I got a call today from a local hobbyist with a very common, and completely preventable, problem with his 55-gallon saltwater aquarium.   The reason he was calling was he had a parasite outbreak in his tank and his Carribean Blue Tang was not doing well.  Of course, I helped him out with a battle plan to resolve the problem with his sick fish.  But more importantly, I taught him why it happened, what to do about it to resolve it, and MOST IMPORTANT how to prevent it in the future.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most common occurences with keeping saltwater aquariums and tropical fish, and yet it is very preventable.

The reality is that EVERY saltwater aquarium (and freshwater aquarium) has parasites and/or disease.  Yes, I said every saltwater aquarium.   When I used to work at The New England Aquarium (www.neaq.org), they were very strict about putting almost every new fish through a copper quarantine, and even after all that effort, some exhibits would have parasite or disease outbreaks.  So even a public aquarium such as the New England Aquarium who takes fantastic care of their animals can have disease outbreaks. 

The important thing to get is that we want to create ideal conditions so as not to even trigger an outbreak in the first place.  And it is important that your aquarium setup to minimize that outbreak and prevent from killing your fish.  Yes it is possible to prevent fish losses due to parasites.

The keys to preventing fish losses from parasites are as follows:

- put all new fish arrivals through an observational quarantine for 14-21 days.  The life cycle of most parasites is 14-21 days, so if you hold them at least this long you can catch a problem before putting the animal into the exhibit tank.  We prefer not to copper during this observational period.  You may of course choose to do so, it’s just that I have found it to be more stress on the fish than necessary.  Why medicate healthy animals?  Again, while the observational quarantine is ideal, I understand that not everyone has the time/money/space for an additional aquarium.  Just know that it can make a big difference if you can afford it.

- minimize stress (consitent and stable conditions, sufficient hiding places; good water quality; diverse diet; minimal changes)

- consistency and stability (in diet, temperature, water quality)

- minimize frequency and severity of changes to the tank – it’s not that you can’t add fish or change your aquarium around, but simply to realize that the more you change their environment – then the less stable it is – and this instability/inconsistency creates stress

- Oversized Ultraviolet Sterilizer filter - the key is that it be oversized.  An undersized UV sterilizer is a waste of money, and an oversized UV sterilizer will only help and cannot cause any problems.  Keep an eye out for future posts on what an ultraviolet sterilizer is and why it is so important, and how to use them.  This is a big one – don’t make the mistake of skimping on a U.V. sterilizer.  They pay for themselves in preventing disease outbreaks and have other benefits too.

- Cooler temperature – ideally 76F – Lower temperatures have been shown to help minimize the frequency and severity of disease outbreaks.

- Lower salinity 22-28 ppt – Low salinities do not work for reef aquariums – only use for fish-only saltwater aquariums.

- Strong water movement/circulation – There are two aspects of water movement to consider – the first is the amount of turbulence in the aquarium itself – the second is “system turnover”, as in how many times the aquarium’s entire volume is cycled through the sump (if you have one) and other filters (i.e. biofilter, protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, etc.). 3

These are some of the primary issues that can prevent and at least significantly reduce the frequency and severety of disease/parasite outbreaks in your saltwater aquarium. 

In upcoming posts, I plan on covering each one in more detail.  They are that important.

Please leave a comment on your experience with preventing disease in your saltwater aquarium. 

Until next time ….

Happy fishes,

Warren Gibbons

 

 


Filed under: Disease

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