About 90 % of all fish diseases can be put down to a weakening of the fish’s immune system. This means the application of remedies can fight the pathogen but doesn’t generally eliminate the cause. It is therefore very important to determine the cause.
As soon as the first signs of disease become noticeable IMMEDIATE action is required. In most cases people wait too long.
Nematodes, capillaridae, roundworms:
Among the over 10,000 known species of the roundworms (nematodes) the screw worm (camallanus cotti) and the hair worm (capillaridae) are considered two of the most damaging in the aquatic field.
The following general symptoms may indicate one of the aforementioned worm infections: Infected fish become emaciated despite good feeding. The fish occasionally excrete white, slimy faeces, because the parasites damage the intestinal wall, which is then excreted along with the faeces. Please note: Slimy, white faeces can also indicate an improper diet or infection with flagellates. Therefore, this symptom is only a sign of infection with roundworms (nematodes) if it occurs in combination with another of the symptoms mentioned. Schooling fish lose weight and stay outside the school. Individual fish lie on the bottom and make rotating movements.
A camallanus cotti infection is relatively easy to recognise: The rear end of the red coloured female intermittently hangs out of the anus of the infected fish in order to deposit larvae. With the exception of camallanus cotti, only a microscopic examination can provide a safe diagnosis.