sera guide - Healthy pond fish

2 Recognizing fish diseases Unfortunately, fish diseases may occur even when best care conditions are provided. It is important to recognize these diseases, allocate them correctly and treat them. Some basic knowledge about the most common fish diseases is required to do so. You should observe the fish for disease symptoms and unusual behavior every day when feeding them as to ensure you can judge their health status. Be extremely vigi- lant even if only one fish separates from the others or behaves conspicuously in another way. Generally, external and internal diseases are distinguished, depending on where they occur. External diseases mainly occur on the fins, the skin and the gills. They can usually be recognized in early stages and therefore be treated in time. Internal diseases are less easy to recognize. However, upon careful observation almost all diseases lead to untypical behavior. This includes loss of appetite, conspicuous swimming behavior, apathy and color changes. Attentive fishkeepers therefore can quickly notice something is wrong also in case of internal diseases. Regular and careful observation allows to recognize many diseases already in their early stages. The affected fish are not yet weakened too much, and chances are good that healthy fish will not be infected at all. Correct diagnosis is a precondition for suc- cessful treatment. sera treatments are tai- lored to specific diseases and do not un- necessarily burden the fish or the pond. A general rule applies for all diseases: treat- ing quickly considerably increases the chances for recovery. This in particular applies for very contagious diseases. We will provide you with exemplary pic- tures and symptom descriptions for diagno- sis support along with treatment recom- mendations in the following chapters. Please take your time and carefully read the sections about all possible disease causes as well as the general useful advice at the end of this guide booklet. Some disease symptoms look very similar at first. A hasty and, accordingly, possibly wrong diagnosis might lead to a wrong treatment with far reaching consequences. If in doubt, please consult a specialized veterinarian. Tip Observation Diagnosis Treatment 5 !!