How to Treat Enteritis in Flowerhorn Cichlids? Symptom Identification and Treatment Methods
In the process of keeping flowerhorn cichlids, you will encounter all kinds of problems, and enteritis is one of the most troublesome diseases, because it has many causes, is difficult to treat, and easily recurs, which can lead to symptoms such as weakness, refusal to eat, and darkening of the body. If effective measures are not taken in time, it can very easily lead to the death of the fish. Below, let us take a look at the symptoms and treatment methods of enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids!
Causes of Enteritis in Flowerhorn Cichlids
The causes of enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids are divided into four types: enteritis caused by internal parasites, enteritis caused by bacterial infection, enteritis caused by water quality changes, and enteritis caused by indigestion. For enteritis with different causes, the symptoms are different and the treatment methods are also different. Treatment cannot be generalized. First, you must figure out what is causing the enteritis based on the symptoms of the flowerhorn cichlid, and only then can you know how to treat enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids.
Symptoms of Enteritis in Flowerhorn Cichlids
1. Mild: The sick fish's body color becomes slightly dull and it passes a small amount of white feces, but its state and appetite are normal.
2. Moderate: The sick fish's body color is dull, zebra stripes appear, it passes long stringy white feces, and its appetite decreases, but it still actively chases hands and has the desire to swim.
3. Severe: The sick fish's body color turns black, it passes white feces and purulent feces, refuses food, faces the wall, and does not swim.
Treatment of Enteritis in Flowerhorn Cichlids
1. Mild: The mild stage of enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids is the best time for treatment, and also the easiest to overlook, because a good appetite and a state that has not declined will interfere with our judgment. At this time, the best approach is to stop feeding, raise the temperature to 32°C, and do not add salt.
2. Moderate: The treatment method for moderate enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids is to raise the temperature to 32°C, add coarse salt or aquarium-specific salt at a concentration of 1% (never use iodized salt), stop feeding for more than 10 days, and change water at the normal frequency. After 10 days, observe the body color and appetite until normal black feces are passed and the body color returns to bright, only then may you feed a small amount.
3. Severe: Severe enteritis in flowerhorn cichlids is caused by the incorrect flowerhorn cichlid keeping method of continuing to feed during the moderate stage. At this time, only medication can be used: Baibichu + Juntemie, for 100 liters of water, add one bottle cap of each. After 3~4 days, change 1/3 of the water, then add one bottle cap of each again. After 3~4 days, change the water again, then add one bottle cap of each again. Three water changes, three doses of medication, with the concentration higher each time. If after the third dose of medication, your beloved flowerhorn has the ability to swim, does not face the wall, and interacts slightly, this means it has improved. Then after 3~4 days, change the water again without adding medication, and repeat this cycle to reduce the concentration of the medicinal bath and let the fish recover on its own. Barring accidents, after a few more days, the sick fish will chase hands for food. This shows the fish is almost better. If the condition is very serious, injection treatment can be used on the flowerhorn, injecting 25 mg of gentamicin per fish.
Note: From stopping feeding and administering medication to the flowerhorn cichlid resuming swimming takes about 10 days, and then to chasing hands for food takes about 15 days. At this time, do not feed the fish just because you feel sorry for it. This is when the fish has just recovered from a serious illness, and all its bodily functions have not yet recovered. The digestive system has not yet fully recovered. At this time, do not rush. Stop feeding for another two days and observe the body color. If your fish's body color has also recovered, it swims freely, and its food-seeking behavior is obvious, start feeding a small amount. The method is to buy bloodworms, wash them clean when you get home, soak them in salt water for half an hour, take them out, freeze them, and the next day when feeding, thaw them, soak them in the medicinal water of Baibichu for 10 minutes, then feed. 2 to 3 pieces are enough. Do the same on the third day. Every two days, add 1 to 2 bloodworms, proceeding step by step in this way. After one week, if black feces are passed and the body color is bright, congratulations, the fish's enteritis has completely healed.