Interpet

If there is something wrong with your fish; they look ill or are dying, or there are water quality problems, we strongly advise that you test your aquarium water.

Use the images and descriptions below to determine what's wrong, then click through for treatment advice.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?

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Before adding fish to your aquarium there are some important things you need to understand about how the aquarium water remains clean and healthy enough for fish to live in.

The short video below talks you through this process, or read on for more.

The breakdown of fish waste; too much food and dead plant matter will cause toxic compounds – namely ammonia – to build up in the water and kill your fish. As an aquarium is a ‘closed’ environment it means harmful waste can build up quickly because there is not enough water to dilute it or to wash it away, as would be in a pond or river. Thankfully, there is a natural process called the ‘Nitrogen Cycle’, which we can recreate in the aquarium, to convert the toxic waste into safer compounds (The image below explains how this process works).

Nitrogen cycle, inforgraphic, aquarium

This Nitrogen Cycle is carried out by ‘Nitrifying’ bacteria that establish in the biological media of the aquarium filter. These bacteria generally take about eight weeks to grow and reproduce in the filter to large enough quantities to carry out their role in the Nitrogen Cycle.
During this early period, when there are few bacteria, fish keepers often experience fish deaths caused by the build-up of invisible toxic compounds: this is referred to as ‘New tank syndrome’.

Ways to prevent New Tank Syndrome and encourage the Nitrogen Cycle:

  • adding a bacteria based filter starter product speeds up the cycle process
  • starting with a few, hardier fish varieties, and only add new fish over a number of weeks, if not months
  • feed only little amounts in the early days to reduce the amount of waste
  • measure how much of the invisible toxins are in your aquarium with an aquarium test kit
  • for the first six weeks do weekly water changes (20% of your aquarium water volume) to dilute and remove waste and toxins

Understanding Fish Sickness and Stress in the Pond

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Like humans if a Fish becomes stressed it is much more likely to fall ill so fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in the pond environment. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy pond. Reducing fish stress will cause them to be more active, show better colouration, grow and breed successfully. This will make your pond more enjoyable for you and your fish through promoting natural behaviours.
Water is a more stable environment in all areas than air. Non aquatic creatures like us are designed to cope with rapid fluctuations in our living environment, whereas aquatic creatures will find it stressful to cope with rapid changes to their environment as they are not designed to do so.
The most common cause of fish stress is poor water quality often caused by the build-up of fish and plant waste – after all fish live in their own toilet! The breakdown of this waste releases toxic chemicals like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as well as causing fluctuating pH levels, these negatively impact your fish and create stress. A fully mature and well maintained filter will process the fish waste safely and effectively but problems often occur in new ponds or in Spring when the filter is immature or if the filter is not well maintained.
Water quality problems are not visible to the naked eye so the only way you can monitor them is with regular use of water test kits.
If you maintain a stable, stress free, environment then your fish’s natural immune system will generally fight off the disease causing organisms like fungus, bacteria and parasites which are present at safe levels in even the cleanest of ponds.

Below is a breakdown of the factors which create stress for the fish in your pond:

  • Fish waste levels – the presence of ammonia or nitrite will increase stress; actions should be taken to eliminate them. The presence of these toxic chemicals indicate a problem with your biological filter which should safely and effectively remove them. The filter breaks these down into less toxic nitrate – very high levels of nitrate cause algae and should be diluted by carrying out water changes.
  • Temperature – although pond fish are in unheated water conditions, fluctuating temperatures can still negatively affect their health. Make sure, when moving fish, that they are moving to and from a similar temperature of water to prevent a shock to their systems. Outdoor temperatures are impossible to control, however it is important to take precautions at the heights of summer and winter to ensure there is sufficient oxygen in the pond. Using a heater in the winter to maintain an ice free area for gaseous exchange and increasing water flow and aeration in summer because warm water does not hold as much oxygen. Rapidly topping up the pond with a cold water hose will create pockets of very cold water, it is best to top up gradually with a low flow rate.
  • Physical stress – rough handling of fish when netting them or garden predators like cats and herons add stress to the community as will excessive vibrations caused by people throwing stones into the pond or disruption to the ground surrounding the pond.
  • pH – high pH of above 8.5 or low pH of below 6.5 for a community of pond Goldfish, will cause unnecessary stress, regular testing and water quality maintenance is important. Sudden changes in pH of more than 1.0 will also severely stress your fish – environmental pollutants can affect the pond’s pH including heavy rain and the run off from concreted areas around the pond. Regularly monitor the levels of pH in the pond to catch fluctuations before they become a significant issue.
  • Environmental Pollution – the pond is an open environment and can be easily polluted by a variety of garden chemicals (herbicides/pesticides), chemical pollutants introduce through run off from rain, detergents, pollutants in the air or leaching from concrete garden structures. Be aware of the products you are using around the pond, taking appropriate precautions to prevent contamination and consider the pond’s position when starting a new pond to avoid pollutants becoming an issue.
  • Oxygen – A common sign of low oxygen levels is your fish gasping at the water’s surface. Oxygen levels can be reduced by: Poor water circulation; high water temperatures; high levels of organic waste; oily food coating the surface and some Fish medications. Good pond maintenance should minimise organic waste levels and you should ensure high levels or aeration and circulation when water temperatures are high during summer, or when using treatments. You can increase surface movement by introducing features like waterfalls and fountains. Air pumps will increase circulation and break up the surface of the water, they will also serve as a back-up if your pump were to stop. When plant levels are at their maximum during the summer months, and water temperatures are the highest, oxygen will deplete at night when plants are using oxygen rather than producing oxygen. This will be the time of most stress in the pond.

Avoid fish stress if at all possible but if you know you cannot avoid a stressful situation, for example when adding new fish to the pond or at times of high temperatures, then you can help your fish to cope better by:

  • adding a tonic salt like Blagdon’s Pond Guardian Pond Salt. This physiological salt helps fish to manage their internal salt levels more effectively freeing up energy for their immune systems to fight disease more successfully. Salt also provides anti septic properties. We always advise using Pond Guardian Pond Salt when using Blagdon treatments to support the fish and increase treatment success.
  • Carry out a preventative treatment of Stress Away this will negatively impact the natural population of fish disease organisms in the pond to help the stressed fish whose immune system is not working fully.

Why should I use Pond Guardian salt in my pond?

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Fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in your pond. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy pond.

Pond Guardian Pond Salt can be used to alleviate the impact of stress on your fish and can be used regularly as a preventative or at times when you know your fish are likely to be stressed such as: in a new pond, when new fish are added or when treating for diseases.

Freshwater fish have to invest a lot of energy keeping their internal fluid salt concentration from being diluted by the influx of water across the gills. Increasing salt levels in the pond reduces the water influx and releases energy which can be used dealing with stress and fighting disease.

We would recommend using Pond Guardian alongside any Blagdon Fish Aid Treatments as it will help to support the fish’s immune system for successful recovery.

Watch the video below to understand how to use Pond Guardian salt effectively in your pond

Testing your Pond Water

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Testing the water in your pond should be a regular part of your maintenance routine. Bad water quality will hugely affect the health of the pond and is the cause of many pond and fish problems. Water quality problems are the most common causes of fish stress and disease so should be avoided at all cost.

The main tests you’ll need to do regularly are Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH which are all naturally occurring in your pond as part of the Nitrogen Cycle. To really understand how and why these chemicals occur, and also why they fluctuate, it is important to understand the pond environment.

Testing regularly will highlight any abnormalities in your pond which can lead to an unhealthy environment and outbreaks of disease. Results can be used to prevent problems and find solutions to worrying changes in your pond. Once you have tested your pond you can find advice on your next steps by using the Diagnose What’s Wrong page.

The below explains how to use Blagdon Complete Pond Dip Test Kit to monitor levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Carbonate Hardness and General Hardness in your pond.

Ammonia


1. With dry hands, remove 1 strip from the tube without touching the pads.
2. Dip test strip into the pond for 5 seconds.
3. Wait for one minute, then compare strip to results chart on the packaging.

5-in1 Mixed Test

1. With dry hands, remove 1 strip from the tube without touching the pads.
2. Dip test strip into the pond for 1 second.
3. Compare strip to results chart on the packaging:
Immediately:

KH Hardness, Nitrite and Nitrate

After 1 minute:

pH and GH Hardness.

Results

Nitrate

Nitrite

Water Hardness

Low pH

High pH

Measuring Blagdon Liquid Treatments

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Blagdon pond treatments offer a great solution to a variety of pond problems, from duckweed and water quality problems, to fish disease and infection. With a wide range of treatments, Blagdon can support you for the lifetime of your pond.

Use our Diagnose What’s Wrong page to identify your fish and pond problems quickly, simply and confidently or browse through the range using the product drop down menu.

Remember that you can also use our dosage calculator to make sure you’ve got the right dose for your pond.

Use the video below to confidently measure your treatment:

Why should I use Aqualibrium salt in my Freshwater Aquarium

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Fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in your aquarium. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy tank.

Aqualibrium First Aid Salt Additive can be used to alleviate the impact of stress on your fish and can be used regularly as a preventative or at times when you know your fish are likely to be stressed such as: in a new aquarium, when new fish are added or when treating for diseases.

Freshwater fish have to invest a lot of energy keeping their internal fluid salt concentration from being diluted by the influx of water across the gills. Increasing salt levels in the aquarium reduces the water influx and releases energy which can be used dealing with stress and fighting disease.

We would recommend using Aqualibrium alongside any Interpet First Aid Treatment as it will help to support the fish’s immune system for successful recovery.

Watch the video below to understand how to use Aqualibrium salt effectively in your aquarium

Testing your Aquarium Water

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Testing the water in your aquarium should be a regular part of your maintenance routine. Bad water quality will hugely affect the health of aquarium and is the cause of many aquarium and fish problems. Water quality problems are the most common causes of fish stress and disease so should be avoided at all cost.

The main tests you’ll need to do regularly are Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH which are all naturally occurring in your tank as part of the Nitrogen Cycle. To really understand how and why these chemicals occur, and also why they fluctuate, it is important to get to know the role of your filter.

Testing regularly will highlight any abnormalities in our aquarium which can lead to an unhealthy environment and outbreaks of disease. Results can be used to prevent problems and find solutions to worrying changes in your aquarium. Once you have tested your aquarium you can find advice on your next steps by using the Diagnose What’s Wrong page.

The below videos will run you through how to use an Interpet Easy Test Master Test Kit to monitor the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH in your aquarium.

 

Ammonia

Nitrate

Nitrite

pH

Measuring Interpet Treatments

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The new and improved Interpet treatments are easy to use and even more effective. Interpet Treatments have been improved with new formula’s and striking new packaging, with even more tools to make sure you get the right treatment for your aquarium problem.

Use our Diagnose What’s Wrong page to identify your fish and aquarium problems quickly, simply and confidently or browse through the range using the product drop down menu.

Remember that you can also use our dosage calculator to make sure you’ve got the right dose for your tank.
Use the videos below to confidently measure your treatments

 

Interpet Water Treatments

 

Interpet First Aid Treatments

How to do an aquarium water change

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Water changes should be a regular part of your maintenance routine. You should perform a 25% water change alongside cleaning your filter and a general tank clean up every 28 days. However, there may be other times where you need to perform a water change including: after testing water quality, treating for disease or when starting a new aquarium.

The video below runs you through the process of a water change to make sure you get the job done efficiently:

Understanding Fish Sickness and Stress

Understanding Fish Sickness and Stress

/in , , /by

Fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in your aquarium. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy tank.
The most common cause of fish stress is poor water quality often caused by the build-up of fish and plant waste. The breakdown of this waste releases toxic chemicals like ammonia, nitrate and nitrite as well as causing fluctuating pH levels, these negatively impact your fish and create stress. A fully mature and well maintained filter will process the fish waste safely and effectively but problems often occur in new aquariums where the filter is immature or if the filter is not well maintained.
Water quality problems are not visible to the naked eye so the only way you can monitor them is with regular use of water test kits.
If you maintain a stable, stress free, environment then your fish’s natural immune system will fight off the disease causing organisms like fungus, bacteria and parasites which are present in even the cleanest of aquariums.
Below is a breakdown of the factors which create stress for the fish in your aquarium:

  • Fish waste levels – The presence of ammonia or nitrite will increase stress; actions should be taken to eliminate them. The presence of these toxic chemicals indicate a problem with your biological filter which should safely and effectively remove them. The filter breaks these down into less toxic nitrate – very high levels of nitrate can also stress sensitive fish and should be diluted by carrying out water changes.
  • Temperature – Tropical fish will become stressed if the temperature is consistently too high (above 29oC) or too low (below 21oC). A good heater will maintain aquarium temperatures at 24/25oC which is a safe level for the majority of tropical species. Sudden changes in water temperature will also severely stress fish – avoid this by taking care to match water temperatures when changing water and gradually acclimatising fish when introducing them into new aquariums.
  • Environmental stress –  Sudden changes to the aquarium environment such as: knocking, bangs or sudden vibrations to the aquarium, or turning lights on and off
  • Physical stress – Rough handling of fish when netting them or carrying out aquarium maintenance will severely stress fish. Avoid handling them and if you have to, be gentle.
  • Environmental Pollution – Cleaning the exterior or interior of the aquarium with detergents, polishes, aerosols (e.g. deodorants, air fresheners) or other toxic cleaners could pollute the water. The introduction of non-food grade plastics, metal objects or rocks containing metals introduce toxins that could damage your fish. Only use cleaning products and décor designed specifically for aquarium use.
  • pH – High pH of above 8.2 or low pH of below 6 for a non-specialist community aquarium will cause unnecessary stress, regular testing and water quality maintenance is important. Sudden changes in pH of more than 1.0 will also severely stress your fish – avoid this by taking care to match water pH when carrying out water changes and gradually acclimatising fish when introducing them into new aquariums.
  • Oxygen – A common sign of low oxygen levels is your fish gasping at the water’s surface. Oxygen levels can be reduced by: Poor water circulation; high water temperatures; high levels of organic waste; oily food coating the surface and some Fish medications. Good aquarium maintenance will minimise organic waste levels and ensuring high levels of aeration and circulation when water temperatures are high or during treatment will maximise oxygen levels. You can increase surface movement by positioning the out flow of water pumps to disturb the surface and by adding an air pump, with air stone.

Avoid fish stress if at all possible but if you know you cannot avoid a stressful situation, for example when adding fish to a new aquarium, then you can help your fish to cope better by adding a tonic salt like Aquilibrium First Aid Salt Additive. This physiological salt helps fish to manage their internal salt levels more effectively freeing up energy for their immune systems to fight disease more successfully. We always advise using Aquilibrium First Aid Salt Additive when using Interpet treatments to support the fish and increase treatment success.

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