BlueTurquoise
01-28-2003, 07:56 PM
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to talk about an article that I had read a long time ago but re-read a few nights ago which brought the subject back to my attention. I now want to raise this issue to the public forum so experts and beginners like me can talk about it and perhaps just be aware of it if nothign else.
The article was in Diskus Brief magazine (out of print, translated from German magazine) it is entitled "Practical Infestation...To Treat or Not to Treat" and appeared in the Volume IV - Issue I - 1998 publication (don't quote me on that, I think that is right, I have to go home and double check). I have read about this topic in many places such as www.dph.nl, but of late, I have lost sight of it's message and I am trying now not to lose sight of it ever again.
Basically the author was bringing up the point of how hossyists these days are bombarded by a plethora of medications and are prescribing highly potent drugs and administering this chemical warefare to their unsuspecting fish, without proper diagnosis. Basically it goes on to say that we sometimes administer strong medication without having an accurate diagnosis of the problematic disease or parasite in hand and we go by observing many common symtoms of colour change, lack of appetite etc. I know I have many times in the past go on gut feeling or just plain "they show this so therefore it is that" diagnosis and went ahead with 400mg per 10gal dosages. Needless to say I know I have administered stuff in the past that made absolutely no difference whatsoever to the health of the fish, and thought afterwards, "ooops"... Guilty as charged!!!
The good news perhaps is that most likely we are on target as the disease that we are trying to treat is a very common problem and can be very easily diagnosed and can very well be treated by the drug that we are administering, the drug that is administered also covers the disease that was mis-diagnosed, or by sheer luck/fluke whatever.
This is not the ultimate goal of the article however as what the real underlying message of the article is in regards to why the fish develop accute problems in the first place. The author highlights how strong, healthy adult fish living in good environmental conditions will never develope problems with gill flukes or intestinal nematodes even though they are very present on the gills and in the stomachs of the adult fish. I tend to believe him as I don't get sick often even though I know that the common disease of influenza is in my bloodstream as we speak but I am not showing symtoms or signs of illness. It is only when I am run down, bombarded by stresses, recive poor diet and perhaps continually subjected to cold/unpleasent weather.
Well that is exactly to root cuase of most if not all the reasons why a discus gets sick. Outside contaminations aside (no new fish added to the aquarium) then the only other plausible reason why they would get sick is environment, stress, poor diet and just plain run down! marvellous thought and reasonning in my bookt. Now I remember why my signature on this forum says what is says!
"We are aqua-rists not fish-arists, we take care of water, fish take care of fish"
I think it was Jim Quarles who said something along the lines of that (don't quote me on that one either), but it is so true. If you take care of their environment, namely the very water that they live in as starter, change 30%, 50%, 80% of their water every day with good, clean, stable water and keep it like that day in day out, there should be no reason why the discus should suddenly get sick. Often, sadly they do just plain get sick, but many times the root cuase of all disease is stress related. We must always ask why they are sick, not how are they sick and target the root cuase not treat for symptoms.
After all Disease means exactly that, Dis - Ease. (not comfortable).
Hey I knew all this before but I lost sight of it along the way and I am glad to be re-aquinted. This is an enlightening experience for me all over again.
I am taking immediate steps to bettermy discus' environment starting this weekend. Lately and throughout my discus keeping hobby I have been doing 30% daily water change using stored, ph stable, heated and 24h airated water. I thought this was adequate and it is (come see my fish now they look great after their disease spell, full colouration, begging for food). However recently I have found out that some of you do more than just 30%, and it's logical and not too much more effort for me (god I love my pump!) I will drive 40km to pick up an industrially manufactured plastic bin (made to size) from an injection moulder outside of Sydney. Then I will be able to do 50% water change every day (it's a start). Looking forward to it and I know my fish will too...
Comments? Please do
Chong :thumbsup:
I just wanted to talk about an article that I had read a long time ago but re-read a few nights ago which brought the subject back to my attention. I now want to raise this issue to the public forum so experts and beginners like me can talk about it and perhaps just be aware of it if nothign else.
The article was in Diskus Brief magazine (out of print, translated from German magazine) it is entitled "Practical Infestation...To Treat or Not to Treat" and appeared in the Volume IV - Issue I - 1998 publication (don't quote me on that, I think that is right, I have to go home and double check). I have read about this topic in many places such as www.dph.nl, but of late, I have lost sight of it's message and I am trying now not to lose sight of it ever again.
Basically the author was bringing up the point of how hossyists these days are bombarded by a plethora of medications and are prescribing highly potent drugs and administering this chemical warefare to their unsuspecting fish, without proper diagnosis. Basically it goes on to say that we sometimes administer strong medication without having an accurate diagnosis of the problematic disease or parasite in hand and we go by observing many common symtoms of colour change, lack of appetite etc. I know I have many times in the past go on gut feeling or just plain "they show this so therefore it is that" diagnosis and went ahead with 400mg per 10gal dosages. Needless to say I know I have administered stuff in the past that made absolutely no difference whatsoever to the health of the fish, and thought afterwards, "ooops"... Guilty as charged!!!
The good news perhaps is that most likely we are on target as the disease that we are trying to treat is a very common problem and can be very easily diagnosed and can very well be treated by the drug that we are administering, the drug that is administered also covers the disease that was mis-diagnosed, or by sheer luck/fluke whatever.
This is not the ultimate goal of the article however as what the real underlying message of the article is in regards to why the fish develop accute problems in the first place. The author highlights how strong, healthy adult fish living in good environmental conditions will never develope problems with gill flukes or intestinal nematodes even though they are very present on the gills and in the stomachs of the adult fish. I tend to believe him as I don't get sick often even though I know that the common disease of influenza is in my bloodstream as we speak but I am not showing symtoms or signs of illness. It is only when I am run down, bombarded by stresses, recive poor diet and perhaps continually subjected to cold/unpleasent weather.
Well that is exactly to root cuase of most if not all the reasons why a discus gets sick. Outside contaminations aside (no new fish added to the aquarium) then the only other plausible reason why they would get sick is environment, stress, poor diet and just plain run down! marvellous thought and reasonning in my bookt. Now I remember why my signature on this forum says what is says!
"We are aqua-rists not fish-arists, we take care of water, fish take care of fish"
I think it was Jim Quarles who said something along the lines of that (don't quote me on that one either), but it is so true. If you take care of their environment, namely the very water that they live in as starter, change 30%, 50%, 80% of their water every day with good, clean, stable water and keep it like that day in day out, there should be no reason why the discus should suddenly get sick. Often, sadly they do just plain get sick, but many times the root cuase of all disease is stress related. We must always ask why they are sick, not how are they sick and target the root cuase not treat for symptoms.
After all Disease means exactly that, Dis - Ease. (not comfortable).
Hey I knew all this before but I lost sight of it along the way and I am glad to be re-aquinted. This is an enlightening experience for me all over again.
I am taking immediate steps to bettermy discus' environment starting this weekend. Lately and throughout my discus keeping hobby I have been doing 30% daily water change using stored, ph stable, heated and 24h airated water. I thought this was adequate and it is (come see my fish now they look great after their disease spell, full colouration, begging for food). However recently I have found out that some of you do more than just 30%, and it's logical and not too much more effort for me (god I love my pump!) I will drive 40km to pick up an industrially manufactured plastic bin (made to size) from an injection moulder outside of Sydney. Then I will be able to do 50% water change every day (it's a start). Looking forward to it and I know my fish will too...
Comments? Please do
Chong :thumbsup: