sera guide - Healthy aquarium fish

6.4 Treating flagellate infections very badly and may even be fatal. The same applies for severe intestinal infestation with certain bacteria. The pathogens withdraw im- portant nutrients, minerals and vitamins from the food pulp, affect digestion and damage the intestinal mucous membrane. The fish or- ganism tries to compensate the subsequent deficiency of minerals, among others, by de- composing and reutilizing cartilaginous tissue at the head. This causes the typical holes. Recovery of the fishes’ digestive tract is a long lasting process and needs to be supported by an anti-bacterial treatment in many cases if there is a strong contribution of pathogenic bacteria. This treatment is very effectively car- ried out with sera baktopur direct. A varied diet close to nature plus regular addi- tion of sera mineral salt and sera fishtamin prevent hole-in-the-head disease and support the healing process. On the other hand, feed- ing beef heart or other warm blooded animal meat, to which no orna- mental fish is physiologi- cally adapted, supports the multiplication of harm- ful intestinal flagellates and bacteria. All sera foods – e.g. sera discus granulat – optimally match the re- quirements of the fish, as exclusively aquatic organ- isms are used as protein and fat sources. They therefore ensure healthy development and vitality. The high quality sera foods are entirely digested, thus avoiding un- necessary water pollution. Food with a high Spirulina percentage, e.g. sera Spirulina Tabs and sera flora, as well as food very rich in min- erals and ballast substances, such as sera GVG-mix and the sera FD range, is particularly well suited for regenerating the intestinal flora. Diagnosis: page 12 Piscinoodinium pillulare is a single celled ectoparasite in freshwater that is often mis- taken for Ichthyophthirius (white spot disease) due to its appearance. How- ever, the spots caused by Piscinoodinium are considerably smaller in comparison. Longer salt baths with sera ectopur achieve good success (the concentra- tion must be adjusted to the fish species in question). Piscinoodinium pillulare in a skin swab Piscinoodinium, Velvet disease 31