Link to Diana's "Diseased Fish" thread

[JanS]

I thought I'd post a sticky here for the link to Diana's "Diseased Fish" thread, so it's quicker to find.
There are already quite a few stickies in the Fish forum, so I thought I'd balance it out and put a sticky with the link here, since Diana wrote it, and it's often referenced.

Diseased Fish by Diana Walstad

[Jane in Upton]

Thanks Jan!

This thread has such great information, I've found myself going back to it on several occasions as a reference guide.

thanks,
Jane

[Nevermore]

The link doesn't seem to work for me. Is it dead?

[DataGuru]

Here's a thread on TB by Diana
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ght=disease+tb

[Chris.]

neither links work. update?

[dwalstad]

Dear Chris,

Information on mycobacteriosis (Fish TB), the most common chronic disease of aquarium fish, is on my book's website:

http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/00388.htm

My article (Mycobacteriosis: The Stealth Disease) is available there as a free download. The section on stress as a factor in disease resistance is something that everyone should read.

I will be updating this article in the next few months so comments are welcome.

Diana

[Chris.]

Thanks for the link! What do you think of this disease? What is it and how can I treat it? My dwarf gourami has a similar problem but much worse than the one in the picture. He is alive, but doesn't do much. one side looks like the picture, but the other side has a deeper hole eaten through.

[dwalstad]

Originally Posted by Chris.

Thanks for the link! What do you think of this disease? What is it and how can I treat it? My dwarf gourami has a similar problem but much worse than the one in the picture. He is alive, but doesn't do much. one side looks like the picture, but the other side has a deeper hole eaten through.

Dear Chris,

These ulcers are probably due to a bacterial infection of some kind. The fish in picture seems to have a swollen belly ("ascites"), which is another symptom of MB (mycobacteriosis).

You can try salt baths and antibiotics for the possibility that the disease is not MB, and therefore, treatable.

If these measures work, count yourself lucky. Otherwise, I would either remove or euthanize the afflicted fish. Whatever bacterial infections these fish have will probably infect other fish in the tank.

I recommend a quarantine tank, rigorous culling, and a UV sterilizing filter.

I wish that adding new fish to tanks was easier for hobbyists. However, the fact is that some fish being sold are chronic disease carriers. OR the fish are so stressed when you buy them that they quickly succumb to bacteria that ordinarily are not pathogenic. Or the fish have not yet developed immunity to the natural normal flora (bacteria and parasites) in their new home. Or the new tank conditions are substandard and stress the fish. Tricky, very tricky.

[hooha]

I tried to fix the links in the thread. If they aren't working let one of the staff know....

[tonbrencat]

Diana I need your help!!! what do you do to treat ICH in the NPT?-I keep reading that salt will kill the plants and this is the only thing I have ever used. What about high temps and plants?