A Healthy Aquarium; Disease Prevention;

By Carl Strohmeyer-PAMR 40+ years experience

Updated 5/22/20

Overview

Disease prevention is probably one of the most important aspects of keeping a healthy aquarium, although a generalized statement.

Following the steps outlined in this article will not guarantee a disease free aquarium, but the facts are your disease incidence will be markedly lower.

In fact my experience with the 1000s of aquariums under my care over the years was that by following ALL STEPS outlined here, longevity increased, many diseases such as Ich when introduced was rarely catastrophic, and some diseases or conditions, in particular Dropsy, had near zero incidence of occurrence!!

Please read ALL the steps outlined later in this article .

I have kept up many aquariums (marine and freshwater) during my years of aquarium maintenance.

It was more of a challenge with clients than my personal aquariums because many of my customers overfed or did not tell me fish were sick until it was too late.

However with the majority of regular contract clients, I kept a record of most everything that went into and out of the aquarium (equipment, procedures, foods used, water changes, treatments, etc.). With a few clients, most notably the Bahooka Restaurant with over 100 large aquariums here alone, we had full control, meaning we even fed the fish since we were there 5-6 days per week!

So over the years, I have experimented with many methods to lower disease incidence and increase fish longevity. Since I had many clients with dozens of aquarium under contract, which allowed me to utilize controlled tests to back up my observations in my literally 1000s of aquariums under my care over the years.

This provided me a lot of data both observation based and control test based which I humbly submit differentiates my work from those who make observations based one or two or at most maybe a dozen aquariums in a fish room (which also refutes the Ad Hominem attacks my work sometimes garners in a few small but vocal un-moderated social media fish keeping circles).

I also regularly sought out advice of other professionals to further improve my results (which seems to be a lost art of late too based on my experience in attempting to reach out and help others).

Taking measures to lower the chances of fish becoming sick is the best remedy for avoiding illness-related issues.

For instance, many common diseases such as Ich can be limited by good preventive measures, while many other diseases such as Dropsy, Columnaris, and Aeromonas are opportunistic.

References:

*Ich Treatment, Prevention and Lifecycle; Salt and Freshwater

*Dropsy in Fish, Prevention and Possible Treatment

*Treatment, Identification, & Prevention of the Bacterium Columnaris & Fungal Infections

*Prevention and treatment of Aeromonas, Vibrio, Septicemia

These diseases are often the result of poor water quality management which can be outright prevented.

Examples of common preventable problems include; Ammonia Poisoning, High DOC, Constant Stressors, Low Calcium and other electrolyte levels, & poor Redox Balance.

I also noted that while popular at the time (1970s) fish foods such as the popular TetraMin did not achieve the same results as more natural fish foods including those with Spirulina algae.

It is also noteworthy that all the medications in the world will not cure a fish when poor water parameters and related issues exist in an aquarium; these issues MUST be corrected first!!

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Here is the progression of how much of what I recommended came into full fruition:



Noting the difference feeding certain foods had on disease prevention, fish longevity, even cleanliness of the aquarium. Late 70s forward. Noting that certain aquariums, in particular those with UV Sterilizers and with mineral blocks (Wonder Shells), mostly during the 1980s had a lower incidence of disease, more vitality, and longevity. Increasing use of certain methods to more tanks, later 1980s Controlled Tests, 1980s to 1990s Research and further tests to explain the results of these tests, 1990s to 2000s.

This is how the Redox article came into being and proof of the importance of mineral Cations and use of UVC irradiation

My experience maintaining literally 10s of 1000s of aquariums gave me a unique perspective as compared to a pure hobbyist.

What I mean is that I (and my employees) were at many clients' aquariums only once per week or less. Thus, I did not have the luxury of being able to make sure everything was fine with these fish everyday (kind of like the average hobbyist going away for a one or two week vacation and hoping everything would be OK).

In fact, my largest client (the Bahooka Restaurant) was gained because an employee of the restaurant had an Arowana that was sick and none of the medications being advised to her by others were working.

She heard about me through word-of-mouth and I recognized that she had tank conditions that were not healthy. This prevented her fish's own natural defenses from allowing it to recover.

As well the medications sold to her were not the right medicines for treating the illness the fish had.

Her fish got better after correcting these problems and the rest was history (this aquarium service account launched many other accounts for us including a contract with Disney).

References:

*Fish as Pets; Bahooka Restaurant

*Aquarium Medications; How they Work & Choosing the Correct Medication

I later utilized about a dozen aquariums in a room as well as the use of multiple aquariums at my now largest client (Coaster Co. of America).

With these aquariums, I performed many controlled tests where I monitored certain water parameters.

I studied the effect on fish and water parameters of the regular addition of positive mineral ions, filtration methods, UV Sterilization, feeding and more in these tests.

These variables were subtracted/added and measured over time (over 5 years in one test) as compared to control tanks I used.

More recently I have spent 1000s of hours in researching many of the results from my tests along with other's tests in order to provide a better explanation of these results. I do this to separate real fish keeping facts from anecdotal observations.

Back to the subject; during my time performing aquarium maintenance, I had to look at EVERY parameter and way to keep a healthy aquarium.

I could not keep my customers' fish alive by relying on the many aquarium-keeping myths that still to this day float around in this hobby.

Unfortunately many myths that were put to rest many years back such as the Raw Shrimp Cycling method have been resurrected on the Internet.

Reference: Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle; Raw Shrimp Cycling

Another example of one such myth is one about bio wheels.

This is not to say Bio Wheels do not work, just not to the level of hype they have been made out to be (& this is a very minor myth as to effect on aquarium health compared many of the others still prevalent today).

Reference: Do Bio Wheels really work)

More noteworthy myths exist to which I conducted many controlled tests and later research to explain my results.

Just some of these include: the quality of many popular brands of fish foods, filtration, medications use, cleaning procedures, UV Sterilization, Redox Potential, aquarium cycling & water chemistry including the need of ALL fish for positive mineral ions.

A Couple References:

*Aquarium Redox; The Misunderstood Importance of this Water Parameter

*UV Sterilization; Including the indirect benefit of Improved Redox

This aspect of chemistry along with Redox, The Nitrogen Cycle, and the use of UV Sterilizer are among some of the most misunderstood aspects of aquarium keeping I have found based on conversations, emails, forum posts, etc.

In fact when it comes to water chemistry mineral ions and GH the amount of misinformation in forums and elsewhere is mind boggling, making the Chemistry Article a must read!

Reference: Aquarium Chemistry; Complete Information

What I found is that if ALL points of disease prevention are practiced; the healthier, more colorful, and long-living your fish will be.

I had very few losses and many of my newer customers noticed the difference after switching to my service.

I have had many forums criticize me for trying to scare aquarists into needing equipment such as "true" UV Sterilizers (not the UV clarifiers that are passed off as Sterilizers sold on Amazon & elsewhere) or for explaining the science in my aquarium chemistry article.

However, I think it is far from that, as everyone should know what all the risks are and every possible way to keep the healthiest aquarium possible.

To put this another way, would it be honest to tell someone that their little goldfish they won at a carnival will do just fine in a bowl and not need anything more? I do not think so.

My test results and research speak for themselves.

I personally have resisted adding disease charts because these proliferate all over the internet & elsewhere.

Many are very cookie cutter in their descriptions and can be misleading in my opinion as well as my mentor for aquarium fish disease treatment.

I feel that understanding prevention methods and knowledge of antibiotics, chemical treatments, and organic treatments will go much further in treatment and disease prevention than a disease chart that has a "one size fits all" approach.

I recommend reading the companion article below about Medications/Treatments for more information that will help you make an educated choice when treatment of fish is required, rather than using a dart on the wall approach.

Reference: Aquarium Medications/Treatments; How they work

Also, I recommend reading some of the specific disease articles such as Columnaris/ Saprolegnia and many others found Here (or other disease specific articles found on the internet or elsewhere):

Aquatic Information, Resources

Please read on; Each step listed below is an important part of the Aquarium/Pond disease prevention puzzle (in particular steps 1-10)!

If what you want is a healthy successful aquarium, it is important that ALL steps are followed with the exception of step #13 (which is an important step if you are starting over after constant problems).

These steps represent over three decades of tests and controlled studies.

Each time you subtract each of these steps, you lower your chance for success, this includes the use of a true UV Sterilizer which not only helps with disease prevention, but is PROVEN to lower oxidative stress [1].

Omitting any of these steps or following one or two halfway, lowers your chance of preventing illness in your fish, so if you are frustrated with your aquarium due to constant issues, please follow ALL the steps outlined here before you give up on this wonderful hobby!

Reference:

[1] Redox As It Pertains To Aquariums

Please note that these steps ARE NOT in order of importance!!





YouTube; Aquarium Disease Prevention | Sick Fish Help

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[1] Cleanliness (Aquarium Cleaning):

Regular quality water changes are extremely important. By quality I mean to not over clean the water by taking fish out of the aquarium and then utilizing methods of "over-maintenance" such as washing the gravel (thus often compromising the nitrogen cycle).

You want to use a gravel vacuum and do partial water changes that disrupt the fish as little as possible.

The purpose of this is to remove organic debris before it can fully go through the Nitrogen cycle, eventually increasing your Nitrates and lowering your ph.

The use of a recirculating cleaning filter such as a simple Sludge Remover Vacuum in between water changes can increase the efficiency of a cleaning where a tank has high amounts of organic mulm or has been through a period of disease exposure.

Product Resource: Eheim Sludge Remover Vacuum

You also want to de-chlorinate the water so as to not add stress to the fish or environment.

There are many good products for this: Prime, Safe, AAP Res-Q & Shieldex, Start Right, Stress Coat, Amquel Plus, just to name a few.

It is also noteworthy that most water conditioners are temporary Redox reducers which helps with stress. The product AAP Res-Q in particular provides a medicated slime coat/bandage and along with AAP Shieldex are far and away my preferred water conditioners based on long term use in 1000s of aquariums based on results!

Product Resources:

*SeaChem Prime

*AAP Res-Q & Shieldex

*SeaChem Safe

*Jungle Start Right

Regular small incremental water changes are one of the best maintenance procedures you can perform (if not over done).

These will cut pollutants, often add necessary minerals (depending on the water source), and often improve the aquariums Redox Balance (again, depending on the water source).

Here is a list of Reasons why Water Changes/Tank Maintenance on a regular basis is often important:



Nitrate Control

Improved Mineralization, (GH, Electrolytes, etc.)

Generally Improved pH and KH Stability

Lowering of Organic Mulm/Sludge

Removal of harmful elements/toxins

Control of Bio-Load

Redox Balance

Removal of Waste

Control of Algae Growth

Rinsing of Filter Media

Aid in Disease Eradication

Removal of medications and medication by-products

Please see this article for expanded information of these Reasons:

AQUARIUM CLEANING; Reasons for Water Changes

Another note to regular water changes; these are also important WHEN your fish are sick as well, being performed before each treatment.

These water changes should also include a thorough wiping down of the glass (on ALL sides) to dislodge algae or "slime" that can harbor disease pathogens.

Water changes (which includes a thorough gravel vacuuming) are also recommended after a disease cure has been reached, for cloudy water, or after many fishless cycling methods that will often leave a tank with high nitrates (this generally is not as much a problem with the seasoned filter media cycling method).

For more information about the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle, please read this article:

NITROGEN CYCLE AND AQUARIUM CYCLING; How the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle Works

Generally when fish are present, changes over 50% are not recommended as larger water changes can be difficult for fish to cope with large changes in mineralization, pH, etc. (which affect osmoregulation).

Reference: Fish Osmoregulation

This again is where a Sludge Removing Vacuum can be a good idea to lower decomposing organic mulm that can affect water parameters and in turn lower fish disease resistance and even harbor disease pathogens such as Aeromonas.

When fish are not present or if it you believe a larger water change is necessary, as the risk of osmotic shock is lower than that of other issues that may kill the fish are present, a 100% water change may be performed.

However it should be noted that a 100% or even double 100% water changes is not always the answer to a problem with pathogens or similar (such as cloudy water) as even with complete water changes with thorough vacuuming will not remove every Ich tomite, nematode, bacterium, or Saprolegnia zoospore.

Only a tank bleaching/chlorination is 100% sure.

Further Reference: Saprolegnia in Aquariums

As an example of what I am talking about based on my tests/studies, here are a few examples of why water changes are not a 100% positive method of eradication:

Example A: I have had cases of detritus worms, where by I changed double 100% water changes and vacuumed only to see them reappear.

Luckily these are basically harmless and lowering organic mulm via these water changes (as well as often improving diet to more digestible fish foods such as the "Clay Neighbor's Custom" line of fish foods) will eventually starve most of them out.

Product Resource: Clay Neighbor's Custom Fish Food

Luckily these are basically harmless and lowering organic mulm via these water changes (as well as often improving diet to more digestible fish foods such as the "Clay Neighbor's Custom" line of fish foods) will eventually starve most of them out.

Example B: Similar to the above example, I have had cloudy water, then again perform double 100% water changes with gravel vacuuming to see this bounce back in a few days, until the source of the problem (generally missed organics or a poorly cycled aquarium) corrected, which often is not an over night fix.



Example C: I have had Ich outbreaks (or even introduced for the sake of the test), where by again these double 100% water changes/vacuuming were performed, then fish were re-introduced and another Ich outbreak occurred.



Example D: In MANY tests of disease pathogens (or opportunistic pathogens) such as Saprolegnia, Streptococcus, Columnaris, etc. This same double 100% water change was performed, only to see the problem return when fish were re-introduced as the pathogen would still be present, even if in much reduced numbers (although the use of a UV Sterilizer improved these results).

Another risk in "too large" of a water change is pH stress if new water alters the pH more than .5 on the logarithmic pH scale. Similar would be oxidative stress from too large a change in Redox.

What is also noteworthy is that in my experiments that led up to this article (mostly conducted in the 1990s), aquariums with larger water changes did not show to have lower incidence of disease or higher fish longevity than those with small water changes. It was the lack of any water changes or infrequent water changes that made a difference.

The above examples are NOT to say that water changes (in particular a double 100% water change) do not improve the above situations, it is just that they should not be depended upon to be fail safe.

As well while water changes are certainly a good part of many fish disease treatments when performed properly, they also often do not take the place of a treatment regimen or even make up for other poor aquarium maintenance methods (such as failure to maintain a healthy aquarium Redox balance)

This is especially true after a fish die out, where the better course of action would be to bleach the tank and then re-start your bacterial colonies.

On the flip side, these large changes may be a good start in taking care of a non lethal detritus worm infestation, bacterial cloud, or even after certain methods of fishless cycling where being 100% certain is either not necessary or less of a concern.

For more about Aquarium Cleaning, please see this article:

AQUARIUM CLEANING; reasons and methods for water changes

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[2] Good Filtration/Circulation:

I ALWAYS recommend two (or more) filters for redundancy, and I never totally throw out all media, rather I rinse part of the filter media in used aquarium water so as to preserve beneficial (aerobic) bacteria for proper biological filtration (ammonia and nitrite removal).

While failure is not too common, it can and does happen and if you only have one decent bio filter in particular, the jump in ammonia and possible low oxygen levels can harm and sometimes permanently harm your fish, which is why this a part of "Aquarium Disease Prevention".

In most aquariums I would have at least one Sponge Filter (preferably the AAP Hydro Sponge due to much higher efficiency over all others, especially Chinese knock offs now sold as just as good, but are actually NOT).

If your Sponge Filter is air powered, I suggest more than one air pump, as if one multi-port air pump is used for all Sponge filters in your aquarium and it fails, your redundancy goes out the window!

Sponge Pre Filters also are a great addition to HOB filters in particular (or canister filters) as they improve bio filtration, especially during filter media changes where by bacteria is preserved in part of the aquariums bio filter when a cartridge or other filter media in the Power Filter (HOB Filter) is changed out. However these do not really count as redundanacy since your HOB or canister filter powers these and if they fail, so does your pre-filter.

Product Resources:

Filter Max Sponge Pre Filters from AAP

AAP Hydro Sponge Filters

Keep in mind that the primary function of filters is to remove waste mechanically and biologically (& possibly chemically as well).

If your filter is not performing these basic tasks, you need to change, add to, or improve your filters.

For more information about filters, please see this article:

AQUARIUM FILTRATION (Filters)

One question I am often asked is Can I have too much Filtration, the answer is yes, however let me qualify this answer; as many Reef Keepers can attest to.

If your aquarium has multiple aerobic bio filters or even mechanical filters that trap organic debris but are not cleaned/changed often your tank can become what is commonly called a Nitrate Factory.

Although high nitrates are not as important a factor for many tropical fish (long term exposure is still harmful though), high nitrates over 20 ppm or even less are harmful to many delicate reef inhabitants.

So the point is to counter your aerobic bio filtration (which removes ammonia & nitrites but results in ever increasing nitrates) with water changes, use of micron cleaning filters, live plants such as Hornwort, products such as Purigen, Matrix, or Algone as well as de-nitrifying filter methods such as the use of live rock crumbles (marine tanks only), volcanic rock or similar that allows for anaerobic de-nitrification while not producing Hydrogen Sulfides.

Reference: Denitrification, Hydrogen Sulfide Production in an Aquarium

Product Resources:

*SeaChem Purigen; Aquarium Water Quality Control Product

*Algone; Water Clarifier, Nitrate Remover; From AAP

*Volcanic Rock

Please see this article for more about Nitrate reduction including methods specific to marine or freshwater aquariums:

Aquarium Nitrates; Freshwater, Saltwater, Reduction, Prevention



If you have a bowl, this task is more difficult although it most bowls over 1 gallon utilize a Hydro Sponge #1 or Mini Filter, as well regular water changes are important (in a bowl I recommend approximately a 2/3 water change) and the addition of products such as Wonder Shells to aid in water quality in between water changes is important.

Product Resources:

*Aquarium Sponge Filters; Hydro Sponge #1 & Mini

*Wonder Shells; Unique Version Found ONLY Here

Circulation goes hand in hand with filtration and often with more than one filter you will achieve good circulation and gas exchange (oxygen/CO2).

Many power heads have aeration adapters that can improve this surface gas exchange further.

An air stone coupled with an air pump can also improve circulation (vertical in particular) and even some filtration via water movement in the aquarium that bathes aerobic bacteria that often cling to surface areas or in the case of live rock in marine aquariums simple water movement actually performs considerable filtration when properly applied by moving water around the live rock (please see the above filtration article).

Good circulation coupled with good filtration is important for maintaining dissolved oxygen levels between 5-7 ppm and will allow for better bio filtration and a more balanced Redox Potential as well.

It is noteworthy that low circulation combined with high temperatures can be lethal, especially if CO2 is being added to the aquarium.

For this reason, even with fish that might prefer slightly higher temperatures, I have found better results and a lower incidence of "disaster" by keeping temperatures of 75-78 for most tropical fish (there are exceptions of course).

Do not make the mistake of keeping your temperature high as a disease preventative, as even for Ich which can be treated with high temps, long term the harm will out weigh the good and many bacterial & fungal infections thrive at higher temps, in particular Columnaris.

Reference: FISH COLUMNARIS | Fungus & Saprolegnia | Treatment & Prevention

As with filtration, the question can be asked is "Can I have to much circulation?"

The answer is this is possible, but rarely this is an issue, usually the other way around.

This said I have noted in several community and African Cichlid aquariums where flow rates were so high the fish had little area to escape the high flow and the resulting stress showed up as a higher incidence of Columnaris.

Think of it this way; many fish such as Neon Tetras or Lake Malawi Cichlids do not come from waters with high natural turbulence; in other words these fish are not salmon or trout.

Here are a few suggested aquarium turnover rates:



6-10 times for an average fish only aquarium or planted aquarium

10-12 times for high bio load freshwater aquarium, an average marine FOWLR or very basic reef tank (FOWLR = Fish only with live rock)

14-20 times for an Advanced Reef Tank

[3] Use Level One or Higher Capable Ultra Violet Sterilization:

True Level One UV sterilizers help prevent many bacterial, fungal, and protozoa diseases.

In addition they help with oxidation properties (Redox Potential) of the water and in so doing, water clarity AND fish immunity.

This "tool" is not essential, HOWEVER UV Sterilization is one more piece of the disease prevention puzzle and one of the more important pieces at that.

MORE IMPORTANTLY; in the controlled tests I performed that are a good part of the basis of this article, while the aquariums without UV Sterilization but otherwise well maintained as per other points of this article certainly did well, the ones that also had level one UV Sterilization had less disease incidence and longer fish longevity!

The picture to the right documents this ability of a level one UVC Sterilizer to consistently lower oxidative stress in an aquarium!!

I would also state that some of the statements that UV Sterilizers are useless are FALSE and NOT based on any real scientific evidence, as they DO help for all fish.

In fact my studies with goldfish and others showed marked health improvement. Simply put, if you can afford one you SHOULD have a true level 1 UV Sterilizer as part of your aquarium equipment.

The FACTs of this controlled study in the 1990s, conducted primarily with fancy goldfish, whereby all parameters were equal including feeding, bio load, etc, the tanks with UV Sterilizers run at a correct level one showed a 20-25% improvement in longevity and lower disease incidence. To ignore this FACT for any aquarium, especially with aquariums that have thousands of dollars, Euros, etc. invested, is simply foolish in my opinion.

Product Resource: Level One UV Sterilizers for Aquarium or Pond

Many quality UV sterilizers are not all that expensive especially when the cost of your fish, your time, and often the medications that may not be used are considered (which can easily cost more than the UV Sterilizer).

For example the good quality AAP/Terminator 7 Watt UV Sterilizer is $64.99 as of the last update of this article.

If a top notch UV Sterilizer is desired, the AAP/TMC Vecton or Advantage are second to none and are worth every penny of the approximate $133 and up these UVs cost to purchase (this includes the facts these UVs last as much as 5 times as long as many economy UVs sold via eBay, Amazon, etc.).

This said, with the cut and paste nature of the Internet, many less than capable UV Clarifiers are sold as Sterilizers, when in fact they are not.

Beware of the small in-line UV units such as the Cobalt Micro UV, the popular Hang-On-Back Filter UVs, and many others that have almost NO dwell time and in many cases also utilize 7% UVC medium pressure lamps instead of high output low pressure UV lamps which by themselves cost much more.

Being experienced in UV construction (having built many myself from scratch), I know what it costs to make a decent true UV Sterilizer and these so-called devices much under $60 are NOT True UV Sterilizers!!

Product Resources:

*SunSun/Terminator UV Sterilizer

*AAP/TMC Premium High Dwell Time Aquarium or Pond UV Sterilizers

Another point to the use of UV Sterilizers is proper maintenance; often aquarium keepers install a UV Sterilizer and then forget about this device, however it is important to change your UV-C Bulb every six months for optimum performance!

Product Resource: High Output Low Pressure UV Replacement Bulbs for Aquarium or Pond

For more information about UV Sterilization, please see this article:

ULTRAVIOLET STERILIZATION (How UV sterilization works)

Although no one step as outlined here in this article will solve all your aquatic problems, it is noteworthy that the use a properly installed UV Sterilizer is a one of the more proven steps to a healthy aquarium & fish longevity.

The bottom line as to the use UV Sterilizer, is if you are having constant problems and do not have a properly installed TRUE UV Sterilizer for disease prevention and improved Redox balance (of which there are many facets of Redox balance from mineral cations to lowering free radicals such as with UV-C), you have NOT done all you can for maintaining a healthy aquarium.

I have years of evidence to support this fact. I would also note that I have noted with clients aquariums over the years that the addition of a UV Sterilizer cut the use of medications in ½, thus saving money here, so if cost is a question, this along with the value of your prize fish is reason enough!

Further Reference:

The Importance of a Balanced Redox in Aquarium Disease Prevention

Testimonial from Everything-Aquatic Forum:

"On January 23 I installed the Vecton 200 UV sterilizer. There is a hundred times difference in my water now. It not only cleared the discoloration but all the little specks are gone in just two days. What will it be like in a week? It should be a priority for every aquarium setup to have a Vecton UV sterilizer from AAP. This is a well spent investment for my hobby...

On another note: My SunSun canister filter has a UV sterilizer built in but has never had this kind of effect on my water. It is pointless for SunSun to even put a UV sterilizer this small in a canister filter. I will not be replacing it again, I will just let it burn out...

Richard"

In the end, I certainly understand budget or whether it is even practical to place a True UV Sterilizer on a 2 gallon tank or Betta Bowl. However purchasing an economy UV Clairifer such as a Green Killing Machine is not the answer to budget, and for small aquariums/bowls, this is why this is advisably not the best place to keep fish in for more reasons than just being able to utilize a true UV Sterilizer.

[4] Do not over feed!

Also Feed QUALITY Fish Foods:



This is an important area of long term fish health & disease prevention that many miss or simply do not seem to understand, of which I partly place the blame with the mass marketers/discounter that now dominate the industry/hobby.

Many will cite that a breeder uses or the fish grew faster with brand 'X', which actually proves nothing since since faster growth actually speeds up the life cycle.

However, long term tests I have performed over decades have shown that such foods (often pushed by popular YouTube personalities) actually in the end result in shorter life spans and higher disease incidence as the fish ages versus diets based on better over analysis of energy levels, fiber content, etc.

A common result is incidence's of fish bloat are much more common due to fatty liver along with osmregulation and long term oxidative stress issues caused by "too high" energy levels (especially in Gouramis as per my research).

Many foods of late actually utilize good ingredients, but still do not use the optimum sources (such as whole Menhaden fish meal), or even more often do not meet proven energy level standards and fiber content.

Also foods high in unusable amino acids (which make up proteins) add to your nitrogenous wastes which in turn eventually add up to higher nitrates, which although are note a major problem, prolonged exposure to high nitrates will weaken fish and lower disease resistance.

What is noteworthy that many fish foods assume that more protein is better and this is simply not true as often this can cause premature renal failure along with unnecessary pollution of the aquarium.

As noted earlier, fiber content & energy levels are another issue directly related to long term fish health, longevity, and even how effective a treatment will be should a fish still get sick. The correct fiber levels provide better digestion and lower incidence of gut infections whole the proper energy levels prevent long term liver issues as well as lower oxidative stress resulting in higher disease resistance and fish longevity.

My earliest tests confirmed this over & over!

As an example, while popular and often recommended (partly because it is easily purchased via discounters); New Life Spectrum, while a reasonably decent food, is guilty of these points plus using too much cereal/starch & too low a fiber content.

There are many "good brands", many well marketed, such as NorthFin which is marketed as premium but in all due respect based on energy levels & especially fiber levels is not premium (but still a good fish food).

The best being AAP Spirulina 20 along with Clay Neighbor's AAP Custom (upgraded from the original Paradigm formula) which does not need to supplement with additional additives due to the high quality of natural ingredients as well as optimal protein & energy levels; not too much or too little.

As well, this fish food is dehydrated at low heat, not baked or extruded so that vitamins & other nutrients are not "cooked out" (which is a problem with most pellets/flakes, despite their convenience).

As per Spirulina 20, my professional tests in 100s of aquariums go back decades, NO OTHER Fish Food has been as scientifically proven!.

Then there is the new, but excellent AAP/Gamma NutroShots which is a dry fish food that feeds like frozen foods and there is no better dry fish food for weak, picky, or new fish.

Some brands to avoid: Tetra, Hartz.

BTW, many have fed Tetra Foods and raised generations of fish on it, however this is NOT scientific proof that it is quality food; the label and side to side tests are a more accurate measure! Often the fish could have done better yet with another food.

For more information about Proper Fish Nutrition, this is a MUST READ article:

*Quality Fish Food; What Ingredients/Analysis are Needed for Proper Fish Nutrition

Premium/Professionally Proven Fish Food Product Resources:

*Spirulina 20 Fish Food Flake from AAP

*Sanyu Goldfish/Koi Diets from AAP

*Gamma NutraShots from AAP (feeds like froze, keeps like dry fish food)

*Clay Neighbor's AAP Custom/Paradigm Ultra Premium Custom Fish Foods

More bluntly, I have seen weak & older fish (especially goldfish) that are showing signs of age and/or poor care (often due to a lifetime of poor food and/or water chemistry) improve simply by feeding an easy to digest Natural, optimal protein, & Spirulina based fish food as well as correcting water chemistry!!

Further References:

*Spirulina as a Fish Food

*Water Chemistry; The importance of Minerals, Buffers in an Aquarium, Pond

*What's wrong with making Dough in Fish Food?

*Fish Nutrition 101

In summary, fish food is one of the first parts of the disease prevention puzzle I figured out its importance. The use of optimal fish nutrition has come down to both improved fish overall health, but also it plays a small role as to aquarium pollution due to more waste with lower quality and protein over usage (even by so-called premium brands).

This is also a simple aspect of "Disease Prevention/Fish Health" to fix, as it is an easy habit to break by switching from buying your fish food from where it is convenient or saves you a few quarters to a true quality fish food (not a discounters so called "best" fish food such as NLS).

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