sera guide - Healthy aquarium fish

The best measure against virus caused diseases is to strength- en the immune system. Be sure to maintain good water values and provide your fish with all required nutrients – es- pecially with vitamins (e.g. sera fishtamin). Fish with ac- tive disease resistance are considerably less frequently af- fected by virus infections than stressed animals. If ever they should be infected they will be- come healthy again more quickly. You can suppress further spreading of viruses in your fish stock by quarantining infected fish and using disinfecting agents (e.g. sera pond cyprinopur from the pond product range). Gently increasing the water temperature sup- ports and accelerates recovery in case of many viral infections. The immune system of the fish is then highly active. The water temperature can be lowered again very slowly [max. 1°C (1.8°F) per day] to the normal keeping temperature after the disease symptoms have entirely vanished. 6 Treating fish diseases 6.1 Treating virus caused diseases Lymphocystis Diagnosis: page 7 After intruding into a mu- cous membrane cell, the virus multiplies strongly, and the infected cell grows into a giant lym- phocyst that finally bursts and releases an enormous number of the pathogens into the water. These viruses then can infect the mucous membrane cells of the same fish or of other, not yet af- fected fish. Infected fish should therefore im- mediately be removed from the tank. Treatment with sera pond cyprinopur, which is usually used in garden ponds, is suitable for suppressing this spreading within freshwater aquariums. The treatment prevents the viruses attaching to new skin cells. The infected skin spots heal within a few weeks. Duration of the treatment depends on the course of the dis- ease. In case of treatments lasting longer than three days, the daily treatment addition should be reduced to approximately half dosage [0.5 ml per each 20 l (5.3 US gal.)]. Carry out a larger partial water change every couple of days (at least every fourth day). Invertebrates (e.g. snails) and plants may be harmed in case of longer treatment. Lymphocystis in a skin swab 27