How to treat Bacteria/Ulcers in pond fish
What does it look like?
- Bulging, swollen 'pop' eye appearance, protruding eyes
- Emaciation
- Pale and erroded gills
- Reddening of skin more noticable at vent and base of fins
- Swollen body with pertruding scales
- Ulcers on the body, holes on the surface of the body, often around the head
What are the fish doing?
- Clamped fins
- Motionless 'sulking', lethargic and listless
- Not eating, lack of appetite, becoming thin or emaciated
- Sudden or unexplained deaths
What should I do?
- Treat with your chosen treatment to treat the infection and stop it spreading
- Support with Pond Guardian Pond Salt to aid your fish's immune system
Why does this happen and how do I prevent it?
Disease causing bacteria and fungus are present in every pond environment (although specific species may be introduced by new fish or wildlife) but will rarely cause a problem with good water quality and happy healthy fish. Avoiding stress and keeping good water quality and low levels of waste/sludge in your pond is key to avoiding and treating fish infections. Test your water for abnormalities in ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH and correct if necessary. Using Pond Guardian Pond Salt with treatment will help the fish recover as it makes the essential processes fish use to maintain a stable internal salt content to stay alive far easier to manage.
Key areas to consider and regularly monitor to prevent outbreaks and aid recovery:
- complete regular maintenance
- regularly test water for abnormalities
- consider a quarantine before introducing new fish to an established community
- be aware of pollutants entering the pond through heavy rainfall, run off into the pond, wildlife and garden chemicals like pesticides
Ulcers can occur as a secondary infection as a result of severe parasite infestation so look out for symptoms of parasites and treat accordingly.
Symptoms of internal infections can also be a sign of viral infection. You can not treat viral infections so can only support the fish by supplying optimum water quality, aeration and pond salt to allow their immune systems to combat the virus.
Find out more…
What treatment should I use?
Blagdon Anti Ulcer
Use with any of the above
Blagdon Pond Guardian Pond Salt
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