COSTIA
What is it?
Costia is quite a serious ailment.

It mainly affects stressed fish, so water conditions are usually a contributing factor. Costia are tiny parasites that attack the fish in times of stress, attaching to any part of the body but mainly gills and sensitive areas. These parasites are quite common in aquariums in very small numbers, however rapidly increases if a fish becomes weak. The reproduce asexually by splitting in half, thus doubling the population in minutes! In large numbers they can cause the fish great harm, damaging the tissues and skin.

This disease will usually only occur when the fish are stressed. The few that occur in the aquarium all the time should not hurt the fish, as the fish's slim coating will protect it. However the slime coating can only protect against so much, and when the fish is sick or stressed its immune system will lower. Common stresses include overcrowding, poor water quality, malnutrition or sudden temperature changes. It may also be introduced by new fish or plants/drift wood etc.

It can kill rapidly (within a week) when numbers of the parasites get extremely high.

Symptoms:
Often referred to as slime disease, the first symptom is fairly obvious. A milky cloudiness on skin will occur, with the overproduction of slime. (The fish produces more slime to try and protect itself against the parasite).

The fish may also scrape itself against aquarium objects in an effort to remove the irritation. Labored breathing often occurs as the parasite attacks the gills. The fish may hang at the top of the aquarium, gasping for oxygen. The fish may also exhibit clamped fins, flashing, listlessness, reddened body and fins a loss of appetite exhaustion and/or isolation.

Cure:
Firstly, make sure the water is of a high quality, check pH and ammonia levels. Correct these and proceed with treatment.

General parasite treatments will work fine here. Copper based treatments, such as malachite green, work very well. These treatments may need to be repeated to ensure a full recovery.

If the infestation is not major, salt added to the aquarium will make a great improvement. (0.6%) That's providing the fish can handle small amounts of salt.

Raising the water temperature slightly may also help, although that is not always possible.



Remember, water quality is always extremely important- so always check that first as it is often the cause of disease in aquarium fish. When treating sick fish, try to put the least amount of stress on them as possible, as stress will hinder the heeling process. Another thing is to remember is that generally, a healthy fish is a happy fish.

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