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Oregon Sea Grant

Ornamental Fish Health Newsletter

Volume 4.1

Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM

I hope all of you are looking forward to a pleasant summer. After a very long hiatus, we are excited to share the latest issue of our newsletter with you.

The Ornamental Fish Health Program has recently experienced changes that will enable us to provide increased outreach and service to our friends in the ornamental fish world. Perhaps the most significant change is the addition of Dennis Glaze to our staff as the new Aquatic Health and Husbandry Specialist. Dennis’ duties include managing our recently completed Aquatic Health and Husbandry Teaching Laboratory, coordinating and instructing many of our workshops and seminars, mentoring practicum students in our Laboratory, assisting with ambulatory calls to ornamental fish facilities and, most importantly, managing the newsletter (and me) to ensure quarterly publication. Dennis is a recent graduate of the Aquarium Science Program who worked with us as a student throughout his time in the program.

Those of you who have visited the Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center and toured the World of Wet Pets Exhibit have experienced his handiwork. Dennis is the one who built the exhibit. He comes to us with a varied background as a newspaper sports writer and editor, chef, poker dealer, and cartoonist, but it is in Aquarium Science and the Extension Service, he tells us, that he has found his calling. We are all very pleased to have Dennis on board and he has already proven to be a great asset to our growing program. Please take a moment to welcome Dennis to our team.

- Tim Miller-Morgan

CONTENTS:

• Criteria for Buying New Fish and Locating a Dependable Retail Fish Shop -- Some Thoughts -- Dennis Glaze
• The Importance of Quarantine -- a Reminder – Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan
• AQUAVETS.COM -- A New Online Resource for Locating Aquatic Veterinarians and Diagnostic Laboratories – AVMA
• Common Parasites of Freshwater Ornamental Fish, the Series – Downloads
• Update on the OCCC Aquarium Science Program -- Bruce Koike
• Free Newsletter for Veterinarians Practicing Fish Medicine
• Upcoming Opportunities
• Recent Donations
  

CRITERIA FOR BUYING NEW FISH AND LOCATING A DEPENDABLE RETAIL FISH SHOP – SOME THOUGHTS

Dennis Glaze, AAS, Aquarium Science, Oregon Sea Grant Extension, Oregon State University, Newport, OR

Because there are no guarantees for success, purchasing that perfect fish for the aquarium can be one of the most exciting and rewarding and yet, at the same time, most frustrating experiences of ornamental fish keeping. Consequently, the criteria list for choosing fish and a retail fish shop should be expanded beyond the following basic list found by hobbyist and retailers in most Web-based articles:

• The appearance of the shop
• The appearance of the fish
• The appearance of the shop’s personnel
  

In creating an expanded version of criteria for choosing fish and a retail shop, I’ve started by breaking the list down into three main categories: the hobbyist, the retail shop, and the fish.

The Hobbyist

Ultimately, the health and well being of our fish lies in our hands as the hobbyist, and with that in mind, no dedicated hobbyist should ever consider buying a new fish without first knowing the requirements of that fish and preparing for its arrival. In other words, research, research, and more research:

• Water parameters – What is the optimal temperature range, acceptable pH level, oxygen and salinity levels, water circulation, and flow rate for this species? Dietary requirements
• Is the fish a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore? Can you provide the appropriate diet for this species?
• Habitat requirements – What are the substrate and lighting needs? Does the fish require a sheltered or open environment and/or live plants?
• Compatibility with other fish – Is it a passive, aggressive, or a schooling fish? Will it be compatible with the fish you already have in your aquarium?
• Swimming level – Does it swim at the bottom, middle or top of the water column? Can you provide an optimal swimming environment?
• Tank volume needed – What are the recommended stocking numbers for this species? What is the expected adult size of the fish? Will your tank be able to accommodate this fish when it is full grown?
  

The concept of quarantine is the great paradox of ornamental fish keeping. While the benefits are well known (see Ornamental Fish Health Newsletter, Vol. 3, 1 and this issue), most ornamental fish retail shops just can't afford to have their product sitting around the shop for 30 plus days (the generally recommended quarantine period). Consequently, this translates into getting the fish into the store and moving it out the door as soon as possible.

A store that does some level of quarantine and/or advocates that the hobbyist quarantine all new fish after purchase is always worth a second look. That being said, we always recommend that a hobbyist quarantine ALL new fish before they are added to the main display tank even if the retail facility has run the fish through a quarantine period. We also recommend that you house this new fish with a couple of less valuable fish from your display system during the home quarantine period. Newly purchased fish and these less valuable fish may each have diseases that they have learned to live with and are not openly visible to the hobbyist. Cross-exposure within the quarantine system may bring these diseases to light before unknowingly introducing them to the main system.

The respectable retailer will:

• Acknowledge that the fish haven’t been quarantined, if that's the case.
• Encourage the customer to practice quarantine of all new fish.
• Offer some sort of guarantee that if the fish should die within a certain amount of time they will be replaced -- unfortunately, some pathogens don’t emerge until long after this grace period has expired, but some sort of guarantee is better than nothing.

The Retail Shop

In an optimal world of ornamental fish keeping, every retail fish shop would follow the same standard husbandry procedures and perhaps be certified for these standards; however, this is generally not the case. Because no consistent set of standards exist, we suggest you develop your own standards for judging a shop worthy of your business. Consider the following:

The Appearance of the Shop -- A sparkling clean shop does not always equate to healthy fish. The owner of a small shop with a limited budget may decide to spend money on the product (fish and filtration) rather than the aesthetics of the shop. However, at no time should a limited budget put the health of the fish in jeopardy.

Retail Shop Personnel -- Whether its the owner or the hired help, shop personnel are the essential link to success for both the hobbyist and the retail shop. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are shop personnel knowledgeable, with a willingness to communicate with the hobbyist? Asking some of the questions from the first section of this article may assist you in assessing their knowledge level and interest.
• Do personnel ask questions of the hobbyist to assure the appropriateness of this fish for the hobbyist’s tank? Do they ask questions to ensure the continued health of the fish during transportation, acclimatization, and the housing of the fish in its new surroundings? Don’t be offended by these questions, often the store owner is just trying to ensure that these fish go to a good home.
• Do personnel advocate proper fish handling techniques?
• Are fish caught and bagged safely and in a way that limits excessive stress on the fish?
• Are separate nets used for each tank or separate system, thus preventing cross contamination?
• Do shop personnel recommend to the hobbyists the quarantining all new fish before adding them to their display system?
• Is a livestock guarantee offered to replace dead fish within 48 hours, along with the testing of a water sample from the tank?
  

The Shop Tanks -- In considering how the fish have been temporarily housed:

• Are the tanks well lighted for adequate viewing?
• Are the tanks free of algae growth? Is the water clear?
• Can you observe adequate aeration and water flow to each tank?
• Are the tanks covered and protected from splash from nearby tanks?
• Are dead fish present? If so, they should be removed from the tank as quickly as possible. Dead fish decomposing will cause a spike in the ammonia levels within the tank and potentially release disease-causing organisms, thus further compromising the health of the remaining fish.
  

The Fish

Close observations of the fish may be the most important step in acquiring healthy specimens. In terms of overall appearances, do the fish have a healthy look? Do they actively swim about the aquarium? Are they curious and non-aggressive, for the most part? Are there signs of disease and/or stress? (see Ornamental Fish Health Newsletters, Vol. 1:2 and Vol 2). Are the fish isolating themselves from the other fish? Do they have ragged fins, spots, or ulcerations? Do the fish exhibit rapid breathing, abnormal swimming patterns, cloudy eyes, or clamped fins.

Follow-through

After researching, locating, and deciding on a retail fish shop to frequent, visit it often, if for no other reason than to keep in touch with store personnel. Communication after the fish buying experience is just as important as communication before and during the experience. And remember to pass on the word -- a credible and accountable retail ornamental fish store is worth its weight in gold -- pass the word on to your fellow fish hobbyist.

Conclusion

Although one of the most exciting features of the ornamental fish keeping hobby is the acquisition of new fish, there are certainly no guarantees that each experience will be successful and rewarding. However, we can narrow the odds for success by becoming more educated concerning what fish we plan to keep, by building a trusting relationship between hobbyist and retailer, and by following through with ongoing communication with and support of that retailer and his or her shop.

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUARANTINE – A REMINDER

Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM, Oregon Sea Grant Extension, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Newport, OR

With summer coming and the start of the fish show and fish auction season, at least for koi and goldfish, this is an excellent opportunity to review some general preventive strategies hobbyists and dealers may use to reduce their risks of introducing diseases into their fish populations.

• Always use trusted fish suppliers who will be upfront about previous fish health problems and will not sell fish that they suspect or know are sick.
• Have a separate quarantine tank/pond for all new fish. This tank would optimally have separate nets, totes, and cleaning supplies that can be disinfected between uses.
• Optimally, quarantine all new fish for at least four weeks for tropical fish and six weeks for pond fish. This allows a period of time at the optimal temperatures for the most common diseases to manifest in the fish. If a new fish is a disease carrier, you would rather have it break with the disease in your quarantine system rather that in your pond(s) or tank(s) with your other fish.
• Quarantine plants and invertebrates separately from the fish since many pathogens, parasites, or their intermediates stages may reside on the plants and invertebrates.
• Remember, during the quarantine period a number of things should be occurring:
  • The fish are becoming acclimated to new surroundings, water, food, and your daily patterns.
  • You are actively watching the fish closely for any signs of disease.
  • You should be performing skin scrapes and/or gill biopsies to see if the fish are carrying any external parasites that might be introduced into other tank(s) or pond(s).
  • Address any disease problems while the fish is in the quarantine tank, before you add it to your existing population.
  • You should consider adding a potentially expendable fish from your main tank(s) or pond(s) to keep the new fish company (many fish do much better when they are not alone). Since many fish may adapt to disease agents in their home pond or tank, this allows for any potential diseases the new fish may be carrying to pass to this "local" fish or any diseases the "local" fish may be carrying to pass to this new fish. In this way you may again identify and treat a disease before you expose the whole population.
  • Ensure that the quarantine tank or pond has habitat appropriate for the species of fish. Many fish need some type of cover or places to hide; otherwise, they are uncomfortable and may not feed and/or be more susceptible to disease.
  • Water quality and husbandry for the quarantine system should be as good if not better than that of your pond(s) or display tank(s). The biofilter should be fully cycled before new fish are added to the quarantine system and water quality parameters should be excellent and very stable. New fish may be very stressed and should be placed in a very stable system while they undergo quarantine and acclimation.
    

Further Notes:

• Do not mix water from your quarantine tank with your pond(s) or tank(s).
• If you suspect a disease that you are unable to address or uncomfortable with addressing yourself, don't hesitate to contact your local fish health professional. This may be a local veterinarian with some fish expertise, a veterinary diagnostic laboratory, a local extension agent, or a fish pathologist with your local department of fish and game, or someone from a university. In order to find a local veterinarian try the Aquavets.com database (see elsewhere in this issue).
• If you have a large number of new fish and are having significant losses, consider submitting a few of the sick fish to a veterinary or aquaculture diagnostic laboratory for a proper disease diagnosis. Refer to the Ornamental Fish Health Newsletter, 1:1, http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/extension/miller-morgan.html, for specific information about submitting fish to a diagnostic laboratory.
• If you are a koi or goldfish keeper, in many communities there is a local koi and goldfish club and many of these clubs have volunteer koi health advisors, http://www.akca.org, which may help you with basic husbandry and health problems. These individuals are also often aware of local veterinarians and fish pathologists who will be able to help you with serious disease problems.

AVMA LAUNCHES WEB SITE OFFERING FREE SEARCHES OF AQUATIC ANIMAL VETERINARIANS, DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES

Schaumburg, IL -- Recognizing the growing demand among pet owners, aquaculture industries, veterinarians and other professionals, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has partnered with others to create AquaVets.com, http://www.AquaVets.com, the first free online database of aquatic animal veterinarians and diagnostic laboratories. AquaVets.com allows users to perform searches of a comprehensive database that pools information on aquatic veterinarians and diagnostic laboratories. Users can search by species type, disease, location, and other categories to quickly scan the 2,300 veterinarians and 110 diagnostic laboratories in the system and find the most appropriate resource.

"The AVMA recognized that aquaculture is the fastest growing segment of agriculture," said AVMA President Dr. Henry E. Childers. "More than 47 percent of all animal protein consumed is seafood, 1/3 of which is farmed, yet no single source of information on how to locate aquatic veterinarians or diagnostic laboratories existed. This has left aquaculture producers, animal owners, government agencies, and other veterinarians at a disadvantage."

AquaVets.com was developed through the collaborative efforts of the AVMA, Aquaculture Underwriting and Management Services, and GlobalVetLink as part of the National Risk Management Feasibility Program for Aquaculture. Partial financial support was provided by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation of the United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency, managed through Mississippi State University.

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 73,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. AVMA members are dedicated to advancing the science and art of veterinary medicine, including its relationship to public health and agriculture. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org to learn more about veterinary medicine and animal care and to access up-to-date information on the association's issues, policies, and activities.

Note from Dr. Miller-Morgan: While you might think that this database is designed to only serve the aquaculture industry, that is not the case. There are many veterinarians and laboratories in this database that regularly work with ornamental fish hobbyists and industry professionals.

COMMON FRESHWATER FISH PARASITES PICTORIAL GUIDE SERIES

Our colleagues at the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory have released another excellent series of publications. Common Freshwater Fish Parasites is a series of nine pictorial guides to the common parasites of freshwater fish. This series will be en excellent resource for anyone learning to identify the common parasites or as a reference for those of you that are involved in basic fish health examinations. The links to each of these publications are listed below.

• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Sessile Ciliates, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA107
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Motile Ciliates, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA108
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Flagellates, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA109
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, & Myxozoans, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA110
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Monogeneans, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA111
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Digenean Trematodes, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA112
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Nematodes, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA113
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Acanthocephalans, Cestodes, Leeches, & Pentastomes, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA114
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Crustaceans, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA115
  

THE AQUARIUM SCIENCE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO SWIM STRONGLY

Bruce Koike, MS, Director , Aquarium Science Program, Oregon Coast Community College

Consider what the common threads might be between the following facilities: Oregon Hatchery Research Center (Alsea, OR); Blackwater Creek Koi Farm (Orlando, FL); Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (Kaneohe, HI); Atlantis Tropical Pets (Roseburg, OR); Salmon River Hatchery (Otis, OR); Hatfield Marine Science Center; and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The obvious associations of water, fish, and work sites bubble to the surface. But in addition to these shared features, each organization is also hosting an Aquarium Science Program intern this spring term. This year’s group of interns represents the second year that program students have embarked on internships. The array of business activities (research, retail, production, and public display) reflects the diversity of interest amongst this cohort of students.

The internship allows students the opportunity to learn “another way of doing business”, to evaluate husbandry practices, and to apply the lessons learned through their previous Aquarium Science coursework. Each student and their Aquarium Science instructor are linked together through an online distance education resource called WebCT. Every few weeks each student provides a narrative about their experiences, activities, and insights to which other individuals respond.

Notes thus far have included such items as accidentally sliding into the river (with PFD [personal floatation device] firmly attached), mucking out the bottom of fish ponds, redesigning shrimp culture systems, plumbing new life support systems, handling shipments of fish, and disease treatments.

The ability to provide students with this level of opportunity is an important element of the student’s development and entry into the aquatic animal profession. If you or your organization would like to consider hosting an intern in the future, do contact me at bkoike@occc.cc.or.us. Students typically embark on their internships during the spring term of the academic year.

Besides internships, the program is entering an exciting time of its development. The college board of directors has allocated funds to construct an Aquarium Science building. To compliment this commitment, discussions are ongoing to place this building in a strategic site that would mutually benefit students, faculty, and programs offered through the Oregon Coast Community College, Oregon Sea Grant, and agencies located at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

The Aquarium Science Program develops individuals for work in the aquatic animal husbandry profession. Information about the program is available at www.occc.cc.or.us/aquarium.

FLORIDA AQUA NEWS -- A NEWSLETTER FOR AQUATIC ANIMAL VETERINARIANS

Dr. Denise Petty is an aquaculture extension veterinarian with the University of Florida. She began publishing Florida Aqua News last year as an online newsletter for aquatic veterinarians in Florida. This newsletter is an excellent resource for veterinarians practicing fish medicine or with an interest in pet fish medicine. For those of you who are not veterinarians, many of the articles in her newsletter give you an excellent window into the role veterinarians can play in managing fish health and the practice of fish medicine. You may access her newsletter at the following link: http://fishweb.ifas.ufl.edu/Petty/Petty.htm

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Feel free to send Dennis Glaze any upcoming events related to fish health and husbandry that you would like us to post in the newsletter or on our website.

For Hobbyists:

• 6th Annual Koi and Water Garden Show, June 3-4, 2006, Roseburg, OR, http://www.oregonkws.org/events.html
• Pacific Northwest Koi Club Association Convention, 7/9-11/2006, Tri-Cities, WA, http://www.pnkca.com/
• Associated Koi Clubs of American Annual Seminar, June 22-25, 2006, Niagara, NY, www.akca.org
• Northwest Koi and Goldfish Club Annual Show, Portland Oregon, July 29-30, 2006, http://www.nwkg.org/new_page_2.htm
• Puget Sound Koi Club 9th Annual Young Koi Show, August 5-6, 206 Hoshi Koi, 5002 44th St. E., Tacoma, WA website: http://www.pskc.org
• Idaho Watergarden & Koi Society 13th Annual Koi Show, August 12-13, 2006 Boise Depot, Boise, ID
• Inland Empire Watergarden & Koi Society 7th Annual Koi & Goldfish Show, August 19-20, 2006, Spokane, WA, website: http://iewgks.tripod.com
• Washington Koi & Water Garden Society 15th Annual Koi & Watergarden Show, September 9-10, 2006, Bothell, WA, website: www.washingtonkoi.org
• Greater Portland Aquarium Society – Annual Event Schedule, http://www.gpas.org/MeetSchd.htm

For Industry Professionals:

• Diseases of Warm Water Fish – Short Course, 6/5-16/2006, University of Florida, http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ame/index.html
• Recirculating Aquaculture Short Course, July 24, 2006 - July 28, 2006, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, http://www.bee.cornell.edu/extension/aquaculture/ShortCourse.htm
• Koi Health for Professionals, October 4-5, 2006, Molalla, OR – More Details coming soon.
  

For Veterinarians and Aquatic Health Professionals:

• Diseases of Warm Water Fish – Short Course, 6/5-16/2006, University of Florida, http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ame/index.html
• American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI, 7/15-19/2006, http://www.avmaconvention.org/ There will be nearly seven days of training in aquatic animal medicine, focusing on the private veterinary practitioner.
• 5th International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health, 9/2-6/2006, San Francisco, CA, http://www.fisheries.org/fhs/isaah_2006.htm
• Western Fish Disease Workshop, June 26-28, 2006, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, http://www.fisheries.org/fhs/wfdw_2006.htm

RECENT DONATIONS

A big thank-you to John Sherman for his recent monetary donation, which has allowed us to repair the support structure and redesign the plumbing in our Visitor Center Birds Eye exhibit. This will result in a much improved fish environment and a better quality and safer support structure. Thank you, John.

Anyone who is interested in making monetary donations to the program to help us offset the costs of maintaining this program may make checks out to Oregon State University and send them to me at the address below. You will receive a thank-you letter from Oregon State University that also documents your donation for tax purposes. All donations will be used solely for support of this program and are GREATLY appreciated.

Articles appearing in this newsletter may be reprinted in club newsletters, providing proper credit is given to the authors and the Ornamental Fish Health Newsletter.

We are always open to any comments or suggestions for future newsletter content. Don't hesitate to contact us at the numbers below.

But if you tame me we shall need each other.
To me, you shall be unique in all the world.
To you, I shall be unique in all the world.
You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed

Antoine de Saint-Expupery (1900-1944)

Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM
Extension Veterinarian/Assistant Professor
Ornamental Aquaculture
Sea Grant Extension/College of Veterinary Medicine
Oregon State University

Hatfield Marine Science Center
2030 Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR 97365
(541) 867-0100 (office)
(541) 270-4218 (cell)
E-mail: tim.miller-morgan@oregonstate.edu

Dennis Glaze, AAS-Aquarium Science
Aquatic Health and Husbandry Specialist
Ornamental Fish Health Program
Sea Grant Extension
Oregon State University
(541) 272-2043 (cell)
(541) 867-0369 (FAX)
E-mail: dennis.glaze@oregonstate.edu