Pond fish diseases
What are the various pond fish diseases and how can you combat them?
A lot of pond owners believe that fish diseases are mainly introduced and passed on by sick fish. Fortunately this is very rarely the case and it’s mostly within your control whether your fish keep well and fit. More than 90 % of the diseases are caused by inappropriate living conditions, such as water values and inadequate nutrition!
Tip
On the JBL website you will find the Online nemocnice which gives you a complete outline of the diseases (including diseases in the aquarium) with over 500 pictures.
Fish diseases
In case your pond fish fall ill, we will show you which disease it is, and how to combat it reliably here.
Identification of fish diseases
Describing fish diseases is not easy. This is why we have collected hundreds of photos, which can help you to identify a fish disease. Have a look at the Online nemocnice . There you can diagnose a fish disease using photos or identify them with the help of an identification key. A click on the photo of the disease will lead you to the corresponding fish disease and refer you to the treatment, as well as to any possible mix-ups.
Triggering factors of fish diseases in pond fish
Although fish diseases in pond fish are caused by parasites, bacteria or other pathogens they are often triggered beforehand by other factors. Thus the fluctuation of the pH level of your pond water (with low pH 6 in the morning and high in the evening) can result in a weakening of your fish, and their weakened immune system makes the infection through pathogen germs or parasites possible in the first place. If we compare it to humans it illustrates the situation well. We are also more vulnerable to illnesses when we are extremely stressed.
Therefore a stable aquatic environment and good nutrition are the best preventive measures against fish diseases. Combat fish diseases with the suitable medication and afterwards check your water parameters to find out the cause. Consider changing the diet of your fish to a high quality food, which exactly matches the fish size and feeding habits.
Outbreaks of disease after adding new fish
Pond enthusiasts sometimes notice that new fish cause an outbreak of disease, and thus assume that the retailer has sold them diseased pond fish. This is not usually the case! Again a comparison with humans serves to illustrate the problem. When the Spanish conquered South America in about 1500 AD, they introduced the “harmless” influenza virus. Since the natives of South America had never been exposed to influenza viruses before, they hadn’t enough resistance to them and died in their thousands. It can be similar in the pond. The newly added fish have harmless parasites, to which they have developed a resistance against. Your pond fish have never been in contact with these germs and are therefore very susceptible. So strengthening your fish’s immune system and also that of your new arrivals (the problem can go either way) with JBL AccliPond is highly recommended!
Outline of pond fish diseases
There are some diseases which occur again and again in pond fish and which can be quickly and reliably treated with special medications. There are only a few diseases where treatment is unfortunately not possible, as, is the case with the koi herpes virus. Here we will provide an outline of the most important pond fish diseases and explain whether or how you can treat them. The Online nemocnice gives you the opportunity to diagnose fish diseases using pictures and to get tips for their treatment.
* For information about risks and side-effects please read the pack insert and ask your veterinary surgeon or pharmacist.
Reduce risk of disease from the start with UV-C water clarifiers
A UV-C water clarifier not only ensures crystal clear water, but also reduces the bacterial count in the water. The amount of pathogenic germs is absolutely decisive for the risk of infection. If someone sneezes and coughs in your living room, the number of germs flying around is low and your risk of infection low. But if you are having a party with flu patients, it is almost guaranteed that you will also have flu the next day. With the help of a UV-C water clarifier it is possible to drastically reduce the amount of pathogenic germs in the water and thus effectively reduce the risk of infection for your pond fish. When using a UV-C water clarifier, it is always important to adjust the water flow rate to the strength of the UV-C water clarifier! If the pump output is too high, the water will flow past the germ-killing UV-C radiation too quickly without being sufficiently “sterilised." It is therefore essential that you adhere to the recommended pump outputs for their respective wattages: