| Aquarium Disease Prevention; | | | | works |
| I have kept up many aquariums (marine and | | | | [4] Do not overfeed! Use quality, aquatic based foods, |
| freshwater) during my years of aquarium maintenance. | | | | not foods high in cereal, beef proteins and fats, and |
| It was more of a challenge than my personal | | | | soy proteins. Some good brands: HBH, Ocean Nutrition, |
| aquariums as many of customers overfed or did not | | | | Blue Lagoon, Sanyu, Hikari, Spirulina 20, Omega. Some |
| tell me fish were sick until it was too late. That is why | | | | brands to avoid: Tetra, Hartz. |
| prevention is the best remedy. This is basic information, | | | | For more information read my article: Quality Fish Food; |
| I have more in depth articles about these subjects, | | | | What ingredients are needed for proper fish nutrition, |
| please follow those links or see my information site in | | | | growth and health |
| the resource box. | | | | [5] Watch water chemistry, such PH, ammonia (0), |
| [1] Cleanliness; regular quality water changes are | | | | nitrites (0), nitrates (below 30 ppm), hardness, KH (80 |
| extremely important. By quality I mean to not over | | | | ppm or higher), ECT. Note that ammonia is more toxic |
| clean the water by taking fish out and washing the | | | | at a higher ph! A KH above 80 ppm provides the |
| gravel. You want to use a gravel vacuum and do | | | | needed calcium for proper osmotic processes and |
| partial water changes that disrupt the fish as little as | | | | healing from infections and wounds. High ammonia and |
| possible. The purpose of this is to remove organic | | | | nitrite levels make fish extremely susceptible to |
| debris before it can fully go through the Nitrogen cycle, | | | | infection and will eventually kill the fish outright. |
| eventually increasing your Nitrates and lowering your | | | | Prolonged nitrate levels above 80ppm will stunt fish |
| ph. You also want to de-chlorinate the water so as to | | | | growth and lower fish immunity. |
| not stress out the fish or environment. There are many | | | | [6] When you do treat for disease, do not over |
| good products for this: Novaqua, Start Right, Stress | | | | medicate or under medicate, then change water. |
| Coat, just to name a few. | | | | Medicated wonder shells work well for ich and are |
| [2] Good filtration. I recommend two filters for | | | | buffered, which makes one of the active ingredients; |
| redundancy, and I never totally throw out all media, | | | | malachite green, safer (malachite green is more toxic |
| rather I rinse part of the filter media in used aquarium | | | | at lower ph). There are many other excellent |
| water so as to preserve beneficial (aerobic) bacteria | | | | treatments such as Pimafix (a great Natural remedy |
| for proper biological filtration (ammonia and nitrite | | | | for fungus and flexibacter. |
| removal). Sponge Pre filters are a great addition to | | | | [7] When you purchase fish; First make sure all the fish |
| HOB filters in particular, they improve bio filtration, | | | | in the aquarium are healthy (if the fish store has a |
| especially during filter media changes. | | | | centralized system [which I do not recommend], check |
| [3] Use ultra violet sterilization. UV sterilizers prevent | | | | ALL the aquariums). Second, float your fish in the bag |
| many bacterial, fungal, and protozoa diseases. In | | | | for 30-60 minutes for temperature and osmotic |
| addition they help with oxidation properties (Redox | | | | stabilization, then open the bag and SLOWLY add |
| Potential) of the water and in so doing, water clarity. | | | | your aquarium water to the bag. Third, dispose of the |
| For more information about UV Sterilization, please | | | | water in the bag to avoid contamination. Fourth, add a |
| follow his link: Why use UV Sterilization and how it | | | | shock preventative like NovAqua, Start Right, ECT. |