Types of Diseases that Can Attack Tinfoil Barb Fish and How to Treat It
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
(Meta description: Tinfoil Barb fish are hardy, but they are still prone to particular diseases. Here are Tinfoil Barb fish diseases and the treatments you have to pay heed to.)
You must be familiar with Tin Foil Barb fish if decorative fish is your cup of tea. Isn’t it beautiful to see their silver bodies with slightly orange or red fins swimming? As they are considered as active fish, you might need a large and roomy aquarium to keep them healthy and happy. Despite their hardy reputation, it doesn’t keep them from catching diseases. This article will share some information regarding tinfoil barb fish disease and the treatments.
1. Gold dust /Velvet
This disease is caused by a parasite known as Ooodinium pilularis. It attaches itself to the fins, skin or gills of their host. As the name implies, the parasite will form gold dust on the skin. Some symptoms you see in infested fish are a shortage of breath, quick and frequent gill movement, lethargy, scratching body against hard objects, loss of appetite, and signs of irritation.
Some options of treatments you can try are: putting aquarium salt into your tank, giving 0.2 mg of copper sulfate per liter once in a few days, Aquarisol, Acrilavine and raising the temperature of the water up to 28 degrees Celsius.
2. Freshwater ich/White spot disease
This tinfoil barb fish disease is one of the most common among freshwater fish. Just like the name of the disease, the symptom that’s easily caught by eye is the appearance of white salt-like granules on its body or fins along with behavioral changes such as withdrawal from other school members, irritation, losing appetite, quick breathing. This disease is caused by poor water quality or a stressful environment.
Some options of treatments you can try are put 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt into 4 liters of water, heat the water up to 30 degrees Celsius and give medications such as methylene blue, copper sulfate, maracide, formalin, etc.
3. Fin rot
This bacterial disease is caused by poor water quality and injury. It is contagious, so don’t put the sick fish with other fish. The visible indications of fish that suffer from this disease are ripped fins, fading color or even bleeding around the edges of the fins, or skin ulcers if worsens. Other behavioral changes are loss of appetite and lethargy.
Some options of treatments you can try are adding 20 to 30 mg of antibiotics per liter to the water or to the food and adding aquarium salt.
4. Dropsy
This tinfoil barb fish disease is highly visible. The cause can be either overfeeding or bacterial infection that infests the internal organ of the fish, mostly kidney. This infection causes fluid accumulation that leads to bloating, making the stomach bloated and the scales protruded. Other behavioral changes are hiding, lethargy, anorexia, and swimming at the bottom.
Some possible treatments are aquarium salt, medications (Maracyn-2 and Metroplex), antibiotics added to the food (chloromycetin or tetracycline) and maintaining hygienic of the water. Last but not least, isolate the affected fish.
No matter how great your fish’s reputation in surviving hard times, they are still regular fish, not super fish with immunity to any disease nor can heal themselves. Their health and happiness are in your hand. Therefore, you need to watch out these most ubiquitous Tinfoil Barb fish diseases. But what’s so special about a list of problems without solving? Which is why we also provide the treatments. Keep your fish happy, keep them healthy!
Sources:
• https://inlandaquatics.com/cherry-barb-feeding-behavior-breeding-and-diseases/
• https://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/information/Diseases.htm
• http://nakamaaquatics.id/2018/05/09/125/
• https://www.thesprucepets.com/aquarium-fish-disease-velvet-1378486
• https://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cyprinids/GoldenTinfoilBarb.php