How Can Fin Rot Disease Be Avoided?

To avoid illness, nothing is better than prevention. To avoid the fin rot disease it will be necessary to know which are the causes that produce the appearance of the disease.

This disease is of the bacterial type, and it is known that the bacteria attack the fish when its defenses are low. Therefore the preventive measures will be centered mainly in maintaining the fish under good conditions of health, well fed and and in optimal water conditions.

The fin rot disease is an indication that something is not right in the aquarium. When the fish are attacked by the disease, it is because its defenses are low.

One of the causes is the stress that the fish suffer if the conditions of the water are not the appropriate ones either for delay in the changes of water, insufficient water filtering, lack of oxygen, accumulation of organic matter for the bad replacement of water or if the pH is not well controlled.

Other stress factors are the overpopulation or the incompatibility of species in the aquarium.

The fish diminish the production of antibodies significantly with the decrease of the temperature, even cold-water fish.

The tropical fish begin to have problems when the temperature of the water of the aquarium is below 19 degrees, and the fish of cold water when is below 12 degrees.

Therefore if a fish is in an environment with temperature below its normal requirements, fails to produce antibodies, reduces epithelial defenses and is exposed to the bacterial attack.

It is also necessary to mention other factors that can cause a bacterial attack, like not disinfected wounds.

The wounds can be produced by rubbing against the rocks or the decorative objects of the aquarium, by fights among fish or the maneuvers when manipulating them with the net.

The infection of an aquarium due to introducing sick fish without having completed a rigorous quarantine period, is one of the most common causes that favor the appearance of any disease.

The fin rot disease should not be the only problem that we have in the aquarium, is very likely to be present as secondary infections. Some other disease (like white spot disease or velvet disease) can be the one that causes the weakness of the fish.

One should know the habits of the population of the aquarium very well in order to be able to quickly detect behavioral changes that are suspicious. Early detection is the only chance of success.