How to identify and avoid catching fish TB, Tuberculosis Mycobacterium marinum
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- Visit us on Facebook: tinyurl.com/thefishdoctor-fac...
Fish veterinarian, Dr Loh discusses the variety of ways fish tuberculosis can present in aquarium fish infected with fish TB. The disease caused by Mycobacteria in fish is the great imitator of several fish diseases. It features non-specific clinical signs, and may be confused with a number of other diseases. We show you how we diagnose the condition, and what you can do about it. Most importantly you must take precautions because its a disease that humans can catch!
PS. Hope you like this video. It’s got a lot of technical details, trying to address all the common questions I get about this disease. If you’re confused about anything in this video, please put them down in the comments below.
Ffs as if I didn’t panic enough at every little thing that goes on in my tank
It would be very interesting if you could make a part 2 for this video where you would show all the diseases that can cause similar symptoms and be mistaken for fish tuberculosis. Just so we don't panic too much every time we see one of the symptoms listed here.
Most Doctors don't know about this, it took them 1 year and 4 operations on my right hand before an infectious disease dr. to figure it out. After she found out which antibiotic would take care of it, it cleared up in 3 months. One thing everyone needs to be aware of: it's just not in aquariums, it lives in any body of water, rivers, lakes, stream, etc.
Don't be too alarmed. Although it's a fairly common disease, it's rare for people to catch it. You can avoid catching fish TB by keeping your fish happy and healthy, and avoid contact with water if you've got cuts/grazes on your hands/arms. And definitely avoid putting your feet in those "fish spas"!
Good to hear and learn more from a Fish Doc! Are you an ex-Singaporean or Malaysian?
Is it contagious to dogs, if they come into contact with spilled aquarium water?
My 3yr comet goldfish lost a scale, before that he had a red sore on his mouth that went away and looked like a small piece of flesh hanging for a few days after and I noticed he's been swimming tilted here and there, but not constantly. Nemo is my only fish in a 90gal tank. No pineconing. Only round river stones and bamboo in his tank. Any thought are appreciated please
I watched your video. I still don't know how it is contracted by humans. Any help?
Curious Guppiest water changes if you have sores
"As you can see, the pond is a bit green - it's not my pond." LOL 😂
Today I'm gonna talk about a deadly disease ...*Happy music played* ......Okay
When youre around it all day every day.
Holy hell. I made it through my fishes' outbreak without contracting it, for which I'm incredibly grateful!! Had to put all my fish down, but at least I didn't get sick.
Same, I had this problem for many months. I had platys and they would keep breeding. In the end I had to clove oil all the fish and snails, not fun. I wore gloves which protected me. Hopfully we will never run into fish tb again.
I will never again stick my bare hand into my tank. *ordering veterinary gloves nOw
Excellent video. I stopped an outbreak of mycobacteriosis in my rainbowfish (confirmed vet diagnosis) by removing all fish with symptoms and adding UV sterilizing filters to the tanks. (The UV light kills mycobacteria in the water reducing fish exposure to the pathogen.) After a few months, I removed the filters and most of the surviving fish did fine.
Where did you buy the UV sterilizing filters?
Hi Diana, I want to say THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge about this disease, I read your blog and come to me in the best moment. Diana, the UV inside canisters works fine for this or i need to add a better UV light? Also, did you keep the UV working all day for several months? Thanks a lot for the help. your books are awesome =)
Oh wow! I just picked up a UV sterilizer. Can you offer advice of how to do this properly?
What uv sterlizer did you use?
Hi Diana, I loved your article from 2007. Have you got any further information? Thank you
Omg. Now I'm scared. Every little fish problem could be TB.
It's sure difficult to differentiate the disease without special tests.
I dunno i think its not too hard to tell. Tb untreatable and doesnt respond to treatment. Small fish die very fast. Spining and twirling is a sign so is arching back and so is being very bloated or skinny. Especially if more than 1 fish are affected.
With my fish I had 5 neon rainbows. 1 suddenly got this horrible cyst and they all had non responsive mouth fungus which was obviously myco same with cyst. I gave them back but was too late other fish got infected.
Then otos died with thining. Then guppy. Then new guppies many had swelling and died in 2 days. Had like half my fish die in a few days. And a siamese algae eater. Had skin defects and a bit of swelling
Glad you still keep the channel alive... I watched one of your videos posted in 2016...operation on a gold fish eye
This disease is absolutely ripping through my aquarium. Started with 1 infected neon rainbow even after giving it back to shop so many other fish died
I actually had this infection for 7 months. Wasn’t fun... thankfully I saw a good doctor, and he gave me the proper antibiotics. All I have left is a scar. If you work in a fish store, please be cautious and learn from my mistake! Now I strictly wear gloves when handling aquarium stuff.
Unfortunately i went through this as well with surgery and antibiotics for 6 months. Not pleasant at all. I always wear gloves now when handling anything in my aquarium.
I work in a fish store with open cuts sometimes... Any other tips too look out for
GingerAle4Life I have eczema so my skin is always dry and cut. I’m pretty sure that’s what made it easy for the bacteria to enter my skin. Now I work in the dry goods section at my work, so no more catching fish. In general please wear gloves and avoid contact with water if you have any cuts. Also wash your hands with hand sanitizer if you suspect water got in a cut. I know it sounds stupid and tedious, but it’s better than catching the infection. I’ve always heard about fish tb, but I was like whatever, I’ll never catch it. Sure enough I did lol. Just be careful that’s all. Also don’t touch any fish barehanded or anything
@@Joshthereefer is it true that it can take months or years to show up as well? I feel like I likely have been exposed. What where early symptoms?
GingerAle4Life maybe a month or so. It just looks like a wart or a ‘nodule’. I had no ill effects at all, it maybe itched a bit but that’s it. Some people will have really swollen lymph nodes near the location of the infection. When I went to the doctor, I thought he was going to tell me it’s a wart, but then he asked me - “do you have an aquarium?” )-; keep in mind it takes a long time to grow, and also to get rid of. If you suspect anything, just go to a dermatologist. Don’t panic. Unless you’re like 90 and are immunocompromised, it won’t hurt you.
Very easy to follow your explanation, to the point and great examples. Thank you for the great presentation....I felt like I was in university for a moment!
I very much respect and appreciate your thoroughness in your videos. I am a pond contractor in the Washington DC area with no one to turn to when fish are having trouble. Please keep up your good work.
Thank you so much for this video. I have been keeping fish and doing aquarium maintenance for 40+ years and am lucky to have never been infected.
Thank you for posting this. I was so glad to have found it as it is a current issue for me. I have been searching for days and have only found this one very helpful video about Mycobacterium Marinum. I hope to find more but thank you for the time and interest you put into this video.
I’m also practicing on fish treatment as vet. Your experience sharing is very useful. I love it.
Wow, I've never heard of it. I'll have to keep an eye on my tanks a bit more. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
Your videos are so far beyond amazing! So rare to find actual real advise from an educated professional, especially fish!
IT is great to have him on you tube showing us is much clear.
I got poison oak and cleaned my son's fish tank, I now thanks to your video know why my rash turned into big hard knots in my hands and wrists ...I am going to the ER now !!! Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you for another video! I could watch your videos for hours, they are very informative and interesting!
I can’t believe I only just got recommended this video and thus, your channel. I’ll be going through your catalogue for sure!
Very informative. Thanks for posting it Dr. 👏👍
This is my new favorite channel!
this channel rocks
I absolutely love your videos. Very educational. I'm going to be buying a microscope to attempt to copy what you are doing. I'd love to see a video actually preparing slides/cultures and how to do it. I breed on a hobby level, and this side of the hobby is very very interesting to me
I had this too. My docter kept saying just a plain infection nothing to worry. But it kept going deeper and deeper. So i asked my docter to see a dermotologist. Gladly he new within seconds what it was. Had antibiotics for 13-14 months.
I knew there was a good reason I always washed my hands/arms before and after putting them around the fish stuff and the tank. Marine pathology has always been interesting to me, great video!
It is smart to clean hands before you mess with your tank and also after is common sense.
I’m glad i clicked this video from the thumbnail i thought it’s only in wild fish rivers or lakes but it’s in our fish kept at home aquarium !
I have almost certainly seen this in my tank over the years and I had no idea. I have had 2 or 3 "crashes" in my tank where over several weeks to months, seemingly one by one, my fish would get sick and pass showing many if not all of the symptoms here and all I could do was ride it out and do consistent water changes and try to keep them as healthy as possible and hope.
it's very interesting to see the slides. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Everyone in the hobby needs to know about this channel! I wish I knew about these videos when I was first starting
Please do share tinyurl.com/thefishdoctor
I think we all need microscopes too...I’m researching them to purchase my own. Advice on what I need vs don’t need?
My wife and I might have watched the video too late. VERY nee to the hobby. Got fish from the pet store yesterday and a third have died with multiple symptoms matching this disease I think it might be to late to save any of them
As always great information, Keep them coming
Nice video! Keep on the good work Dr.
Me buys a extra long rubber gloves and regrets all the 8 fish tanks I got and fondle on a basic
WOW thanks OMG love it💖🎓🌟☯️🎊🧤💸🐠🌱
@@mollychrisa1 tf
Another great video and informative... Thanks for sharing and happy fish keeping!!!
Thank you talking about this . Not too much out there for Non fish biologists . My question is " is this more common in outdoor set ups and how does it start (whats the most common denominator)
How can you best decontaminate surfaces/environments that have come in contact with the water suspected to be contaminated with Mycobacterium to best protect ourselves and future animals in the tank? Thank you so much for these videos! As a new vet graduate, these will be extremely helpful.
Sincerely,
Sophia, DVM
Wow I would have never thought of such thing to happen, thanks doc!
I always love the good Dr’s videos. Thanks
thank you for a very informative video. I have subscribed to your channel, thanks again.
Very interesting! I’ve been in the hobby for nearly 40 years and have heard the rumors of humans contracting fish TB but never have heard it from the directly horses mouth.
I've only ever met 3 people who have contracted this disease in my lifetime, and have diagnosed this in many many fish cases.
Great Video Man!
Very informative!
Really educational video thanks for this
Dr Loh, After months of searching for a fish Vet in my area, I found Dr Rod Arod, who after telling him about you and how much I love your informative videos, I learn that Dr Arad, learned from the best. Might sound crazy but I honestly feel like I won the lottery. To find Dr Arad and to know that he studied with "the best" I probably can speak for many fish owners that so many of us wish there was more Doctors available or known. Love your work.
Thanks. Dr Arad is a great veterinarian. You've found gold!
Excellent video, thank you
very nice vids, we definitely want more of this 😁😍😍
Wow I never new about this inflection.
Good afternoon - I noticed a 2.5cm erythematous nodule on the dorsum of my right wrist the other day. It was non-tender, mobile and non-suppurative. It did not get any bigger, however, a week later another lesion developed more proximal to the original one. There was no adenopathy palpated at the elbow or axillary chain. As a physician I pondered its etiology, having no success I did break down and went to the dermatologist. After taking a good history she asked if I kept any animals - dogs, cats, fish and bingo. I have 14 fresh water aquaria. She lit up. All of a sudden I became her most interesting case of the month. She called in her colleague for a second opinion - which she confirmed. Two biopsies later - one for histology and another for culture, they were really proud of themselves - so I await the results. Take home message - you never want to be "an interesting case" as it pertains to one's health. There are no reported cases of human-human transmission of the disease in the immunocompetent host. That being said I will be extra cautious when treating my patients as I am a neonatologist taking care of premature and sick babies - both of which are physiologically immunocompromised. Thanks for listening.
Yes!!!! Thanks man.
Whelp time to get rid if everything!
IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT VIDEO :)
THANK YOU FOR SHARING :)
THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)
I've just hospitalized two female Zebra Danios after 3 weeks of observation when I first notice one of them seemed to have developed a scar or spot on one side, not far behind the gills. It started to get big and slightly reddish. After the second week she had vanished, presumably dead. Today, the 9th of April I saw her swimming sluggish and her body was arched inward of the now bigger wound of about two and half millimetres that looked like that of a flesh eating disease. I netted her and placed in a small clear plastic tank/container and then made careful observation after I applied six drops of Bactonex in a liter of aquarium water and hoped for the best. I netted another female Zebra Danios that also had developed the spore on her side and had fluffy marking on her dorsal area, so that the two would be in company, causing less stress to the sick one. A few times the sick one had been rolling upside down and the other one tried to encourage her to stay upright by nudging her. 5 hour of repeated observation later in the night I see the poor sick fish gaining some strength and hope by morning she is still alive. I really hate pathogens, viruses and invisible critters who attack my fish and I don't know where they're coming from. I had scuds of black snails, hundreds, probably introduced in my tank from the store when I purchased plants. I've been syphoning them out of the water and into a large bucket each night for the last two weeks. I have just changed the filtration and found hundreds trapped in the cannister. No wonder the flow of water was affected. I believe snails carry diseases. I also have two Cardinal Tetras in another small hospital tank with white fluff on the dorsal fin of one and on a pectoral fin of another. On close monitoring of these two, I observed that the fluff on the dorsal fin continued to get big. It then turned out to be a white parasitic worms embedded at the base of the fin. Similar to a larvae in a silk cocoon that emerges into a moth after some time. I treated the Cardinal Tetra by attempting to pull the 'pest' out with a tweezer, but it snapped half way. So, not sure if this fish was going to survive because while pulling it out the fish was very calm and relaxed, like playing dead but still breathing (probably in shock), laying on its side and, as long as aquarium water was pumped to flow on its mouth and body (via an aerator tube) but not the dorsal fin, I then thought of administering a solution based of one drop of Dettol into one coffee cup size of boiled/sterilized water and a cotton bud, slowly dabbed on the parasite, not on the fish's body, a couple of times. Amazingly, the devil came out of the fish's body, even though the medication had given the fish some discomfort. Immediately afterwards it was lowered in the hospital tank water. Two days later, to my surprise, the fish had fully recovered as if nothing had happened. The other Cardinal Tetra is still under observation in the hospital tank while it is being treated with Bactonex. Hope the medication helps. If not, then the operating table is the way to go.
Amazing video❤❤🐠
Great information thank you, interesting about adding Vit C. I started doing this as a dechlorinator and found all my fish have been healthier ever since as a bonus
Just wondering how you added Vitimin C to your pond. I have a pretty good size pond
Welp. There’s goes my interest in owning a tank.
Yeaaahh don't get into this hobby unless you have a lot of money ready to drop on em
Everyone who says otherwise is being a bit disingenuous
It's as complicated or simple as you make it, there's a skill level and science understanding level for everyone. And there's species for every personality.
However, death is unavoidable, and it's good to learn what we can do. I've had those symptoms on fish before, everything but those sores. I've had the white bit, wasting, dropsy... But I've never had a sore. Been doing this most of my life. I'm more worried about getting salmonella from my geckos or various diseases from my dog or cat.
@@-8_8- Honestly, I’d say it can be much more complicated than a hobbyist could want or imagine at times. I set up an aquarium that is meant be really low maintenance, and I’ve had issues with the fish every 1.5-2 weeks. I grew up being part of the aquarium hobby, I learned to take care of saltwater fish, brackish fish, freshwater fish, invertebrates, and so on very early on as a child. I used to have a lot of aquariums, but had to give them up when I became affected by my disability. I thought a new aquarium now would be a good idea, but it’s been completely disastrous no matter what I do. That’s actually why I made it to this video, I’ve tried everything, and I am now starting to suspect fish tuberculosis based on what has been occurring.
@@andrewlopez6225 I didn't drop a lot of money on my tank. If u have a big tank and a relatively small number of fish there is a small change of catching diseases. I also have a overpowered pump for my setup and I think that also helps.
Hi Doc, the info in this video has been very helpful, just a question what is the name of the medicament you mentioned to treat this? Is levamisole or albendazole ? Thanks, Thanks a lot.
Thanks!
Thanks for the video
great video, even though a bit scary! so how can we use vitamin C to keep our fish healthy in general? do we just buy it from the pharmacy in powder form? and dissolve it in the water? overtime does it break into anything that can pollute the water?
Wish I would have known about this when I had fish.
great video, really bad illness, had a tank wiped out in the 70's by it
thanks for the knowledge, now im having anxiety about that wicked mycobacterium haha
Thank you
Thanks.
Thanks for the info. I'm currently infected with M. marinum and am using medication ( doxycycline). What are your thoughts about the prevalence of this type of bacteria in an aquarium? Does it occur a lot or only in a small percentage of aquaria?
Thanks for the super informative video! At 4:35, you mention some species of fish in the aquarium seemed to be more susceptible to mycobacterium than others. I am interested to know which species may have more resistance to it? I've heard Oscars are susceptible, but what about Silver Dollars?
Rainbow fish susceptible. Then my siamese algae eater caught it. Then guppies. Guppies die sooo fast
How about Licorice Gourami? Rare in the hobby and endangered in the wild. I’m hoping I can save my fish
@@allisonbrizburk2217 same as chocolate gourami?
I think my chocolate had TB.
@@sasfishadventures9729I have the same problem, what did you do next? Did you disinfect the tank somehow or did you find another solution? ( after the death of fish)
Can you please do a video on Vitamin C. Which one is safe to use and how to use it?
@The Fish Doctor
Some fish don't like the taste of Levamisole. They just spit out the food. Since levamisole is water soluble, can't you just add it straight in the aquarium? and at what ppm? I know for treating worms, you usually add it at 9ppm.
Hi, what an amazing video, very informative. It made me recall my micro class from Nursing school. Question: would a Level 2 UV exposure remove the potential of infection for other fish in the tank? I know it would not save the infected fish - my focues would be to reduce the potential for a tank epidemic.
Thanks
Thinks for giving wander full information....
Pls. tell me abut biofloc disease and how to treat in biofloc tank without effecting biofloc bacteria ......?
I have a guppy that suddenly got pretty thin a few months back after being gravid a bunch of times in a row. If this is caused by this desease, would the others be visibly affected by now if they got it too? In other words, has enough time passed since it happened to the first one that I can almost rule it out for the others?
Can a nerite snail carry fish TB? I bought a snail at Petco. He had a couple holes in his shell, I quarantined him for a few days and when he seemed better and got some calcium he went into the tank. A week or two later a sore appears on my alpha female guppy, a hole on her face. Next two blue neon guppies, days apart start waging at the surface, hours later burst into erratic swimming corkscrew and then die within minutes. Should I remove the infected female and the snail? I would appreciate your advice. Great video, thank you.
Dr, I heard there was a case of an infection in a lung from syphoning aquarium water.
Yo ive been doing some cleaning and changing the substrate in my tank recently. Adding wood and rocks so most of the time my arms are always soaked in aquarium water. So for a week ive been doing this, moving decor around to get it looking the way i want it to be. Then i noticed a wart like bump on my thumb. It started small but now its grew bigger. From pea size to now almost a size of a penny. Now i always have to put band aid on my thumb to avoid showing it specifically when paying the cashier or just being around people where they're gonna notice it. Just need to know, maybe u could help bcs i dont wanna just have a disease looking thumb for life.😔 Thanks.✌️👍🙏
When you see the typical symptoms of fish tuberculosis and you test the fish in a lab, is it usually indeed fish tuberculosis or are other similar bacterial infections more common? Can other types of bacterial infections be chronic slow diseases too or is this something that is more common with fish tuberculosis?
There's also vibrio vulnificus. Ive worked in an AQ for nearly ten years and have never had a problem, but we just lost a 500 gallon tank of fish to vibrio harveyi. I don't think humans can get harveyi, but they can get vulnificus. I have been bitten by fish, cut by corals, gotten siphon tank water in my mouth etc over the years. I am much more careful now after our vibrio outbreak, and all the research I have done on aquatic bacterias.
Doc I have a question. I have 5 tanks running 75 gallon to 900 gallon. The question I have is the food I feed my fresh water fish consist of raw shrimp and turkey dogs. If there is any uneaten food with in 24hr period the food will have fuzz on it resembling fur. What could this be ? and what can I do about it?, I use RO DI water and Iam using uv sterilization on most of the tanks
Hi Mate, is there a textbook or resource you could recommend for identifying intestinal parasites in Cichlids?
Any luck Moto?
I didn't get the name of the medication you mentioned. Abamazol? I couldn't understand what you said, maybe If you would've added a list of of the stuff you mentioned it would've been helpful.
You are good luck! I was watching your video then I won my game of fortnite!!
As I watch this I am waiting for my new 29 gallon to cycle so I can add fish...
Now I am considering NOT getting fish. Maybe just a planted tank since I have invested $$$.
OR is a planted tank dangerous too? Anyone know the answer?
a bit off a odd question but cant find the awnser to this, and yes doc love you and your channel a lot. got my 2 year old fantail goldfish, she has a triangular shape protuding after the male chasing her around, under her chin. left it be but tried to push it back tonight, soflty but its not worked. ive had fish for years, shes nothing fancy or expensive, but the grandaughters have a soft spot for her and me too. for the life of me can not find out what it could be. only happened since that bugger chasing her around, the v under her chin has dropped, what could it be xxx
Is it a definite sign my oscar has fish tb if it has whitening on its tip of tail fin or other dorsal fins or its top fins from its top/rear mid to top spine) fins?
If you have Fish TB what protocol should be used to sanitize the tank and filter before using again or should everything be destroyed? TYA
Are wild native fish susceptible to this condition? I have caught large mouth bass that are very skinny. After after changes, or anything else where my hands get wet, I use an antibacterial soap and antibacterial gel. Is this sufficient protection?
Hello Doctor. I have a danio that is showing signs of dropsy meaning it has a bulged belly, some scales are spiked up but what caught my eye was a crust like scab growing from the side of the fish , I also noticed that beside the bulged stomach is very uniform meaning that the bulge gets bigger on the right side where the scab is growing, I already isolated the fish but and began doing epson salt treatment for the past two days since then the scab fell of but more is growing in its place and it’s white in coloration like puss. I would like to know if it is dropsy for sure but I also may have to remove it permanently. Your thoughts please and thanks
How can I make that bacteria not to show up on my fish?
What a great video! Thanks for all the information!
6 weeks ago I diognosed my aquarium with fishMB, sadly the best option for me was to put all my fish down and completely start over with the tank, the fish where to far gone...
My question, how could I disinfect de tank the best way? Did it with cloramine-T now and the tank will be completely empty for at least 8 weeks until I start over again. Is that enough? And how long does mycrobacterium survive in plants?
I would love an answer so I can help others with the information and have some reinsurance for myself. :)
were your fish spinning and then dying like mine? My skirt neon tetra did this.
@@SniperGoldfish no, here the fish started developing wounds, later on the wouldn't eat and separate themselves from the group. Then the would die after a couple of weeks.
For best bet I think I would let the aquarium be set on Sun for days to disinfect it more
@@Archht that would only work if the aquarium is getting warmer than 40 degrees celcius, under that and it wont die :)
@@NickeyAquaria Oh I meant your empty aquarium bathed on Sun, I thought you emptied it out my bad
ok. goodbye to this hobby. it have been a memorable journey together.
Ok, so I actually just fired off a super long question about mycobacteria on another vid, and you have answered all of them bar one in this video. Have you ever heard of streptomycin being used to treat fish. I have heard it, from several very experienced fishkeepers that they have used it in the past with great results. They had, however, come up with their own dosage levels etc....so I took it with a grain of salt until my mates fish started dying from it. Somehow I severely doubt there are many, if any scientists/pharma companies looking into new treatments for this, as the commonly accepted wisdom is that fish 'just die' even within the hobby. Streptomycin as a treatment makes sense to me, as it is an antibiotic used to treat gram-negative bacteria in humans. One other thing, as a vet, do you think a UV sterilizer would help to prevent the spread of the bacteria within the tank? Thanks for taking the time to read this, regards, Rob
I am sure my aquarium has this. All my fish died showing all the signs mentioned in your video. The fish died over a span of 4-5 months.
My tank is empty now with few shrimps and tons of plants. Can I restart the aquarium without completely breaking down? Can plants and shrimp carry the bacteria? Can I somehow disinfect plants and driftwood and reuse safely?
Ugh. This just made me paranoid. I had a male guppy swimming uncontrollably so I took him out of the tank he had the white stringy feces thing. He died around two weeks later. All the other guppies seem to be fine except for one of my larger females. I came back from work one day to find she had passed away. None of them ever displayed any sores. They do seem to have some sort of skin irritation and scratch themselves against the substrate and driftwood.
Is there a chance that it could be fish TB?
My 125 gallon has become infected. Two common Plecos, 7 goldfish and an Oscar. All are showing signs. How late is too late for treatment to save them? We haven’t been keeping fish long and treated for ich.. one goldfishes spine has turned in to an “S” shape.
Hello Dr Loh! Thank you for this informative video! I am just a little confused though. I have had a few issues with my Bristle Nose Catfish with them suffering from a sunken belly and body wasting. And other fish suffering from bloated condition. I did notice on occasions that some fish had clear or white faeces. The fish's condition would end up being fatal. In the case of the Albino Bristle Nose. The fish went pale and looked anaemic. I first believed being an intestinal parasite that my fish were infected with Hexamita. I treated all my tanks with API General Cure (Metronidazole) on several applications with some success. A month or so later I am starting to see a few more fish affected by this wasting disease. After watching this video I am wondering is Hexamita the same as Mycobacteria. If not can I really tell the difference without doing pathology tests to diagnose correctly?
Hexamita (or Octomita) is NOT the same as Mycobacteria. Hex is a flagellated protozoan; Mycobacteria is a bacterium. The former can be diagnosed by microscopical examination of the faeces. Mycobacteria can be definitively diagnosed by taking tissue smears and plating out on agar, as Dr Loh pointed out. There are other intestinal conditions that affect fishes, and the best course of action when presented with an acute outbreak of unknown origin is to consult a fish vet asap. Delaying a diagnosis exacerbates the situation, resulting in unnecessary mortality.
my goldfish got this and i freaked out because i got a boil on my hand because i didn’t know what it was. when i asked a doctor i was told it’s not actually a thing for humans :0 this was very recent too. i actually manages to revive my goldfish he’s still swimming strong.
Your doctor isn't an infectious specialist familiar with these lesions. I hope that you get to the bottom of this. It can be fatal.
How does someone go about getting their fish necropsied and tested for this?
How can i tell the difference between this and skinny disease in my danio? They are just losing weight... stopped eating...