Alkaline water fish disease

Alkaline water fish disease

1. General description

Cause of this disease is increase of water pH above 9-10. This can happen rapidly (immediate change a few mesh in scale) or over a longer time (pH change is gradual). In the first case the fish immediately begin to behave strangely and signalize worrying signs. In the second case symptoms of the disease appear after longer time or when we let in to aquarium new fish or we have old fish with weakened immune system. Other fish can adapt to some extent to new conditions. Symptoms of this disease often connect to symptoms of ammonia poisoning because ammonium ions change into toxic ammonia in alkaline water.

2. Type of the disease

This disease is caused by environmental factors.

3. Cause of the disease

Cause of this disease is increase of water pH.

4. Favorable circumstances for development of the disease

• inadequate decorative elements e.g.: shells, lime rocks and stones, lime substrate etc.
• lot of plants and intense lighting
• algae
• low level of carbon dioxide in water
• small buffer capacity of water

5. Common symptoms of the disease

• clumsy movements of the fish, muscle contraction
• apathy
• fast movements of the gill covers, swimming under the water surface
• excessive secretion of mucus
• loss of appetite

6. Types of the treatment

We need eliminate main cause of this disease when we its find. Next we need check all water parameters (especially pH, water hardness, nitrites, nitrates and ammonia) and we may do 30% partial water change (removal of fish isn't necessary) or we may change whole water (transfer fish to a separate aquarium is necessary). We need control water pH and other parameters after each the partial water change. We intensively saturate water with oxygen. The water for partial changes must have neutral pH =7. We should use adequate vitamin preparations and water treatment conditioners in order to strengthen fish immune system (e.g. Tetra AquaSafe, Sera Aquatan, JBL Atvitol, etc.). If we don't have high water alkalinity (temporary hardness) we may try to acidify the water with help of carbon dioxide or peat. When fish have damage their gills we should immediately commit an act of euthanasia these fish.

7. Comments about this disease

• The water has various its buffer capacity and it depends on its composition (first of all: the quantity of bicarbonate, carbonates, hydroxides, silicates, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, sodium, potassium). If the water has adequate its alkalinity (in simplifying temporary hardness – only carbonates and bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium) its buffer capacity can absorb and neutralize added acid without significant change of water pH. In other worlds, the higher alkalinity is, the more stable water in pH is – it is less susceptible to water pH changes because of intense photosynthesis of plants, addition of carbon dioxide or peat. When we have the water with high alkalinity and we have high water pH, we shouldn't reduce this pH with help of chemical acids or other compounds available in zoological shops because buffer neutralizes the acid and water pH won't change.
• When we don't know origin of substrate and/or decorative elements, we can check their pH with using the vinegar. So, we pour a mixture of vinegar and water on these elements. If reaction occurs (appears bubbles), the equipments is alkaline.

8. Prevention

• systematic control of water parameters
• systematic partial water changes
• we should create biological balance in aquarium
• new fish we gradually get used to new conditions in our tank – we should keep them in water with the same pH as they were for a few days and next we should gradually change this pH, about 0.3 per day