tape-worms and digenetic trematodes (symptoms include worm cataract). Be-sides its excellent efficacy it is also very well tolerated.

Treat your freshwater and saltwater fish according to the information leafletand provide good aeration. Prophylactic application in a short-term bath ispossible in case of newly purchased animals or plants that might introducepathogens. Treatment support or a recovery supporting aftertreatment arepossible with sera ectopur.


ObservationIsolated, whitish thickened areas on the mu-cous membrane (partially stringy); small paleareas on the skin; apathy and loss of appetite.The fish scrub themselves and occasionallywince with their fins.

Diagnosis: Trichodina, Tetrahymena,Chilodonella

see also page 33

Firemouth Cichlid with Trichodina infection

Infection by TetrahymenaDark colored Discus withChilodonella infection

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ObservationThe fish scrub themselves and become apa-thetic. Cloudy skin and small, motile worms onthe skin (partially visible with the naked eye,otherwise detectable with a magnifier; mostlysmaller than 1 mm).

Diagnosis: Skin flukes / Gyrodactylidea

ObservationBreathing becomes stronger every day until thefish stay under the surface panting; sometimesone-sided breathing; one or both gill lidsclosed or spread open; small flukes usuallysized less than 1 mm sit on the gills (possiblyvisible on a sedated fish with a magnifier); fishscrub themselves at the gill lid.

Diagnosis: Gill flukes / Dactylogyridea

see also page 34

see also page 34

Please note that a second treatment must becarried out against these egg-laying flukes,and that it should take place at different times,depending on the tank temperature, since thedevelopment of the larvae within the eggs de-pends on the temperature. With a water tem-perature of 28°C (82°F), the second treatmentshould best be carried out 72 hours after thebeginning of the first treatment. In case of low-er water temperatures you need to wait corre-spondingly longer. For example, it takes 7 daysat 25°C (77°F), as is common in many commu-nity tanks. However, if you wait too long beforeconducting the second treatment, the fishmight be reinfected, and the worms possiblyeven lay new eggs again. In case of a secondtreatment carried out too soon, not all larvaehave hatched yet.

Corydoras with skin flukes

Discus with shortness of breath caused by gill fluke infestation

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Tapeworms (Cestoda) live in the intestines oftheir hosts where they withdraw important nu-trients from the pre-digested nutrition pulp. Theinfected fish become emaciated and sufferfrom deficiency symptoms. The worms attachto the intestinal wall with their front end, whichoften leads to irritations and secondary infec-tions. Small fish may suffer from ileus.

These parasites are introduced with infectedwild caught fish or by intermediate hosts (e.g.copepods or Tubifex) from open waters. Youshould therefore generally abstain from feedinglive food from doubtful sources. (All sera foodsare guaranteed to be free of parasites!)

ObservationEmaciation, loss of appetite, gelatinous fishwaste; sometimes so-called proglottides(whitish, tape-shaped worm segments) can befound constricted in the fish waste, or the wormend hangs out of the anus of the infected fish.

Diagnosis: Tapeworms / Cestoda

Tapeworm on a Discus

see also page 35

ObservationFish scrub themselves; inflammations under-neath the scales; emaciation.

Diagnosis: Transversotrema sp.

Swordtail with Transversotrema infection

The inside of the hermaphroditic, flattenedtapeworms mainly consists of sexual organs.Large amounts of eggs are released with thefeces of infected fish. Some tapeworm speciesexpel proglottids, i.e. worm body segments in-cluding fertilized, mature eggs, instead of sin-gle eggs. The hatching larvae are able to swimand require an intermediate host before theycan infect a fish again. Among others, Cyclops(a copepod) is suitable for them. The infectedsmall crustaceans can then be eaten by a fishand thus transmit the tapeworm.

There are therefore two possibilities – either tocombat the worms directly, and/or to removethe intermediate hosts, thus interrupting thecycle. Being crustaceans, the intermediatehosts are successfully and reliably removed bysera med Professional Argulol. Be carefulwhen keeping “desired” crustaceans (e.g.shrimps and crayfish). They may also beharmed when using this treatment!

Combating the tapeworms themselves isachieved with sera med Professional Trema-zol according to the information for use. Thedead, excreted tapeworms should be siphonedoff the bottom ground daily as to keep waterpollution low. One treatment is usually suffi-cient. A repeated treatment after a few dayscan be advisable in severe cases. Suspectednewly added fish can be treated prophylacti-cally in a short-term bath. The preventivelytreated fish should be quarantined another twoto three days in the changed water before in-

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9.4 sera med Professional Nematol

This treatment reliably allows to remove parasitic threadworms in freshwaterand saltwater fish. The threadworms or nematodes are characterized by around cross section and a usually slender body. They can become a severeproblem that is often not detected for a long time, especially in freshwateraquariums. Tropical nematode species with a direct development do not re-quire an intermediate host and can multiply at an explosive rate. Cichlids areparticularly frequently affected. Adult nematodes live in the intestines of the fish while their larvae wanderthrough different tissues. It is not possible to help the fish anymore if essen-tial organs have been irreversibly damaged. Preventive treatment with seramed Professional Nematol is possible – and also advisable due to the of-ten uncertain diagnose – in case you suspect nematodes in newly pur-chased fish.The active agent in sera med Professional Nematol paralyzes the nema-todes. The immobile worms are then excreted from the intestines of the fishand finally die at the aquarium bottom. They should be siphoned off as toreduce the further spreading of eggs and freshly hatched larvae, and as toavoid water pollution. You can conduct a second full dose treatment for twodays after the scheduled 80% water change if some worms remain in or onthe fish in case of very severe infections. However, this does not replace thetreatment repetition after 3 weeks, as it is scheduled for egg-laying nema-todes such as hairworms!Please follow the application advice by all means, since the treatment is nottolerated by desired invertebrates (e.g. shrimps and crayfish). Treat all fishin a quarantine tank in that case, i.e. if you keep invertebrates worth protect-ing in the tank.It is advisable to leave the cured fish in the quarantine tank for a while, sincethe nematode stages that have possibly remained in the main tank (larvaeand possibly eggs) only die by and by without fish hosts. By doing so, youwill considerably reduce the risk of the fish being infected anew by possiblystill living nematode stages in the main tank.

troducing them into the main tank. This is toensure that all tapeworm eggs have been ex-creted with the fish waste.

Please note that the combined addition of dif-ferent treatments may lead to unpredictableside effects (although our tests do not indicate

this so far), in case you wish to conduct a ther-apy with both sera med Professional Trema-zol and sera med Professional Argulol. Thetreatments should be carried out one after theother for safety reasons, while considering thescheduled water changes and monitoring themost important water parameters.

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ObservationLoss of appetite, apathy, weakness, dead adultworms [up to 1 cm (0.4 in.)] in the fish waste.

Diagnosis: Discus pinworm / Oxyuris sp.

Discus pinworms occur in the intestines of dis-cus fish, where they withdraw important nutri-ents from the predigested food pulp. The af-fected fish become emaciated and suffer fromdeficiencies. The worms form tight tufts withinthe intestines of the fish, which may cause anileus. The animals weakened by the infectionoften suffer from subsequent diseases thatsometimes are fatal. The distribution of theworms throughout the fish stock takes placeby the worm eggs being taken up while the fisheat from the bottom of the aquarium. seramed Professional Nematol according to theinstructions is used for treating the oxyurids. Asecond treatment is carried out after about 3weeks as to kill the larvae that have hatched inthe meantime as well.

Discus pinworm

If you have the opportunity to keep your fish in a separate tank for a longerwhile (at least four weeks in case of egg-laying nematodes) after havingtreated them with sera med Professional Nematol, the main tank withoutthe fish will be entirely free of the parasites after this period, so no reinfectioncan occur.In case this method is not applicable for you it is possible to treat the fish inquarantine a second time and, if required, even further times in intervals ofthree weeks each, which will finally remove possible reinfections entirely.However, leave the fish for at least two days in fresh, non-treated water inthe quarantine tank after the corresponding treatment is finished. This willavoid possible active agent remainders from getting into the main tankwhere the sensitive invertebrates are.

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ObservationFrightened behavior, loss of appetite, emacia-tion, slimy fish waste.

Diagnosis: Capillaria sp.

A slight infection of the intestines with this verythin, long worm often remains unnoticed for along time. It can thus spread gradually over theentire fish stock. In particular, juvenile fish arepermanently harmed by growth problems. Afollow-up treatment with sera med Profes-sional Nematol after about three weeks is re-quired in case of these egg-laying worms.Pearl Gourami with Capillaria infestation

in the intestines

ObservationReddish worm ends hang out of the anus;whitish fish waste, emaciation due to loss ofblood, apathy.

Camallanus worms parasitize in the rectum offish. There they attach to the intestinal wall withtheir front end that resembles a milling head,and suck blood. The intestinal wall may getperforated and increasingly permeable for

Camallanus cotti

Diagnosis: Camallanus sp.

pathogens by the clasping. Due to their bloodmeals, the worms have a brownish red color.The end of the adult females hangs out of theanus of the infected fish by a few millimeters.In case of being disturbed it quickly retreats in-to the intestines. The larvae are released fromthe worm end sticking out, fall to the ground,are swallowed by fish that consider them foodorganisms, and infect them this way. This al-lows the parasite to spread quickly in theaquarium once it has been introduced.

The treatment is carried out with sera medProfessional Nematol according to the in-structions for use. Single application is suffi-cient in case of the livebearing Asian speciesCamallanus cotti (no intermediate host), whichis most frequently found in freshwater aquari-ums, as in this case larvae (no eggs) are re-leased, which are directly killed as well.

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9.5 sera med Professional Argulol

A safe and reliable treatment against parasitic crustaceans – and crus-taceans that serve as intermediate hosts – is now possible with the uniquetreatment sera med Professional Argulol (for freshwater and saltwaterfish). This treatment is also excellently suited for a preventive treatment ofanimals and plants that possibly might carry such parasites. The crus-taceans (everywhere in the water and on the fish) will be gone after just oneday. The treatment is broken down biologically, thus no remainders will re-main in the water. Water changes or filtering through active carbon are there-fore usually not necessary. However, a partial water change is recommendedin small aquariums, as to maintain constantly unobjectionable water quality.Repeating the treatment after about three weeks is advisable as to kill thecrustacean larvae that have hatched from eggs in the meantime as well.

Please follow the application advice by all means, since the treatment is alsonot tolerated by some desired invertebrates (e.g. shrimps and crayfish). Aquarantine treatment is therefore often favorable. The fish treated in thequarantine tank should first be transferred into non-treated water as to washoff the treatment remainders before they are put back into the main tank.This in particular applies for saltwater tanks with very sensitive invertebrateinhabitants. According to our observations, sera med Professional Argulolis tolerated by amphibians and plants without any problems.

In case the treatment cannot take place in the main tank due to sensitive in-vertebrates, there is a certain risk that parasitic crustacean stages remainthere and may infect the fish again when they are put back. This especiallyapplies if the fish can be kept in the separate tank only briefly and the crus-taceans in the main tank that require a fish host have not yet died. Consis-tent hygienic measures, such as repeated water changes and carefullycleaning the decoration items, the plants and the bottom ground by intensesiphoning, reduces the population of parasitic crustaceans until the finallydisappear entirely. If required, strongly infected fish must be caught againand treated in a short-term bath.

It may be necessary in some cases to conduct an aftertreatment for thewounds the crustacean parasites caused on the fish, as to avoid subsequentinfections. Use sera ectopur in slight cases, sera med Professional Pro-tazol is recommended in case of more severe infections.

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ObservationFish jump and swim hectically; flat (louse-like),almost transparent crustaceans sized 4 – 14 mmwith two black eyes visible on the skin of the fish;red sting marks on the fish skin.

Diagnosis: Fish louse / e.g. Argulus

ObservationWhite, bar shaped crustaceans with two smallsacs at the end, they stick deeply and firmly inthe skin; anemia and emaciation of the fish.

Diagnosis: Anchor worm / Lernaea

Argulus on a Koi

Lernaea on a caudal finPlaty with Lernaea

see also page 36

see also page 36

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Observation White to grayish blue crustaceans sized 0.5 – 3 mm on the gill filaments.

Diagnosis: Parasitic copepod / Ergasilus

ObservationClearly segmented, oval, opaque, yellowish tobrownish arthropods [1 – 5 cm (0.4 – 2 in.)] areattached to the fish; bloody, dot-shaped stingmarks.

Diagnosis: Parasitic isopods

Ergasilus on the gills (gill lid removed) Photo: Dr. Dirk Kleingeld

Parasitic isopod

see also page 37

see also page 37

Parasitic isopod on a Butterfly Cichlid

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Filtration during the treatment

10 General recommendations for applicationAbout risks and side effects…

Some factors may affect an effective and safetreatment in the aquarium or even lead to un-desirable side effects. You should generallyread the information for use carefully before us-ing any kind of treatment. Make sure in partic-ular that the treatment is suitable for the in-tended application (for instance, not alltreatments are suitable for saltwater), and thatthe information for use, the label and the outerpackage do not contain any warning notesconcerning the animals and plants you keep.

Furthermore, you should only treat tanks withunobjectionable water chemistry. The applica-tion of some treatments may make the waterconditions “turn over” and subsequentlycause, for example, a bacterial bloom that inreturn may cause oxygen deficiency if there isstrong organic pollution (check ammonium/ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, for instance).It may even be necessary to stop the treatmentby carrying out a water change if cloudinessshould occur during the treatment or if the fishsignalize lacking oxygen (e.g. by gasping for airat the surface). Therefore make sure you pro-vide very good water quality and sufficient aer-ation before, during and after a treatment. Atthe same time you are considerably increasingthe chances that your fish recover successfullyand quickly by doing so.

such special conditions. Using water condi-tioners, especially ones with finely ground rockpowder immediately before (within 1 – 2 days)or during a treatment may also lead to slightlydiminished efficacy due to binding the agents.Therefore it is best not to use water condition-ers during this limited period. Their use, howev-er, is even more reasonable after the treatment(see page 62, “Concluding the treatment”).

UV-C lamps for water disinfection should inany case be switched off during the treatment.The high energy light destroys many activeagents. The normal aquarium lighting can usu-ally remain switched on, but it may in somecase (e.g. when treating “ich”) be supportive todarken the tank. This will both protect lightsensitive agents and calm down the ill fish.

In case you fertilize with carbon dioxide youshould stop the addition during the treatmentand a couple of days after the treatment. Usingsome of the treatments may lead to a subse-quent oxygen deficiency. High CO2 levels inthe water additionally make the respiration ofthe fish more difficult.

Information for use leaflets often recommendremoving biological filters from the aquariumcircuit during the treatment. This is a precau-tionary measure, as some treatments may alsoharm filter bacteria and – as stated above –very active filters might reduce the efficacy ofthe treatment. However, disconnecting the filteris usually laborious and inconvenient. Youwould need to spread the filter material, e.g. ina tub with aquarium water, or ideally operatethe filter connected to a separate tank espe-cially in case of long lasting treatments. Rotprocesses might occur if water does not flowthrough the filter material for too long (it canget critical after half an hour), which possibly

Furthermore, active carbon must not be usedduring a treatment as it binds medicinal agentsand thus reduces or even inhibits the efficacyof the treatment. Some of the active treatmentagents can also be broken down or bound bya particularly large and active biofilter. It maytherefore be advisable in single cases to slight-ly (e.g. to 1.5 times as much) increase the treat-ment dosage as to maintain full efficacy under

Do not use during a treatment

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leads to anaerobic condi-tions and rot processes.This leads to the formationof, among others, highlytoxic hydrogen sulfide thatmay poison the aquariuminhabitants if the filter is putback into operation againwithout being cleaned.Pathogens may also bepresent within the filter it-self which might cause anew infection after the filterhas been connected again,which is another disadvantage. A stable, bio-logically well established filter with suitable fil-ter materials (e.g. sera siporax) usually getsthrough a treatment without any problems. Itcan therefore remain switched on. However, byall means be sure to keep the filter appropriate-ly clean before and after the treatment. It mustnot contain any rotting sludge. Cleaning isdone by gentle squeezing or rinsing withaquarium water in a bowl (do not rinse underrunning or even hot water).

Supporting measures – sera ectopur

10 General recommendations for application

Feeding during a treatment

Preferably do not use anyother water conditionersor even other treatments,except is expressly rec-ommended. There mightbe unpredictable cross re-actions. There are someimportant exceptions in-cluding the care productsera ectopur. It can rea-sonably complement dif-ferent treatments. seraectopur releases disin-fecting oxygen, whichmakes breathing easier for the ill fish, and it in-creases salinity, which stimulates mucousmembrane growth. Healing is supported. Insome cases (slight infection or prevention) ap-plication of sera ectopur can even replace us-ing a treatment. Generally, normal table salt(NaCl) without additives (e.g. anti-cakingagents) can also be used for stimulating mu-cous membrane regrowth. You should never-theless consider that – even if you find suffi-ciently pure salt – there is no disinfecting andbreath alleviating oxygen release as with seraectopur. You can therefore only achieve a par-tial effect.

The recommended normal dosage of sera ec-topur is about 0.01 to 0.02%. This concentra-tion is unproblematic even for fish such as cat-fish or other scaleless fish that otherwise mightreact sensitively to elevated salt levels. Highersalt concentrations (about 0.03% to 0.3%, i.e.0.3 to 3 g/l) should only be used in case ofacute stress situations or a disease and belowered stepwise by normal water changes af-ter these problems have vanished. Make sureyou know exactly about the salt tolerance ofthe fish in question before applying high saltconcentrations (e.g. in a short-term bath).

It is best to not feed at all, or – if you keep ju-venile fish or the treatment duration exceedsthree days – only extremely sparingly during atreatment. As already described, many treat-ments harm the filter bacteria or affect the bio-logical equilibrium in another way, therefore ex-cess organic pollution may quickly make thewater “turn over”.

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Partial water changes andremoving treatment re-mainders through activecarbon (sera super car-bon) are in most cases re-quired. Please observethese measures exactlyas well. A considerablylonger treatment applica-tion time caused by notcarrying out these meas-ures does not improve ef-ficacy but – on the con-trary – may lead to undesirable side effects.Some treatment agents can have harmful ef-fects if applied for a longer time. Other treat-ments contain solvents that are broken downby bacteria as nutrients, which increases therisk of a bacterial bloom. In case of large waterchanges being required (e.g. at least 80% forthe sera med Professional products) it is pos-sible to proceed stepwise: e.g. several 30%water changes within one or two days. This re-duces the stress for you and your fish, espe-cially in case of large fish, using reverse osmo-sis (R/O) water, etc. The water should by allmeans be conditioned with sera aquatan orsera blackwater aquatan when conducting awater change – among others, this will bind re-maining treatment remainders. You can quickly

Vitamins

10 General recommendations for application

Using vitamin preparations is another excep-tion. It is also safe and recommendable incombination with treatments. Just as in hu-mans, vitamins fulfill many vital functions withinthe fish organism. They are, among others, re-quired for a strong, active immune system. Theown disease resistance – provided it is opti-mally functioning – is the best possible protec-tion against diseases an organism can have. Ifyou feed your fish high quality sera food, youalready ensure, good basic supply with vita-mins and all other important nutrients. Pleasebe aware that the included vitamins may in-creasingly be broken down by the effects of at-mospheric oxygen, light and moisture. It istherefore ideal to choose food cans that youcan consume within several weeks to a fewmonths.

You should additionally support the immunesystem with an extra vitamin supply in stresssituations (e.g. fish transfers, courtship, broodcare, temperature changes) or if pathogens gotinto the aquarium. Use sera fishtamin in suchsituations. You can add the preparation directlyto the water according to the information foruse or soak the food with it just before feeding.The sera FD foods are partic-ularly well suited for this pur-pose. Regular addition (onceor twice weekly) or using thevitamin drops as a treatment(once daily) for several weeksare both possible. Such treat-ments are advisable in thementioned stress situationsand during a disease. Contin-ue the treatment for at least aweek after the disease symp-toms have vanished as to sup-port recovery and minimize therisk of a relapse.

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10 General recommendations for applicationtop up an affected filter bacteria flora by usingsera bio nitrivec (freshwater aquariums) orsera marin bio reefclear (saltwater aquari-ums).

You must of course also be careful withdosages considerably higher than stated in theinformation for use. Calculate the dosage ac-cording to the actual amount of water, not forthe entire volume of the aquarium (roughly es-timate and deduct bottom ground and decora-tion elements). Slight, accidentally adminis-tered overdosages are covered by the safetymargin. In case of more than double dosageyou should generally carry out a partial waterchange for safety reasons.

Important!!All sera treatments have been carefullychecked considering their efficacy against thecorresponding pathogens and their safety forusers, the kept animals and the environmentbefore they were ready for marketing. As apharmaceutical manufacturer, sera is subjectto regular observation by the authorities incharge. The close cooperation with successfulbreeders and retailers as well as the valuablefeedback from our customers allows us to rec-

ognize possible problems or desires at anytime and immediately react in an appropriateway. Our cooperation with scientists from dif-ferent universities, plus of course the qualitycontrol and research activities of the highlyqualified sera laboratory team ensures highestsafety standards and new developments ac-cording to the current state in science andtechnology.

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Some problems are not easy to sort out. Be-ginners – but also experienced aquarists –should not hesitate to seek advice from theirspecialized retailer, breeder or veterinarian. Thesera Team ([email protected]) will of course bepleased to provide support at any time if youhave special questions about our products.The list below covers the most important con-ditions in your aquarium and will support you in

finding out about causes. When carefully com-pleted, this list will give yourself or an expertyou consult a quick overview about possibleproblem sources.Please read our recommendations aboutaquarium setup and care as well as specialquestions such as lighting, algae growth etc. inour broad guide booklet range, or inform your-self on our internet site (www.sera.de).

Dimensions in cm:

Width x depth x height

Result: cm3

divided by 1000 = liters (volume)

Remember to roughly estimate the volumes of thebottom gravel and the decoration elements and todeduct them from the water volume.

How large is your aquarium?11

When did you set up the tank?22

Model:

Filter materials:

Which filter do you use?33

Which fish species do you keep? How many of each species?44

11 Checklist

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Which additional devices (e.g. membrane pump, UV-C clarifier) and decoration elements (e.g. bottom gravel) do you have in the tank?88

Do you also keep animals other than fish in the tank?55

When did you last add new fish or plants?77

How many plants are there in the aquarium, and which species?66

Which water conditioners (e.g. sera aquatan) or treatments are used or were recently used?99

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c) Which food additives (e.g. vitamin preparations) doyou use?

When and how do you clean the filter?1111

a) Which food types?

b) How often do you feed? Are there remainders?

Feeding1122

Measuring date

pH

Temperature

GH

KH

NH4/NH3

NO2

NO3

PO4

Cu

Fe

Which water parameters do you measure?1133

Do also check the parameters of the tap water youuse for comparison. Sometimes the tap water con-tains undesirable substances or provides unsuitablewater parameters.

Further advisable measuring parameters: Conductiv-ity, chlorine, oxygen, carbon dioxide, plus calciumand magnesium in saltwater. Please fill in as far asavailable.

How often do you carry out water changes?How much water do you change while doing so?1100

11 Checklist

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11 ChecklistWhen was the disease first noticed?1144

Which symptoms did you observe?1155

Which fish are affected (old ones, young ones, a specific species)?1166

Did you notice anything else that is unusual?1188

How severe is the disease? (Do the fish eat? Have some already died? etc.)1177

ium (e.g. did you paint the walls or spray an insecti-cide)?

E.g. on the plants or other water inhabitants, or didyou carry out unusual activities in or near the aquar-

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