Guppy Diseases

Guppies have a common way of getting sick. Well see all fish have a slime coat on their skin, and this slime coat protects them from bacteria and parasites. So when fish get stressed their slime coat wears off. So since their slime coat is gone they are open for all these germs to attack them which usually gets them really sick. There’s many way guppies can get stressed. Well one way is that other fish in the tank chase them. Or if you keep putting the net in the tank and making them run from it, and many other ways. So always try to keep your guppies stress free as much as possible.

Guppies can get some unpleasant diseases. So here are some of the diseases and the treatment for the guppy.

Note these cures are home cures, it’s easier to just go to the store and buy medicine for the fish!

Water Poisoning

The most common killer of guppies is water poisoning. Water with minerals which kills guppies, poisons them. Water running through long lead pipes can kill them insidiously as it has been known to have killed human beings. Just as lethal are copper pipes which can be found in most homes in Americans have built since the early 50′s. Copper in concentration of 0.2 parts per million will kill some fishes in twenty-four hours. Such small tiny amounts of copper as to seem inconsequential have been found to destroy infusoria and other minute foods on which guppy fry (babies) need to thrive. Water too acid, too alkaline or too salty may be lethal. Fresh water from a tap from the city supply may kill due to its high chlorine content. Some spring water, much deep well water and rain water is unfit for guppies to live in, contrary from what you’ve probably heard in the past. Improper aquarium cement, silicone sealer and ornamentation are also potentially lethal through poisoning. Improper water, caused by any of the above mentioned sources is probably the #1 killer of guppies.

Food Poisoning

A very common, yet oftentimes overlooked cause of death to guppies is food poisoning. Overfeeding produces fermentation and decomposition; where insufficient aeration is afforded, the toxins made by the bacteria growing in the uneaten food can kill your fish. Food poisoning creates secondary problems through bacterial growth that can result in fungal diseases.
Since most people who raise fancy guppies tend to feed from 5 to 10 times a day, it is important to feed only what your fish will consume in 5 minutes, to make sure that you have adequate aeration and filtration and to maintain a strong regimen of partial water changes. Doing these things will virtually eliminate any possibility of food poisoning. TOP

Carbon Dioxide Poisoning

Overcrowding usually accounts for this fate. Too much carbon dioxide given off, insufficient plants and light to turn it into plant growth, low or no aeration to help with the carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange in the water, and the end result is, of course, dead guppies. The effects of this are quite visible by the fish hanging near the surface, gasping for air. A simple air stone emitting a stream of fine bubbles is all that is needed to prevent carbon dioxide poisoning.

Dying Plants Poisoning

Under certain conditions, decomposing plants which have died will release chemical compounds into the water which can kill your guppies. The water may take on an acrid odor, which sometimes is so strong you will notice it upon first entering your fish room. Any trace or hint of an abnormal odor emanating from your aquaria should set you immediately to search for the cause. Even algae, being plants, have the potential to kill your guppies if enough die at one time.
I know that it is a common practice among many guppy breeders to keep bare tanks without any plants at all. Personally, I have always kept potted plants in all of my tanks, mainly Water Sprite as an indicator of overall water quality and java moss as an excellent hiding place for newborn guppies. In my opinion, guppies prefer this environment and they are certainly more interesting and aesthetically pleasing to look at. Again, I repeat, the top breeders eschew any plants in their tanks but for me keeping bare tanks is boring and unattractive. I enjoy watching my guppies pick at the plants and the bits of food and algae they contain. It’s simply a matter of taste, as to which type of guppy tank you keep.

Household Contaminants

Fly sprays used in the home have killed fishes for as long as they’ve been in use. One variety of insect killer, rotonone, will kill guppies in a dilution of one part in 13,000,000 parts of water. Others are just, if not more deadly, so never allow anyone in your household to use any of these sprays to control flying insects. Even if used in another room, or another floor of a house, they can still be quite deadly to your fishes. In out-door pools, the killing of fishes by dogs covered with flea powder, jumping into the pools, or by poison dust or sprays used on bushes, flowers or vegetable gardens in the area which blows onto the water’s surface, have accounted for many large losses.
Soap and other household disinfectants not rinsed out properly after washing tanks will kill fishes. Cleaning aquarium glass with improperly washed containers which may have held soap or scouring powder is a dangerous practice. Always keep a bucket to be used ONLY for your fish, and never for any other household chore. Even your own hands which always seem to be in a tank for one reason or another can be dangerous. Fish have been killed by reaching into an aquarium without properly rinsing their hands after they have handled the aforementioned insect poisons, or treated their pets with a flea and tick compound, or even given them a dry bath. Oh, by the way. The best way to clean aquarium glass is with newspaper and white vinegar. Nothing beats it. Stay away from Windex, Glass Plus and all the other commercial glass cleaning products. They can cause you trouble.

Fungus Diseases

Fungus grows differently from bacteria and the organisms whichconstitute this group do strange things. Some turn into resistant forms called spores which wait for suitable conditions before they develop into characteristic and recognizable patterns. Others, like yeast, push out buds which break off and become organisms. The so-called myceleumthreads of some fungi are most interesting because they produce the effect which we call mold – a dense thicket of such small threads, that they appear like satin but are easily smashed flat. Some invade an area and grow what appears to be slime. Some fungi are motile, that is they have whip-like appendages with which they propel themselves, much in the same manner as human spermatozoa.
Note: The reference for this section is a bit dated. Although many of these products and treatments are still helpful and available, there are new classes of drugs and treatment compounds available at your local tropical fish store. Once I get the basic information entered, I will update the material to include the very latest in treatments.
Always remember that it is impossible to effectively treat a sick fish without first making an accurate diagnosis. Since so many questions on the Guppy Forum were disease and treatment related, I felt it necessary to make the completion of this page a priority. I hope it helps you maintain a healthy aquarium.


Saprolegnia

If on the fishes body, a white slimy, flattish patch appears which seems to have replaced a part of the fish’s skin, it is probably saprolegnia.

Treatment: Isolate the affected fish and disinfect the net. (1) Add two drops of tincture of metaphen to each gallon of water in the tank to attempt to destroy the organism. Several other treatments of the sick fish are also recommended: (2) Salt treatment, (3) heat treatment, (4) Apply hydrogen peroxide to the spot while holding fish in a damp net. Let it disinfect for 15-30 seconds before returning fish to the aquarium. Be sure to re-disinfect the net. (5) Malachite green, (6) Methyline Blue, (7) Acriflavin.


Mouth Fungus

A very common guppy disease, mouth fungus, kills millions of guppies every year. From a small whitish area which prevents the fish from closing its mouth, the whole mouth becomes filled with a spongy-looking accumulation and the fish dies. If you examine the cottony growth from the mouth through a microscope, you will find it to be composed of an enormous number of moving organisms. The growth not only occludes the mouth but etches away at the tissue. Most people believe that this occlusion prevents the guppy from eating and therefore the guppy starves to death, but this is not the case. The necessary stream of water through the mouth and out of the gills can no longer pass and this is what ultimately kills the fish. Affected fish are extremely listless and hang near the surface, even in well aerated tanks.

Treatment: (1) Aureomycin, 250 mg. to a IO-gallon tank. (2) Mercurochrome, only 1 drop per gallon, is said to destroy organism. (3) Metaphen, 2 drops per gallon.


Crown Fungus

When you see tiny myceleum threads radiating upward and outward from a smallish spot, making what looks like a crown or miniature drawing of the sun’s rays, it is probably crown fungus. The rays may grow an eighth of an inch long before they are brushed off.

Treatment: (1) Mercurochrome. (2) Touch Spot with hydrogen peroxide. (3) Aureomycin, 50-100 mg. per gallon and water changed after 3 days.


Fin and Tail Fungus

Sometimes grayish or whitish areas appear on the fins and the tail, etching out areas and interfering with swimming. This is more prevalent in fishes kept at temperature too cool for their comfort.

Treatment: (1) Raise the temperature. (2) Hold the fish in a damp cloth and apply a 1-3 solution of hydrogen peroxide. If the fungus is in the tail only, let the tail swish in the solution. The dead tissue will slough off. (3) Mercurochrome. (4) Metaphen in tank or applied directly.


Gill Sickness

Possibly gill inflammation is caused by many organisms. The gills appear redder than normal and the gill covers, the operculistand well out so the gills are visible. The progress of the disease is slow- In older fishes, emaciation occurs, the fish. may eat, but not well, and it swims about in an apprehensive fashion. Small fry are lulled quickly. Some experts believe the disease to be a virus, some bacterial, but the type which affects most guppies has consistently been a fungus.

Treatment: Since affected fishes are seldom hardy even if they do recover, it seems best to destroy the diseased fish as soon as they show signs of the sickness. Treatments which have been tried and have not been successful in the gill inflammation among guppies are aureomycin, penicillin, terramycin, hydrogen peroxide. Yet some fanciers have reported miraculous results with antibiotics, an indication that there are several causes, some of which are killed by antibiotics and some not. (1) Metaphen. (2) Mercurochrome. (3) Potassium permanganate. (4) Give fishes some more room. (5) Try using chlorinated city water, leaving fishes in an hour at a time. (6) For large fry and adults, the salt treatment.



Leon F. Whitney, D.V.M..