How to Treat a Sick or Injured Fish

When your fish become sick or injured, follow these steps:

1. Fill your bucket or spare tank with clean water. Make sure your temporary setup is away from direct light or heat sources.

If your fish has special needs such as salinity or ph requirements, make sure to account for these in its new isolation tank.

If your fish is large, add an airstone to provide the oxygen they will need to survive

2. Setup your filter. Make sure the filter is cleaned and isn’t introducing dirt, waste, or unnecessary bacteria to the water. Replace the filter media if necessary. A small internal filter works nicely.

3. Add aquarium salt to the water as a conditioner. This will help reduce stress upon the fish and aid in the healing process. Make sure you are using salt designed for aquariums and that you follow the directions on the container.

4. Add your Antibacterial solution. Try to use one that is all natural, such as Melafix, which is made from tealeaves. In the beginning of treatment, add 2-3 times the recommended dosage. This might seem excessive, but with your filter running and water changes, it shouldn’t bother your fish.

As your fish recovers, taper off your use of antibacterial solution.

5. Change the water daily. Do a 100% water change every day to completely flush out the waste and antibacterial solution. This will also oxygenate the water and eliminate the need for an airstone, except perhaps with larger fish. The main concern here is to keep the water clean to aid in healing your fish’s wounds.

Remember when you change the water you must resupply the water with salt, antibacterial solution, and any other water requirements your fish may need.

6. Clean the filter media. This is especially important if your fish is large. The space you are storing your fish is smaller than usual. This means your filter has to work that much harder. Unless your fish is very small, clean the media every day. This will contribute to the cleanliness of the water and the overall recovery of the fish.

7. Pay very close attention to your fish’s movements. Watch to see if he is struggling to move or breathe. If your fish looks like he is dying, or simply isn’t moving, very gently and carefully use your hands to “float” him around in the water. Make sure not to touch or aggravate his wounds.

8. Feed your fish. Unless you have a fish that is “telling” you it wants to be fed, you can usually wait until you see the wounds starting to heal before you feed it for the first time. When you do feed your fish, only give it a small amount of food. Perform the feeding right before you do your 100% water change. This will help keep the water extra clear.

If your fish will accept them, use a high-quality pellet food, such as Hikari. In a separate container, add olive oil and stir in a commercial antibacterial powder or gel. Let the food pellets soak in this mixture. After soaking them, let the pellets dry on a paper towel (to absorb excess oil) and then feed them to your fish.

9. Remember, the main philosophy here is to keep the water clean, keep the fish breathing, and keep the fish moving. While you need to prepare for the worst, know that with some dedication and a lot of care, you can bring your fish back from serious injury or disease.

10. If all else fails, or if your fish’s injury or sickness is very severe, you can also contact your local vet to see if they are qualified to work with fish. They may also be able to offer you prescription medications.

For more advice on fish care, visit Fish Flats

http://fishflats.blogspot.com/