Fish can get stressed

A vital part of any aquaculture system is represented by the fish population and their well-being. The trick here is to keep an eye on them on daily basis. This is the best practice that can help you spot and treat sick fish.

There are several key aspects you should look for like:

– the way they act can tell you a bunch of things about their health status. Changes in their routine should make you look for other signs of disease.

– stress can affect fish too. Look for signs of stress like the lack of energy.

– constantly monitor the quality of water.

– be careful how you choose the stock and the feeding rates.

Anyway, the most powerful signal remains the behavior. It is the best way in which you can determine if your fish is sick or not. So, you have to learn how to spot and analyze certain shifts in their behavior. Experts recommend watching the fish before and during the feeding and estimating how much food was consumed. Furthermore, you need to learn that the following are signs for healthy and happy fish:

– their tails are straight

– they swim in cute patterns. There are no signs of apathy. Keep in mind that certain fish species like catfish enjoy sleeping on the bottom of the tank. So, learning the characteristics of your species may turn out helpful too.

– they are eager to eat and do not run away when you approach with food.

– they are not rubbing against the walls of the container.

– they are not staying at the surface in order to breathe.

– their eyes are always clear and shiny.

This being said, if you happen to notice one or more changes in the characteristics above, it means that your fish stocking has a problem. It may be the levels of oxygen, the pH, the water quality or even the food. Also, do not let them to continue in that bad manner. Take action immediately and try to restore their state.

Adding up, spotting stress is another important thing. In the case of fish population, stress can appear due to the fact that the medium they live in is not proper. Too many fish, shifts in temperature or bad feeding techniques are some of the factors that can stress them. The most common stress symptoms are the lack of appetite, odd swimming behavior, acceleration of breathing or physical injuries due to the fact that other fish tend to attack the sick ones.

Keep in mind that stress can cause damages to their immune system which will determine the appearance of diseases. If you are experiencing some of the mentioned symptoms, it is best to start checking their environment. Remember that they start to get sick one by one. So, if you only got one sick fish, it does not mean it won`t spread. Furthermore, if the stress period is prolonged, the entire population will be prone to developing diseases due to bacteria or parasites. Your goal should be avoiding the stress by properly installing an adequate environment.

aquaculture, fish, stress

Aquaculture