sera guide - Healthy pond fish

30 6.5 Treating ciliate infections Diagnosis: page 13 The treatment should by all means begin as soon as possible. The disease can literally spread at an explosive rate via swarmer stages of this parasite in the rather densely inhabited limited envi- ronment a pond provides. The sera range provides you with a reliable treatment for treating against these parasites in a pond: sera pond omnisan. A recovery supporting aftertreatment can be carried out with the care product sera ectopur. The water should be aerated well during the treatment. The white spots on the fish skin remain visible for a few days also after a successful treatment but become increas- ingly transparent (spots with live parasites appear straight white) and finally disappear entirely. Only in case you observe the for- mation of new spots for certain you should surmise pathogens have survived or were introduced again, making a further treatment necessary. Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (white spot disease) White spot disease can be diagnosed rather unmistakably. However, in some cases in- fections by Lymphocystis (viruses) or with certain sporozoan species (other single celled parasites) lead to a surprisingly simi- lar appearance. Some reports about sus- pected resistance, sometimes after having treated properly against “Ich” for several times, might be due to such understandable false diagnoses. There is another possible confusion with the spawning rash in the head region of male goldfish during the spawning season (a sign of being ready for mating – not a disease)! 1 The adult parasites leave the fish and, swimming freely, look for well-protected places with little water flow. 2 The parasite forms a firm capsule (cyst) and divides several times. Several hun- dred swarmers develop within the cyst. 3 The swarmers penetrate the capsule, swim around and divide again. 4 The swarmers infest the same fish again, or other fish, penetrating into their skin. Life cycle of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis