by Heidi dM | Feb 3, 2022 | Aquaculture
Before being put on display, new animals arriving at public aquariums have to go through a quarantine process. This allows the curatorial staff to observe and treat the newcomers for any potential risks to the resident... by Afishionado | Feb 17, 2021 | Fish, Video
Years ago, I met up with my good friend, Lance Ichinotsubo of Elite Marinelife by Captive Seas, to do a video. Lance, popular author of The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook was one of founders of hyposalinity for our hobby over 40 years ago and has been at... by Afishionado | Oct 4, 2018 | Industry, MACNA, Video
Paul Poeschl of Apex Aquarium Consulting is someone that I respect greatly. It’s very time consuming and energy draining trying to argue your way through the ignorance and sheer amount of misinformation online, but he’s one of the good ones constantly... by Al Ulrich | Jul 27, 2017 | Fish
I’ve always been a BIG ADVOCATE of quarantine. Well, I guess always isn’t quite the right word, because, like most people, I thought I could get away without quarantine when I first started. And I had devastating infestations more than... by Saltwater Smarts | May 15, 2016 | Fish, Reef, Science
It’s important to strike a balance between quick intervention and overreaction when it comes to marine fish disease symptomsMost marine aquarium hobbyists keep a close eye on their fish for certain tell-tale signs of ill health. And that’s a good thing, since quick intervention in the case of fish disease can often be the difference between life and death for the specimen(s). On the other hand, we do need to be cautious about overreacting to every suspicious visual or behavioral symptom because sometimes these warning signs may not be what they seem. Remember, if misapplied, medications and therapeutic protocols for fish can do considerably more harm than good. It’s important to have a fairly high degree of confidence in your diagnosis before proceeding with treatment. That means you have to guard against misinterpreting normal behaviors or forgetting that more than one problem can cause similar symptoms.To help illustrate this point, here’s a sampling of symptoms that may or may not spell trouble for your fish depending on the context: Flashing If you’ve ever been through a major outbreak of Cryptocaryon irritans, no doubt the sight of a fish turning on its side and scraping its body on the rockwork causes your heart to skip a beat. And, indeed, flashing is a potentially worrisome symptom. However, this behavior doesn’t automatically signal the presence of a parasite or other problem
