Fish

By Jessie M Sanders, DVM, CertAqV – Aquatic Veterinary Services (CA) You’ve may have heard the joke: A fish and its three second memory will never be bored swimming around its bowl because by the time it makes a full circle, it’s already forgotten where it’s been. But what if your fish were capable of much more than you assume? What if your fish are judging you and making assumptions the same way you watch them?   How is Fish Intelligence Measured? By what means do we measure intelligence in any species? Is it fair to hold fish to the same standards as fluffy, huggable pets? Certainly, it is easier to anthropomorphize and try to understand what your dog or cat may be thinking that it is with your fish. Anyone who has brought their cat or dog to the vet can observe their feelings of anxiety and avoidance, but it is harder to read a pet fish. What if your fish is capable of understanding more than even your cat or dog? Are the behaviors of memory, cooperation, recognition of individuals, and tool use even possible for your pet fish? Well, it may surprise you to learn that research has shown that fish are capable of all of this and more (1). A fish’s brain is very similar to all other vertebrates and shows the same complexity and divisions, allowing them the capability to process information very similarly to what our fluffy pets perceive (2, 3, 4, 5). And this goes for all teleost fish, from your basic bettas and goldfish to the large ocean and lake fishes.

Despite its name, mouth fungus in aquarium fish is in fact a bacterial infection, and needs to be treated with antibiotic or antibacterial medications.

Fish tank water cycling helps maintain and establish a proper nitrogen cycle, which is important to keep your fish healthy. This is especially important when adding new fish to your tank to prevent issues like new tank syndrome.,Cycling a freshwater aquarium refers to the process of allowing beneficial bacteria that break down waste to grow in the filter, water column, and substrate. This is required to prevent fish from living through a dangerous period where ammonia and nitrite levels peak and then fall, which can lead to health problems. This tank cycling should be carefully done before fish are added to a fish tank. Fortunately, there are products available that enable cycling with fish already in a tank, and these products also speed up the process.

Image via iStock.com/mtreasure By Kenneth Wingerter As our saltwater aquarium animal collection grows in size so should the fish aquarium. Of course, that is not always so simple. For example, you might have a strictly limited amount of floor space to work with. So, what to do? One popular way to add precious water volume to an established system is by adding a sump or refugium.    

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Though technically not a disease, ammonia poisoning is incredibly common in new fish tanks. Ammonia is a byproduct of the process of organic material breaking down and it can be incredibly toxic for fish. Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate, which is less harmful.,When you catch a case of the sniffles and start to feel run down, you know it’s time to book an appointment with your doctor. You know your body well enough to be able to tell when something is off, but identifying the signs of illness in pets can be tricky—especially aquarium fish. Many fish diseases present subtly but, without prompt treatment, they can worsen and may even become fatal. Proper diagnosis is key if you want your fish to make a full recovery. For aquarium fish living in a captive environment, every detail matters. Something as seemingly minor as a drop in temperature can stress your fish and make them more susceptible to illness. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common aquarium fish diseases to determine how to identify and treat them.

Fish do sleep, but it doesn’t quite look the same as when you close your eyes and fall into a long, deep slumber. “Think of it more as a ‘low power mode’ since they still need to be aware of their surroundings,” says Jessie Sanders, DVM, DABVP (Fish Practice), an aquatic veterinarian and owner of Aquatic Veterinary Services in Santa Cruz County, California. Unlike other animals, fish don’t have eyelids, so their eyes remain open while they sleep. Once asleep, they slow down and tend to hover in a cozy spot, with their overall alertness and responsiveness to the environment decreasing slightly. This allows them to catch some R & R while still being able to react to any sudden movements or perceived threats.,Jump to section Do Fish Sleep? How Do Fish Sleep? Where Do Fish Sleep? How To Tell if a Fish Is Sleeping Fish Sleep FAQs

Before shopping for everything you think you need for your saltwater tank, there are a few things you need to know.,If you have kept a freshwater fish tank for a while, you may be thinking about adding a saltwater aquarium to your home. Although there’s a learning curve, with some patience and work you can have a saltwater tank brimming with colorful new pets.

Aquarium hobbyists are often on the lookout for unique animals to stock in their miniature ecosystems. We like to look for striking colors, unique personalities or differing physical forms to accent and complement our tanks. Nothing fits these descriptions more aptly than seahorses. The seahorse is almost mythical in form, with its horselike head strangely mated with an armored, serpentine body. Seahorses are fantastic creatures to observe in aquaria, and with a little advanced planning and research, they are not much more difficult to keep than many other fish. I hope to dispel some of the mystery behind keeping seahorses, as well as demonstrate the basic requirements for building and maintaining a stable environment so that even a “beginner” aquarist may enjoy these fascinating and beautiful animals.

In nature, fish and aquatic plant life experience varying amounts of light and darkness. To keep the fish and plants in your aquarium healthy, you need to match their natural lighting conditions as closely as possible with aquarium lighting, according to Dr. Julius Tepper of Long Island Fish Hospital. Factors that affect lighting choices are the size of the aquarium, whether it’s saltwater or freshwater, and the type of fish and plants in the aquarium. Too little light can stunt the growth of your fish and plants. Too much light can cause the growth of excessive algae, which increases aquarium maintenance requirements. Because natural light changes with the seasons, your aquarium lighting also needs to change. Seasonal variation is most important for cold water aquarium fish, which live with the greatest daylight fluctuation in nature. An easy way to adjust lighting is to use a power strip with a timer. Tepper notes that mimicking the environment where your fish evolved has become much easier and more affordable using LED lighting and highly sophisticated components to control the lighting. Here are the basics of what you need to know about aquarium lighting.