FLOWERHORN FISH COMMON DISEASES | HOW TO CURE FLOWERHORN FISH DISEASES

Here is a list of some flowerhorn fish diseases and how to cure them without spending a lot of money.

Caring for our precious flowerhorns is not just feeding them 2 to 3 times daily. Maintaining water qualities are also as important as feeding them on a regular basis. Yes, they also have feelings as we do. One important thing that a fish hobbyist should pay attention to is the typical sign of a disease. Everyday, when we feed our fish we always sat down in front and observe them. Overtime, our eyes are trained when we identify some strange behavior on our fish appearance and body language.

Listed below are some of diseases I encountered and cured. Please take note that these recommendations of curing your flowerhorn is based on my experience and is not copied from any books and/or flowerhorn websites. So if you want to share/post this somewhere else, please make sure you put credit to where it is due. If you have a faster and effective method of taking care of such diseases, do not hesitate to comment. As you know, learning does not stop!

FLUKES / WHITE SPOT (itch) / FIN ROT / PIMPLES

For me this is the easiest disease to cure, what I do is put Malachite Green in the tank. In 24-48 hours it’s gone, depending on severity and your water temperature. For me, it is the cheapest (only P10/bottle) and fastest way and I don't think you need to buy those P100+ bottles just for this just like idol Trojan do (he, he)! I do get this disease a lot since it is very cold in my fish section. You can use salt or Methylene Blue as an alternative but it will need more time to cure the disease. Its best if you perform at least a 50% (i do 90% since my H2O is aged) water change before applying MG. For severe cases, put 1 x Tetracycline 500mg for every 20-25 gallons of water. For pimples, it is a prolonged process. I don't recommend popping them since it will spread more quickly. Actually, with frequent water changes pimples often go away without putting any meds.

HEXAMITA / BLOAT / SWIM BLADDER

Woooohoooo.... thank God for Azoo Anti-Endoparasites! This one is selling like hotcakes now eversince I discovered it in Batmanok's Shop more than two years ago and posted it in FACS. Now this med is being used by majority of hobbyists and is found out to be highly-effective. Unlike the old days when our flowerhorns die to this dreaded disease, now you can cure them in less than a week! But what if you don't have Azoo AEP? Yes, there is an alternative. Here's what I do... in 20-25 gallons of water (assuming you perform a water change), I put 1 x Metronidazole 500mg and 1 x Mebendazole 500mg. 75% water change every other day and re-dose 1 x Metronidazole 500mg. Start feeding the fish only after 3 days, and check if the fish eats. I have tried this method numerous times and it only takes no less than 5 days but no more than 10 days to cure a fish with hexa. It will help speed up the healing process if you use a heater, set at 30 degrees Celsius. For bloat and swim bladder, just do the same process and use the same meds. It will take two weeks or even up to a month to correct these in my experience. By the way, I don 't use over-head filtration systems so I don 't know if there 's an added effect if you use one, you tell me.

MOUTH FUNGUS/ROT/DISEASE

Does your fish gasps for air in the surface? Mouth always open because it is swollen and has cotton-wool like tufts? Definitely your fish cannot eat. Two of my breeders died due to this disease but it gave me an opportunity to experiment on different kinds of meds until I came across Ocean Free 's Special External Bacteria and Fungus Away. For the third time the disease occurred to me, I tested it and cured my fish in just 5 days. Doing a daily 75% water change and re-dosing without a use of a heater. The only annoying thing is that your water will turn green ala Mountain Dew.

HOLE IN THE HEAD / POP EYE

This is very easy to cure especially when it is in its early stages. Perform a water change of no less than 50%. Put 1 x Tetracycline 500mg and 1 x Dimetridazole 500mg plus some Vitamins for every 20-25 gallons of water. Do a water change and re-dose 1 x Tetracycline 500mg every other day. Just a month a ago, I did this procedure on two of my breeders that got infected from a female fish. Luckily they got better after 7 days. On severe cases, Azoo Bacteria Tabs or Azoo Bacteria Treater is best! Set your heater to 30 degrees Celsius.

Hope this helps!

Reference:

Flowerhorn Fish Common Diseases and Tips on How to Cure Them by Edgar Lopez of Flowerhorn Pilipinas - http://www.flowerhornpilipinas.com. (Note: The site is no longer existing).