Skinny disease is one of the most notorious fish health conditions. You may buy seemingly healthy fish, but then they suddenly start wasting away. This may seem very confusing, especially if you’ve been caring for them properly. However, it is a bacterial infection that requires special attention if you want to totally eradicate it from your home aquarium. In this guide, we’ll analyze everything you need to know about skinny disease.
Most importantly, we’ll explain how to get rid of this nasty condition!
Skinny Disease Usually Arises from Parasites
Skinny disease is a wasting condition that causes affected fish to lose weight before they eventually die. It’s sometimes called “livebearer disease” because of how disproportionately it affects fish that birth live young.
Usually, internal parasites enter the fish’s body, usually tapeworms or Camallanus worms (a type of roundworm). These worms leach nutrients from the fish’s body, causing the fish’s body mass to drop while their organs shut down.
Wasting disease is contagious, so the worms may find a new host after the fish dies. It can run rampant through a home aquarium. Sometimes it may affect several fish before apparently disappearing and recurring again.
Unsanitary Conditions Can Cause Wasting Disease
Skinny disease isn’t a condition in and of itself. Parasites cause this issue and trigger many symptoms. The main cause of skinny disease is poor husbandry. Unscrupulous dealers are the biggest perpetrators because they may raise or breed livebearer fish in unsanitary conditions. Only buy from ethical dealers with a strong reputation because this will drastically reduce the risk.
You can prevent skinny disease by avoiding feeding your fish live-caught food because they have a greater risk of containing parasites. Instead, buy frozen worms because they are more sanitary. Cleaning your fish’s tank can also reduce the likelihood of parasites and other conditions that commonly affect aquatic life.
Symptoms of Skinny Disease Include Listlessness
The most obvious symptom of skinny disease is weight loss. It won’t happen quickly but instead over several weeks. Often, by the time owners notice weight loss in their fish, it’s too late to remedy the issue. Instead, you may be looking at protecting the rest of your aquarium’s population rather than saving an individual fish.
A fish with skinny disease may also be overly lethargic and hardly respond to external stimuli. It’s always a red flag if they don’t eat when it’s feeding time. Stringy feces are another common sign of skinny disease (yet the only way to make a definite diagnosis is by analyzing the feces under a microscope). A marine life vet can explain more about treating sick fish.
Treatment Options Depend on the Condition’s Cause
Treating skinny disease is tricky because it can spread through an aquarium before you can recognize the subtle signs. Once diagnosed, your options depend on the type of parasites causing the infestation.
One option is a tank treatment, where the hobbyist pours medication into the water. You should quarantine either the sick or healthy fish to prevent the parasites from infecting the rest of the tank population.
An alternative is to give the fish medicated food. Many experienced owners say that this is more effective. It’s recommended to quarantine the affected fish and only give them this food. If you give the medicated food to healthy fish, they could develop resistance, lessening the medication’s effect if they do get infected.
Good Aquatic Husbandry Prevents Skinny Disease
It’s best to avoid illnesses instead of treating them. This is especially true when you’re dealing with a wasting condition like skinny disease. The good news is that most fish health problems are avoidable if you properly maintain your aquarium.
First, always quarantine new fish because they’re the biggest threat to your aquarium’s population. You should keep them isolated for about a month before putting them in their new home. This may seem like an effort, but it’s worth preventing conditions like skinny disease and marine ich from affecting the fish you already own.
Also, perform regular cleanings to maintain a healthy aquatic environment. Remove leftover food or decaying plants, so they don’t create a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites that commonly affect fish. Decomposing matter can also increase the ammonia levels in your aquarium, possibly risking your pets’ health.
You should also change 20 percent of the tank’s water each week. Check the water parameters every day, including the temperature and pH levels, to ensure they’re right for your fish. Remember: stress is a massive trigger of dormant fish diseases, so you want to keep your fish comfortable.
Do Only Livebearers Catch Skinny Disease?
As noted, skinny disease is also commonly referred to as “livebearer disease.” That’s because it commonly affects guppies, platies, and other similar livebearer fish. However, parasites can infect any fish species. Tetras, cichlids, and catfish are among many domesticated species that may contract parasitic worms.
But why are livebearers the most vulnerable to this terrible illness? They unfortunately can suffer stress from overbreeding, making them more susceptible to infection. To reduce stress among your livebearers, always keep more females than males.
Some livebearers also have weaker immune systems than other fish species. For example, guppies, betta fish, and platies are some of the most popular pet fish on the planet. The problem with this is that many breeders don’t care for them properly or even resort to inbreeding. This unfortunately does not set up fish to live long or healthy lives, often succumbing to disease.
By sourcing your fish from reputable breeders, regularly cleaning your aquarium, and quarantining new tank additions, you can keep your finned friends healthy.
