Fish Antibiotics: QA
Keep pet fish healthy with fish antibiotics
Are you currently asking yourself, “What’s wrong with my fish?”
If you’re worried you may have a sick fish, help them swim back to health with this information on bacterial infections and fish antibiotics.
How do fish get sick?
Fish diseases often spread due to unsanitary conditions and poor water quality, overcrowding in tanks, increased organic matter levels in the tank and more. When purchasing fish from a pet store, or directly from a breeder, they are more than likely harboring some form of potentially harmful pathogens from commingling in a tank with other fish. Like with other animals, when introducing a new pet fish to your tank, it’s best to quarantine the individual fish for at least two weeks, and up to six weeks, to observe for any health concerns.
What are common bacterial infections in fish?
Aeromonas infection
This bacterial infection causes excess fluid in the abdomen, kidney damage, skin sores, red fins or skin, tattered fins and tail, and enlarged eyes. Caused by the Aeromonas salmonicida bacteria, the infection is also due to rapid changes in water temperature, unmet nutritional needs and poor tank sanitation, and injuries. Fish antibiotics are recommended as treatment for Aeromonas infection.
Flavobacteria infection
Also known as bacterial gill disease, this infection can impact any fish; however, it most commonly affects young fish. Signs can include labored breathing and respiratory challenges, fish swimming near the surface, suppressed appetite, and red and swollen gills. It’s often caused by overcrowding of fish in the tank, high ammonia levels and poor water quality. The condition can quickly worsen; treatment with salt water additives especially designed for fish tanks, and fish antibiotics, help fish survive this ailment. Also, work quickly to reduce overcrowding, and improve water quality and sanitation.
How do you administer fish antibiotics?
The medication is absorbed through their skin and easily administered by dropping the pill into the tank, which dissolves into their water. Fish amoxicillin treats pop-eye, columnaris disease, gill disease and more and is easily administered by dropping one capsule, per 10 gallons of water, directly into the fish tank. The fish mox dissolves rapidly and circulates through the water. The tank should be treated daily for a minimum of three days, but a five-day treatment is recommended.
Fish doxycycline is also commonly used to control common infections in fish; it is administered in the same way as fish mox, dissolving into the tank to treat fish with infected eyes, fin or tail rot, skin ulcerations and more.
To avoid stress to the fish due to oxygen depletion during treatment, use continuous filtration but remove carbon from the filter because it will remove, by absorption, the antibiotic from the water.
Do you need a prescription for fish antibiotics?
Fish antibiotics are available without a prescription.
To help ensure the healthiest, happiest fish possible, be sure to clean tanks regularly, avoid rapid changes in water temperature, quarantine new fish, and avoid overcrowding. And, should bacterial infections bring peril to their calm waters, be ready, and order fish antibiotics online from veterinarian-founded Valley Vet Supply.
Continue learning about pet health:
