Perhaps you saw that your aquarium fish floats on its side or that it managed to jump out of the aquarium. Even though the natural first reaction may be disappointment and even an attempt to throw away the body of the fish, it may still be alive. You can understand if this is the case by checking the signs of the vital activity of the fish, and then take further measures in relation to the dying or already dead fish, or solve the problems of the fish that just seemed to you to be dead.

Steps

Checking for vital signs in fish

Try to catch a fish with a net. Look for signs of resistance from the fish when you try to hook its body with the net. If the fish is just sleeping, then it will wake up and try to break out of the net. Otherwise, the fish may be dead or very sick.

Pay attention to your breath. Most fish species need to have their gills checked. If they don't move, the fish isn't breathing. But cockerels and others labyrinth fish breathe through the mouth. If your fish belongs to this family, pay attention to the expansion and contraction of its body.

Check the condition of the fish's eyes. Take a look at the eyes as a whole. If they fell, then the fish died or is dying. Pay attention to cloudy pupils, which are also a sign of death for most aquarium fish.

Examine the scales of the fish. This must be done if the fish jumped out of the aquarium. Pay attention to the cracked skin when you pick up the fish. Feel her body to see if it's dry. These signs are characteristic only for dead fish.

If possible, remove dead fish from the aquarium. Use the net to catch the dead fish. If you can't find her body, don't worry. By itself, the body of one dead fish will not harm the rest of the fish and will decompose naturally.

Don't flush dead fish into the sewer, if the wastewater enters the water bodies. Even a dead fish that has fallen into a habitat that is not native to itself can harm the natural inhabitants of the reservoir. Throw the body of the fish in the trash or bury it in the ground. At the same time, if the fish is large enough, it is best to bury it. However, it doesn't hurt to check with your local laws to see if such actions are permitted on your part.

Solving possible problems

Treat constipation with split peas. Constipation causes fish to swim on their side. Shelled peas (any variety) contain enough fiber to restore digestion. If the fish hasn't passed a stool for several days, start giving it two or three fresh or defrosted peas every day. Peas can be crushed beforehand or simply let them sink to the bottom of the aquarium.

• Avoid using canned peas as they contain salt and spices that can harm your fish.
• Soften peas before feeding to fish. To do this, it can be boiled for one minute on the stove in filtered water. Take the peas out of the pot and let them cool down. Do not use a microwave oven to cook peas, as it can destroy important nutrients.
• Remove the shell from the peas with your fingers. Just don't forget to wash your hands first!
• Cut the peas into small pieces. Cut them in half first, if this didn't happen naturally when you removed the shells. Then cut the peas into quarters. If you have small fish, chop the peas even smaller.

1. Reduce feedings if necessary. If the fish is not constipated, then it could simply overeat. Overeating leads to bloating and forces the fish to swim on its side. If a side-swimming fish has recently had a stool, simply do not feed it for the next three or four days.

How to determine when buying a fish is healthy or sick.

Sick fish can be distinguished from healthy fish in many ways. First of all, the appearance testifies to the disease: dull coloration, pressed, as if glued fins, fringe on them, sometimes barely noticeable, retracted or, conversely, swollen belly, excessive thinness. Roughening of the scales, its damage can be observed. In some cases, the gill covers are raised or damaged. Obvious signs of the disease are sores, various kinds rashes on the body, cotton-like coating in some areas, the presence of a walleye, bulging eyes, hemorrhages, etc. Excrement often looks like long mucous threads. Sick fish also differ in behavior: they often stand in one place, sway, clog into corners, scratch on the bottom, plants, sometimes move in jerks, rotate in one place.

Why do fish get sick?

Diseases of aquarium fish, as a rule, occur due to their maintenance in adverse conditions. The fish become weak and are easily susceptible to disease. Unfavorable conditions include: low water temperature or its sharp fluctuations, excess or lack of lighting, unsuitable for this species chemical composition water, the presence of toxic substances in the water, etc. Sharp changes in environmental parameters have a bad effect on fish: replacement immediately a large number water, transplanting fish into an aquarium with other conditions, etc. The cause of the disease is often improper feeding: lack or excess of food, monotonous or poor-quality food, inadequate diet, inconsistency of its composition with the needs of fish of this species (for example, the lack of plant foods in the diet of herbivorous fish) . And of course, diseases can be caused by the introduction of infectious agents from natural reservoirs along with live food and plants, as well as in connection with planting fish in an aquarium without prior quarantine. If the fish are kept in an aquarium with an established biological regime, on a complete food, they, as a rule, do not get sick, although pathogens may be present in the aquarium (the so-called "dormant" infection).

How to understand that the fish is sick.

Nonspecific signs of disease in fish.

These signs may appear alone or in combination. They only matter if they are abnormal.
- Loss or decrease in appetite.
- Abnormal behavior of one kind or another.
- Color change.
- Compressed fins.
- The fish is hiding.
- Lethargy.
- Respiratory disorder.
- Abnormal swimming.
- Fish excrement takes the form of long threads hanging from the anus.
Fish showing any of these signs should be watched closely for additional signs of any particular disease. It is necessary to check the concentration of nitrogen-containing substances, as well as other water parameters such as temperature and pH.
It is not always possible to accurately diagnose and identify a specific fish disease. In such situations, the measures to be taken will depend on the circumstances. It makes no sense to treat an unknown disease by the arbitrary application of chemical medicines in the hope of accidentally getting on the right medicine. Many drugs are toxic to fish to some extent and can cause an exacerbation. The combination of different chemicals (when different drugs are applied sequentially without destroying traces of previous treatment by partial water replacement or neutralization) is very effective method poison the fish.
If the diagnosis is based on external signs disease is impossible, you will have to take samples for laboratory analysis. To clarify the situation, either tests may be required aquarium water(they are useful if you suspect poisoning, but the cause is not clear), or biological material obtained from the autopsy of fish. In both cases, the tests have to be done with the help of a veterinarian or a fish health consultant.

Nonspecific signs of irritation in fish.

Diseases of fish caused by adverse conditions.

Unfavorable conditions, in addition to direct action, weaken the body of fish and open the gates to infectious diseases. Most often, fish get sick due to prolonged keeping at low temperatures. This usually happens in spring and autumn - during periods when the heating season. Increasing the water temperature to 32-35°C usually has no harmful effect on fish of many species. At very high temperature fish begin, as a rule, to rush about in a vertical plane, sometimes even trying to jump out of the water. Sharp fluctuations in temperature can also cause illness.
Lack of oxygen can lead to death by suffocation. It is usually determined by the behavior of fish that rise to the surface of the water and swallow air bubbles. Worse, if there are no noticeable signs of oxygen deficiency, then proper measures are not taken and the fish gradually weaken. Young fish in this case become "tightened". Various kinds of diseases and death due to insufficient oxygen occur more quickly at high water temperatures. Diseases can occur when kept in water that is too acidic or too alkaline for this type of fish, as well as in too soft or hard water.
For a number of fish species, excessive water loading with various organic residues is contraindicated. On the one hand, during the decomposition of residues, oxygen is consumed and its deficiency is detected, on the other hand, decomposition products are formed, for example, nitrogen and sulfur compounds, which are poisonous in themselves,
Humic acids reduce the pH and hardness of water, making living conditions unsuitable for many species. At the same time, other fish can be kept for a long time in the same conditions without visible harm.

Fish diseases caused by improper feeding.

Starvation of adult fish, sometimes even for a long period, usually does not lead to visible negative results. In contrast, for fry in the first periods of feeding, it has a very great importance both quantity and quality of feed. As a result of insufficient feeding of fry, as well as in the case of a deficiency of calcium or other components, fish often grow up with pathological changes in the structure of various organs, this is primarily reflected in the curvature of the caudal peduncle. Insufficient feeding of grown fry in some species is compensated in the future by accelerated growth. However, there are cases when fry after a long starvation completely refuse food and die from exhaustion. For the most part, mature fish that did not receive food in sufficient quantities at one or another (especially early) stage of development turn out to be “tightened”. Many of them are further unsuitable for breeding.
Obesity of the viscera is common cause death of adult fish in aquariums. This disease of fish can almost entirely be attributed to keeping them in captivity. Restriction in movements and abundant regular food are the main reasons for the deposition of unused substances in the body of adult fish. When keeping many animals in captivity, they usually arrange one day a week "hungry"; maybe we should do the same with fish. The deposition of fat in the liver leads to its degeneration, causing severe metabolic disorders. Due to obesity of the testes and ovaries, fish can become completely sterile. Obesity of the viscera greatly weakens the body of fish, makes them susceptible to infectious diseases, primarily to infectious dropsy of the abdomen. Curing fish with fatty entrails is usually impossible.
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines often occurs in adult fish in an aquarium as a result of long-term feeding of monotonous food, especially in cases where it is very concentrated. Inflammatory process begins, in particular, when feeding with enchitreus, more often dry food (as a result of a lack of vitamins, proteins or fats), as well as bloodworms or tubifex, obtained from reservoirs contaminated with various kinds of waste. Sometimes there are difficult to explain cases of poisoning with a completely benign bloodworm. With inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, the appetite of the fish, as a rule, does not disappear, their movements become lazier, the color darkens somewhat. If at the same time the abdomen swells slightly, then inflammation of the stomach can be suspected. With inflammation of the intestine, the anus becomes reddish, the excrement becomes mucous, bloody, thread-like. Inflammation of the stomach and intestines weakens the fish and opens the way for many infectious diseases.

Poisoning. Insecticide poisoning, etc.

Chlorine in tap water for fish and plants.

In order to combat microorganisms, chlorine in the form of a gas is added to tap water. As a result, hydrochloric acid and chloric acid are formed, the latter decomposes in the light into hydrochloric acid and oxygen. This oxygen is very active at the time of its formation and, with its strong oxidizing effect, kills bacteria and other microorganisms. Tap water usually contains some chlorine (0.1-0.4 mg/l), but in special occasions, in particular in spring, the chlorine content in the water rises to 0.4-0.5 mg / l (at this time it smells of chlorine) and has a harmful effect on fish, and sometimes kills them. First of all, the toxic effect affects the gills, while they get sick, their tissue is destroyed, then the fins and the whole body are damaged. For aquatic plants chlorine is harmless.
Chlorine can be removed from water by settling for 1-2 days or by vigorous blowing for several hours. When pasteurizing water for 30-40 minutes, chlorine is also completely removed.

Wounds inflicted by fish on each other.

In aquarium practice, very often one has to deal with such cases when fish hurt each other. Many large cichlids, labyrinths and some spawning carps and other fish damage, to a greater or lesser extent, representatives of both their own and other fish species. Damaged areas of the body and fins regenerate at a high speed without harm to the victims (of course, if the damage did not affect vital organs). In these cases, usually, any kind of infection does not affect the injured fish.

A useful video about the treatment of fish, which will help solve the question of what to do with a dying fish?

How do fish sleep in an aquarium?

What is a "fish" dream

What do fish look like in a dream

Briefly about hibernation in winter and summer

How to determine that a fish is pregnant:: aquarium fish pregnant:: Breeding

How to care for pregnant guppies

How do guppies bear fry?

How are guppies born?

Toward the end of the gestation period, a week before the expected birth, the female can be transferred to a prepared maternity tank by pouring water from a common aquarium into it. In such an aquarium there is a dividing wall, so the fry will not suffer from a hungry female. On the day of pregnancy, the female must not be transferred to such a tank, otherwise a miscarriage will occur. When the female is ready to give birth, she may swim slowly, or look for a secluded spot in the aquarium. In one birth, she will produce 10-60 fry, although some mature females can give birth to up to 200 babies.

How long does childbirth take? Usually several days. For 1 day, the female can bring all the fry, and it happens that one fry per day. If childbirth occurs in community aquarium, make sure it has plenty of bushes of live plants in which little ones can save their lives. Unfortunately, the fry are highly visible, so they become victims of their parents and their neighbors in the aquarium.

How to determine the readiness for childbirth? Before this process, the body of the female trembles, she is inactive, she has no appetite (feed can spit out). If a heater is installed in the tank, then the female may be near it. Also, these symptoms may indicate premature birth. During the birth itself, the tail of the female trembles, for a few seconds she freezes. Lively and nimble fry come out of the anus, they immediately actively swim, starting an independent life.

See how guppy fry are born.

A female guppy can become pregnant again, even a few hours after giving birth. She can store male spermatozoa for one year, and from one fertilization up to 8 pregnancies can occur, in case of favorable conditions in the aquarium. In one life (3-5 years), a female fish is able to give life to 2000 fry or more. The day before the birth, a swelling may appear at the anus, if it is not there, this is a clear pathology.

After 2 weeks, the babies will mature, grow up to 1.5-2 cm in length. At this age, you can sort the fish by gender. Young females of this age can be recognized by the first sign of sexual dimorphism - they have dark spot at the bottom of the abdomen, at the base of the anal fin. You can transplant males and females into different aquariums by pouring the “old” water familiar to them from the previous aquarium. In silver and light breeds of guppies, sex differences are more difficult to determine - in females, there will be a barely noticeable belly on the abdomen. White spot, not black. It will be easier to find out the sex of fish at the age of 1.5 months, however late dates sorting can provoke early pregnancy.

The danger for pregnant female guppies is the disease plestophorosis. Fry can become infected from the mother. The fish looks lethargic and faded, the caudal fin goes down, the female swims at an angle of 45-60o. A sick fish can bounce, trying to return to its original, normal position of the body, refuses food. Pleistophorosis is not treated, so a pregnant fish will not be able to survive. It is destroyed, and all decorations and equipment must be strictly disinfected.

Fry that have received insufficient amounts of light and protein may suffer from scoliosis. The causes of scoliosis are not well understood, sometimes this disease manifests itself in tuberculosis. It is believed that the main causes of spinal curvature are stress, trauma, pathology of egg development, improper feeding of a pregnant fish, oxygen starvation.

How to determine the pregnancy of a swordtail:: how to find out that a female swordtail is pregnant:: Breeding

How to understand that a cockerel fish is pregnant :: how to determine the age of a cockerel fish :: Breeding

How to understand that a cockerel fish is pregnant

Cockerels are one of the most spectacular species that pleases aquarists not only with their bright colors, fluffy tail and fins, but also with fighting enthusiasm. However, breeding bettas requires special care, because the male will take care of the caviar, and the fish become especially aggressive during this period.

British pregnancy question - 1 answer

Instruction

1. To breed betta fish, select at least two fish: a male and a female. You can determine the sex of the fish in comparison - the males are larger, they have a large tail, a rounded fin. They behave more aggressively, if you put them in front of a mirror, they begin to inflate their gills, jump into the reflection. Females behave more modestly and are painted in paler shades, they always have white spot on the belly. The difficulty lies in the fact that some males also have a white spot, and some "hens" behave aggressively and can beat the "spouse" badly.

2. Choose the right pair, preferably one species, for example, a female and male veiltail. Fish capable of breeding are not younger than 3.5 months, but not too old either. Before planning spawning, it is better to seat them in different water bodies for a week and feed them with live food: bloodworms or coretra, it contains many nutrients.

3. To determine the pregnancy of a cockerel fish, just watch it. In fact, caviar is constantly formed in the female, so you can’t talk about her pregnancy as a temporary period. For the aquarist, such a concept as the readiness for spawning of a cockerel is much more important. The abdomen slightly increases, the stripes from horizontal become vertical and very clear. In light individuals, eggs can appear through the abdomen. Behavior also changes: females begin to inflate their gills, flirt and swim next to the male.

5. Please note leading role a male cockerel plays in the nest device. He builds a foam nest on the surface of the water, then pushes the female to the nest, presses on her abdomen and the eggs slip out. Then he fertilizes them and puts them in the nest. After the “birth”, the male begins to push the female away from the nest - at this moment it is better to put her in another body of water, she will no longer take care of the clutch. When the fry hatch and begin to swim, it should also be transplanted.

gold aquarium fish

Goldfish: The Beginning

Some general information

Video about goldfish

Fish health

Golden fish - a golden palace!

And the Lord said, "Be fruitful and multiply"

How to understand that a guppy is pregnant :: how to understand that a guppy will give birth soon :: Aquarium fish

How to understand that a guppy is pregnant

Guppy is freshwater fish, which belongs to the Peciliev family. It is considered quite unpretentious, and also popular of all aquarium fish. It should be noted that every breeder should have an idea of ​​how to determine that a female guppy is pregnant. This knowledge will help to create certain conditions for a female expecting offspring in a timely manner.

Question “opened a pet store. Business is not running. What to do? » - 2 answers

Instruction

1. As a rule, the pregnancy of a guppy is determined by the shape of its abdomen. The fact is that the female bearing offspring has a rounded voluminous abdomen, which immediately before childbirth acquires a slightly rectangular shape. Sometimes fry can be observed through the gaps, and closer to labor, the guppies have a dark birth spot localized on the abdomen. It should be borne in mind that the shape of the head of the fish during this period begins to seem elegant due to the voluminous belly. In addition, a pregnant female is distinguished by a peaceful and calm behavior.

2. Often, before throwing fry, the back of the belly becomes dark in guppies. In the event that only fish of this family are present in the aquarium, and there are also many shelters in the form of stones, snags and algae, then the female can not be planted. However, when other fish live in the aquarium, the guppies bearing offspring must be planted for the throwing period, and then launched back. It is important to remember that fry must be kept in a separate container.

3. When weaning a pregnant female, it must be taken into account that she is able to eat her fry. Thus, it is advisable to take care in advance of acquiring plants with which they can hide from the mother, who is temporarily next to the offspring. The number of fry born to a female directly depends on her age. A young fish can bring up to ten offspring, while an old one can breed a hundred fry. For offspring to have beautiful coloration and developed rapidly, they should be fed a varied diet three times a day.

4. Basically, a guppy's pregnancy lasts forty days. During the first week after birth, the fry live in the nursery. Then they are transplanted into the most spacious containers. Already in a month you can see distinctive features to determine the sex of the fry. Females have a birthmark near the anus. Males at the age of three months change the so-called anal fin into a gonopodium. It should be borne in mind that in order to prevent the reproduction of guppies, it is advisable to distribute young offspring by gender in a timely manner and be sure to keep them separately. In winter, it is necessary to observe the water temperature, which should be eighteen degrees Celsius. Such actions will not only help to avoid unnecessary spawning, but also allow the female to take a break from labor.

We almost always correctly determine whether a person close to us feels good or bad, whether he is healthy or sick. This is noticeable by the change in his behavior, appearance, clear signs of the disease. It is also possible to distinguish a sick fish from a healthy one. To do this, you need to know for sure what exactly you should pay attention to in the first place.

Every self-respecting aquarist should determine the health status of the fish. Ideally, this knowledge must be obtained even before the establishment of ornamental fish in your aquarium.

Both the success of the first experience of keeping representatives of the aquatic fauna and the state of the already operating home aquarium world depend on this.

Indeed, it is worth making a mistake only once when buying a new fish, and a sick specimen can infect pets already living in your aquarium.

And the sale of unhealthy fish in pet stores is not such a rarity.

It seems to many beginning aquarists that it is very difficult to distinguish a healthy fish from a sick one, that this ability comes only with experience, after going through a difficult path of trial and error.

Of course, experience (often negative) contributes to the acquisition of knowledge, but even a beginner with a very high degree of probability is able to determine the state of health ornamental fish. Unless, of course, he studies some useful information and will pay close attention to certain signs.

Behavior and appearance are the main criteria by which you can find out about the condition of any fish. Exactly the same as in humans.

Signs of unhealthy behavior

Like people, fish different types differ in their temperament. One species is characterized by hyperactivity, while others most often behave calmly and even phlegmatically. But all healthy individuals show vitality, their inherent species behavior, perfectly respond to external stimuli (loud sounds, bright lights).

• A sign of the disease is also frequent breathing. Even if the aquarium has a normal one that supplies enough air to the water, a pet tries to constantly swim near the surface of the water. Such a course of action clearly indicates a disorder of health.

• One of the signs is just non-standard behavior, when the fish is passive all the time or her coordination of movements is disturbed. It can often lie motionless on the ground or constantly hide in thickets of ornamental vegetation, as if hiding from prying eyes.

• Feeding behavior is another way to tell a healthy fish from a sick one, as a lack of appetite or a complete refusal to eat indicates some kind of disorder in the body.

• If the fish rub their whole body against the decorative elements of the internal landscape of the aquarium, then this also indicates that not everything is in order with them. But here it should be borne in mind that for some species this behavior is considered the norm. Especially when they are full.

Appearance: signs of illness

Knowing in advance how a healthy fish should look like, it is possible with a great deal of confidence to determine its well-being by the shape of the body. Too thin or, on the contrary, too fat an individual causes legitimate suspicion. The only exception is the female before spawning, when her tummy swells.

Body

On the body healthy fish there should be no bumps, ulcers or non-standard bulges, and the scales are always even, shiny. All scales fit tightly to each other. But if the scales are protruding or there are gaps or wounds in the scaly cover, then you should not buy such an instance.

A sticky and cloudy coating on the body also signals deviations from the normal state.

Gills

The state of health of an animal is easily determined by the appearance of the gills. In healthy fish, the gill covers should open evenly and close tightly during respiration. The gills are swollen, their covers do not close completely - this is a clear sign of the presence of the disease. As well as strongly reddened gills, which occur in case of poisoning with ammonia compounds.

Eyes and fins

The eyes can tell a lot. In a healthy fish, they should be perfectly round, the color of the eyes should be clear. But cloudy eyes just indicate her abnormal condition.

A healthy individual has even straightened fins. Broken, frayed fins, with red streaks (if you look at the light) belong to a sick fish.

By the type of excrement, it is also possible to distinguish a healthy specimen from a sick one. In a healthy individual, they are short, in a sick individual they can be long, stretching.

Quarantine

Of course, even if you paid attention to the presence or absence of all these signs, then no one can give an absolute guarantee of the health of a newly purchased fish. The fact is that some diseases have some incubation period and appear at a certain time. It happens that at the time of purchase the disease has not yet manifested itself.

Well, if the fish began to hurt in your home aquarium, then you can already accurately determine its condition. Immediately isolate her (until she has infected all her neighbors if the disease is infectious) and proceed to treatment.