A lot of parasites and diseases can harm your guppy fish but many of them are curable. The prevention of the diseases is easier them curing them. List of few diseases is as follows.
- White Spots-ich, ick:
Cause:
The disease white spot-ich, ick is caused by an ectoparasite.
Symptoms:
- Fish start rubbing against rocks, plant leaves, decoration or sides of the aquarium.
- Lose appetite
- White spots on fins and body
Treatment:
- Seachem ParaGuard
- Velvet:
Cause:
It is caused by Oodinium.
Symptoms:
- Skin of fish starting to peel off and fish start bleeding.
- The body of guppy fish covered with tiny gold colored dots.
Treatment:
- Seachem Cupramine Copper 250ml
- Protozoan:
Cause:
A parasite named protozoan.
Treatment:
- Seachem Cupramine Copper 250ml
- Dropsy:
Cause:
It is caused by a bacterial infection which infects the liver or kidney which produces because of water pollution, genetic disorder or feeding.
Symptoms:
- Fish become swollen and discolored.
- Belly become bloated and fish can have a problem with swimming.
Treatment:
- Epsom salts help to ease the pressure from fluid buildup.
- Swollen Gills and Gasping:
Cause:
Swollen gums are usually caused by ammonia or carbonate poisoning.
Symptoms:
It causes guppies gasping at the surface of the water for air.
Treatment:
- Immediately change about 50% of water
- Have a test for ammonia for a few upcoming days
- Add nitrifying bacteria
- Red Blood Spots on Guppy Stomach/Body:
Cause:
It is caused by ammonia or nitrates poisoning. It mostly occurs in new aquariums that are not cycled yet. It takes about 6 weeks for an aquarium to be fully cycled.
Symptoms:
Red blood spots on belly
Treatment:
It is possible to save the fish if the poisoning level is not high but you cannot treat it.
- Use Sachem Ammonia Alert to constantly monitor r ammonia level.
Seachem Ammonia Alert 1 Year Monitor (3 Pack)
BUY- Popped Eye:
Cause:
There are multiple causes of this disease which include; bacterial infection, fungus, dropsy, tuberculosis, bad water quality or other internal parasites.
Symptoms:
Popped eyes are the symptoms of the disease. It might not be deadly, but it can cause blindness of guppy fish.
Treatment:
It is very difficult to cure this disease as the actual cause of this disease is not known exactly.
- Gill Flukes, Gill Worms
Cause:
Tiny white that can be viewed with naked eye cause the gills of guppy fish to bleed
Symptoms:
- Fish is constantly gasping for air at the surface
- Fish sits at the bottom of the aquarium having a hard time breathing.
Treatment:
You cannot do anything for the fish with bleeding gills. If the disease is discovered in the early stages fish can be saved by special medication.
- Scoliosis (Bent Spine)
Cause:
The most common reason for this disease is genetically inheritance and environmental factors.
Symptoms:
Crooked back or bent spine
Treatment:
There is no cure for this disease.
This disease is not contagious but it can be inherited by offspring
- Fish Tuberculosis:
Cause:
Mycobacterium, a type of bacteria is responsible for this disease.
Symptoms:
It starts with the lack of appetite which is followed by hollow-belly and ulcer can be seen on guppies’ body around the anus, fins and tail rot, discoloration.
Treatment:
It is not easy to treat this disease. Fish having the symptoms should be treated with Kanamycin, Neomycin or isoniazid antibiotics. In the case of no improvement, sick fish should be eliminated from the tank immediately.
- Swim Bladder Inflammation:
Cause:
This disease is caused by a virus.
Symptoms:
Common symptoms of this disease are
- Fish-belly look distend.
- Fish start swimming with the head pointing to the substrate.
Treatment:
This disease cannot be cured. Fish having this disease must be removed immediately from the tank and destroyed right away.