Paul B
Well-Known Member
Just an observation:
There are so many problems or concerns in this hobby about fish diseases. I really don't know why so many people have problems with this but I have a hunch.
Our fish in the sea never really die of old age. A fish, unfortunately, is an animal that usually ends it's life as supper for some other animal, being either another fish, seal, bird or humans. Even a fearsome great white shark will eventually grow so old and slow that it can no longer catch sea lions and it will starve to be eaten by other less fearsome animals.
But in a captive envirnment fish can live for years or decades. And they should. Fish have evolved a fairly elaborate immune system because they have been here for millions of years longer than us, well most of us. The fact that live in a watery envirnment demands that their immune system function well because the sea is host to all the chemicals, minerals bacteria and viruses on earth. The water is actually an extension of the fishes circulatory system so whatever is in the water, is also in the fish.
We humans have it much easier because we only need to inhale air and not everything else on earth.
This immune system works almost flawlessly but only if the fish is in perfect health. Through my observations it seems that their immune system is severly compromised by a lack of certain things in their diet along with stress.
We can't do much about the stress of captivity short of releasing the fish to the wild but we can do much about their diet.
Fish IMO should almost never get sick. If we have a town of 100 people and a human lifespan is about 80 years then most people should live about 80 years, some 60 some 100 but on average.
If out of those 100 people absolutely none of them reach 30 years old and 10% of the rest of them come down with something, you may not want to live in that town.
Fish want to live and if they get sick it is usually our fault.
Keeping the immune system of a fish healthy is paramount to keeping the animal disease free. Even paracite free although I don't know exactly how they become immune to paracites but I know they do.
My tank is no better than anyone elses but I have not lost a fish to a disease in decades. Why is that?
I doubt it is my UG filter, people just laugh at that. I don't think it has to do with my ozone although that could help. I don't change nearly as much water as most people. I get the fish from many different sources.
It has to be either the bacteria I add from the sea, but I don't see how that would help. Or the food.
I am betting on food. I could be wrong because I am not the God of fish and not an expert. By the way, there are no experts because this is a hobby. No one has a degree in hobbies although some people think they do.
I am only going by my own observations here and my 40 years of hanging out underwater.
The best food for most fish is fish. Whole fish, guts liver bones, scales and all.
I myself don't usually feed whole fish, i wish I could but I do feed live whole worms, whole fish eggs and whole clams after I freeze them. (worms are full of oil)
If you do much diving you will see millions of tiny fish fry all over the place near the bottom, this makes up a large part of a fishes diet. Not flakes, pellets or freeze dried anything.
I believe it is the guts of the prey fish that keeps the immune system functioning properly. Specifically the liver which is mostly oil.
A 100lb shark is almost 20lbs oil. Fish need this oil to maintain bouyancy and to produce eggs.
Only the healthiest fish can spawn because making babies is a great challenge for a fish. It not only needs nourishment to keep itself alive but it needs a huge amount of extra nutrients to produce fry which at that point are mostly oil.
If a fish is spawning or making spawning jestures it is in excellent health. Fish in excellent health have excellent immune systems.
Fish with excellent immune systems do not get sick.
Again, this is only my theory and this entire hobby is based on mostly theory.
Have a great day.
There are so many problems or concerns in this hobby about fish diseases. I really don't know why so many people have problems with this but I have a hunch.
Our fish in the sea never really die of old age. A fish, unfortunately, is an animal that usually ends it's life as supper for some other animal, being either another fish, seal, bird or humans. Even a fearsome great white shark will eventually grow so old and slow that it can no longer catch sea lions and it will starve to be eaten by other less fearsome animals.
But in a captive envirnment fish can live for years or decades. And they should. Fish have evolved a fairly elaborate immune system because they have been here for millions of years longer than us, well most of us. The fact that live in a watery envirnment demands that their immune system function well because the sea is host to all the chemicals, minerals bacteria and viruses on earth. The water is actually an extension of the fishes circulatory system so whatever is in the water, is also in the fish.
We humans have it much easier because we only need to inhale air and not everything else on earth.
This immune system works almost flawlessly but only if the fish is in perfect health. Through my observations it seems that their immune system is severly compromised by a lack of certain things in their diet along with stress.
We can't do much about the stress of captivity short of releasing the fish to the wild but we can do much about their diet.
Fish IMO should almost never get sick. If we have a town of 100 people and a human lifespan is about 80 years then most people should live about 80 years, some 60 some 100 but on average.
If out of those 100 people absolutely none of them reach 30 years old and 10% of the rest of them come down with something, you may not want to live in that town.
Fish want to live and if they get sick it is usually our fault.
Keeping the immune system of a fish healthy is paramount to keeping the animal disease free. Even paracite free although I don't know exactly how they become immune to paracites but I know they do.
My tank is no better than anyone elses but I have not lost a fish to a disease in decades. Why is that?
I doubt it is my UG filter, people just laugh at that. I don't think it has to do with my ozone although that could help. I don't change nearly as much water as most people. I get the fish from many different sources.
It has to be either the bacteria I add from the sea, but I don't see how that would help. Or the food.
I am betting on food. I could be wrong because I am not the God of fish and not an expert. By the way, there are no experts because this is a hobby. No one has a degree in hobbies although some people think they do.
I am only going by my own observations here and my 40 years of hanging out underwater.
The best food for most fish is fish. Whole fish, guts liver bones, scales and all.
I myself don't usually feed whole fish, i wish I could but I do feed live whole worms, whole fish eggs and whole clams after I freeze them. (worms are full of oil)
If you do much diving you will see millions of tiny fish fry all over the place near the bottom, this makes up a large part of a fishes diet. Not flakes, pellets or freeze dried anything.
I believe it is the guts of the prey fish that keeps the immune system functioning properly. Specifically the liver which is mostly oil.
A 100lb shark is almost 20lbs oil. Fish need this oil to maintain bouyancy and to produce eggs.
Only the healthiest fish can spawn because making babies is a great challenge for a fish. It not only needs nourishment to keep itself alive but it needs a huge amount of extra nutrients to produce fry which at that point are mostly oil.
If a fish is spawning or making spawning jestures it is in excellent health. Fish in excellent health have excellent immune systems.
Fish with excellent immune systems do not get sick.
Again, this is only my theory and this entire hobby is based on mostly theory.
Have a great day.
