5 Tropical Fish Ailments

Yes, tropical fish get sick just like other pets, and there may be a time you need a vet to check out your fish or for a phone consult. The vet you take your cat or dog to may not know a lot about fish. The time to find out if he treats fish is now, before your tropical fish get sick and need his services. If your vet isn't up to date on fish ailments, ask him for a referral. Don't get caught on a weekend or holiday with a sick fish and no one to call.

Some of the most common ailments tropical fish get are as follows:

1. Constipation. A fish that is constipated will not be moving around very much and he is likely to stay at the bottome of the aquarium. You will notice his belly is swollen. Constipation is usually caused by eating too much or incorrect diet.

2. Swim bladder. With this ailment your fish won't be swimming in a normal way. He'll be swimming on his side, upside down, or in some weird position. This can be a side effect of constipation, a bruised swim bladder from improper handling, or fighting. Swim bladder can also be from a bacterial infection he picked up because the water in his fish tank is dirty.

3. Kidney bloat. This is also sometimes called pinecone disease because the scales will stick out and your fish will look something like a pinecone. This ailment is caused by fluids building up and can be caused by either dirty water or organ failure.

4. Tumors. These will present themselves as lumps or bumps and in some cases may look like a blister or wart.

5. Exophthalmus. Causes the eyes to bulge, hence giving this ailment the more common name of pop-eye. The usual cause of pop-eye is an unclean fish tank.

Some fish ailments are contagious and some are not. To be on the safe side, at the very first signs of illness, remove the sick or possibly sick fish from the aquarium. Thoroughly clean the fish tank and call the vet. It's possible he can give suggestions what to do over the phone.

Remember, proper diet for your tropical fish and properly maintaining your aquarium will keep them happy and healthy and make those calls to the vet unnecessary.