Cichlid Fish Diseases
Contrary to what some might think fish do get sick. It is just your responsibility to make sure that the health of the cichlids remains optimum every day. In most cases a cichlid disease is to appear because of the appearance of bacteria, parasites or fungi.
If the cichlid suffers from bacterial infections there are some symptoms you should look for. We can say that common ones are bloating, fins inflammation, internal organs inflammation, fin fraying, abscesses, eye cloudiness, bulging eyes, sluggishness, sores and breathing problems. Pop-eye, ulcers and exophthalmis are really common bacterial infections that can appear.
Whenever cichlids suffer from fungal infections they are swimming erratically in the tank. Also, you might end up seeing different growths that are cotton like around mouth, eyes and on the skin. Whenever a cichlid is suffering from parasites then it loses appetite together with developing worms, sluggishness, heavy breathing, mucus growths, visible spots and scratching. Really common cichlid parasites examples can be given in achor worms, leeches and lice.
Hole-in-the-head stands out as the most common possible cichlid disease. Appetite loss and weight loss are really common in this case and the condition is also known simply as Hexamita. In the event that you notice head depressions you are in front of a clear sign that the fish is dealing with this. It might also suffer from Ichtyophthirius, commonly referred to just as Ich. The body of the fish will start showing salt-like marks, first on its head and then the entire body is covered. Scratching appears and quick breathing is shown. The cichlid’s eyes and fins will also become cloudy.
Dropsy is another common cichlid disease you will have to deal with for sure. Out of all the symptoms the one that is easily noticeable is a swollen abdomen together with different red scales that appear around it. Bacteria, parasites or cancer are the 3 reasons thata are really common and cause this. In order to cure Dropsy salt treatment is usually recommended.
A lot more cichlid fish diseases are possible. The trick to keep your fish as healthy as possible is to use proper maintenance of the tanks and always feed them proper food. You do need to constantly look at the fish and if you see odd behavior you need to see whether or not there are problems. While most possible diseases are really easy to cure some will be fatal in most circumstances.