All about Fish Vetting – Dr Richmond Loh
Great idea a couple of my clients might find interesting.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=b5cDGXb6Ekw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Db5cDGXb6Ekw&gl=GB
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Yours sincerely,
Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil MANZCVS (Aq & Pathol)
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
W: http://www.thefishvet.com.au
E: thefishvet
P: +61 (0)421 822 383
The Fish Vet, Dr Loh, would like to greet you a happy lunar new year! Thank you for following.
I’m going to share with you, a neat trick you can use for your car windows and house windows too!
This secret best way was shared by my friend who was a professional window cleaner of high rise buildings. He is now like me, a vet too.
The front of the aquarium can be cleaned by moistening the glass with a light spray of plain water and wiped off with crumpled newspaper in a circular fashion similar to the Karate Kid’s “wax on, wax off” moves.
For tougher to remove water marks, you could use warm water or some white vinegar to help dissolve the mineral precipitates.
Did you know that the suckers on the heads of these fish are formed by heavily modified dorsal fins?
Learn more here – http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/2013/02/04/how-the-sharksucker-got-its-suction-disc/
From: “Dr. David Scarfe”
Date: 22 January 2013 4:24:26 AWST
Subject: AquaVetMed: Ornamental Fish Industry & Antibiotic Resistance Problems
January 21, 2013
Ornamental Fish Industry Faces Increasing Problems With Antibiotic Resistance
ScienceDaily—The $15 billion ornamental fish industry faces a global problem with antibiotic resistance, a new study concludes, raising concern that treatments for fish diseases may not work when needed — and creating yet another mechanism for exposing humans to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The risk to humans is probably minor unless they frequently work with fish or have compromised immune systems, researchers said, although transmission of disease from tropical fish has been shown to occur. More serious is the risk to this industry, which has grown significantly in recent years, and is now a $900 million annual business in the United States. There are few regulations in the U.S. or elsewhere about treating ornamental fish with antibiotics, experts say. Antibiotics are used routinely, such as when fish are facing stress due to transport, whether or not they have shown any sign of disease.
“We expected to find some antibiotic resistance, but it was surprising to find such high levels, including resistance in some cases where the antibiotic is rarely used,” said Tim Miller-Morgan, a veterinary aquatics specialist with Oregon State University. “We appear to already have set ourselves up for some pretty serious problems within the industry.”
In the new study, 32 freshwater fish of various species were tested for resistance to nine different antibiotics, and some resistance was found to every antibiotic. The highest level of resistance, 77 percent, was found with the common antibiotic tetracycline. The fish were tested in Portland, Ore., after being transported from Colombia, Singapore and Florida.
Findings of the study were reported in the Journal of Fish Diseases. The bacterial infections found in the fish included Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and others, several of which can infect both fish and humans. “The range of resistance is often quite disturbing,” the scientists wrote in their report. “It is not uncommon to see resistance to a wide range of antibiotic classes, including beta-lactams, macrolides, tetracyclines, sulphonamides, quinolones, cephalosporins and chloramphenicol.”
Problems and concerns with antibiotic resistance have been growing for years, Miller-Morgan said. The nature of the resistance can range widely, causing an antibiotic to lose some, or all of its effectiveness. There have been documented cases of disease transmission from fish to humans, he said, but it’s not common. It would be a particular concern for anyone with a weak or compromised immune system, he pointed out, and people with such health issues should discuss tropical fish management with their physician. Workers who constantly handle tropical fish may also face a higher level of risk.
From an industry perspective, losses of fish to bacterial disease may become increasingly severe, he said, because antibiotics will lose their effectiveness. Anyone handling tropical fish can use some basic precautions that should help, Miller-Morgan said. Consumers should buy only healthy fish; avoid cleaning tanks with open cuts or sores on their hands; use gloves; immediately remove sick fish from tanks; consider quarantining all new fish in a separate tank for 30 days; wash hands after working with fish; and never use antibiotics in a fish tank unless actually treating a known fish disease caused by bacteria. “We don’t think individuals should ever use antibiotics in a random, preventive or prophylactic method,” Miller-Morgan said. “Even hobbyists can learn more about how to identify tropical fish parasites and diseases, and use antibiotics only if a bacterial disease is diagnosed.”
On an industry level, he said, considerable progress could be made with improvements in fish husbandry, better screening and handling, and use of quarantines, rather than antibiotics, to reduce fish disease. The ornamental fish industry is large and diverse, including trade of more than 6,000 species of freshwater and marine fish from more than 100 different countries. About half the supply originates in Asia, and freshwater farming of ornamental fish is a rapidly growing industry.
Also increasing is the number of trained fish veterinarians, who can help fish hobbyists to reduce disease loss and save treasured pets. More information is available from the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Fish Veterinarians. A database of aquatic veterinarians is available online, at http://aquavetmed.info.
[The publication referred to in this news story by S Rose, R Hill, L E Bermudez, T Miller-Morgan (2013) “Imported ornamental fish are colonized with antibiotic-resistant bacteria” in the Journal of Fish Diseases, is accessible at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfd.12044/abstract. ADS-Mod.]
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I’ve received numerous queries already about where I sourced my materials and where I got the fishes for my Ultimate Aquaponics Setup. All these, I sourced locally.
The cage water tanks were purchased second hand from CPS at 130 Radium St, Welshpool, WA for $100 (brand new ones would be in the vicinity of $400). Their number is 08 9458 4366. They assured me that their previous contents were animal feed mix and that they were safe for food fish.
For pumps, UV, aerators and other aquarium equipment, you can source them from your local fish shop. The fish shops I regularly deal with in Perth are Vebas Aquariums in O’connor, Perth Aquarium & Display Centre in Myaree, Morley Aquariums in Morley and Watergarden World in Balcatta.
I sourced all the plumbing and other equipment from Bunnings in Belmont. The other big Bunnings store is in Cannington. When purchasing the down pipe for the plant trough, choose the one that’s rectangular in cross section and the one that’s deeper.
So that’s all the hard work done, but where do you source the fishes from to stock your setup?
The silver perch were from Mr Bob Henley in Wanneroo (08 9407 5339). He also farms other species like koi, goldfish and tropical freshwater fishes.
If you’re after rainbow trout during the cooler season, you can try Ms Calinda Anderson at the Koi and Lily Farm (08 9409 9248) in Woodvale. She also stocks yabbies, koi and goldfish.
For barramundi for summer growout, there’s Hydroponic Xpress at 295 Warton Rd, Canning Vale – 1800 640 222. Other fish species should be available seasonally. If you’re too lazy to setup your own, you can purchase a ready made one here.
Now we have fish, where do you get economical fish food? I sourced mine from Glen Forrest StockFeeds at 3150 Great Eastern Highway, Glen Forrest. Phone: 08 9298 8111.
I also tried out some koi food in one tank of fish as an experiment. This food was funnily enough available at the Regent Cake store in Francis St, Northbridge. The owner of the cake store is an avid koi owner and so he retails the fish food! He also makes the best cakes and has fancy fish toys, so it’s worth checking out his store.
Vegetable seeds can be easily sourced from any garden shop.
So, I hope I’ve inspired you to be an urban gardener and fish farmer!
A lot of people have been asking me how I built my aquaponics setup. So as promised, here it is.
Dr Loh, The Fish Vet, recommends
The Book Depository.
Today, I purchased the two recommended reading texts for SeaVet 2013 using the link above.
It has been said that material published in textbooks are 10-years-old and that the information published in journals are one-year-old. The web might be the only place where we can remain current and be at the forefront of knowledge.
So, this is why I’ve created this post. The material in this post is to provide updates for purchasers of the Fish Vetting series of educational material.
These are truly investments that keep on giving. Make sure you save a link to this page/post and check it regularly.
If you don’t already have a copy of these brilliant publications, get yours now at TheFishVet’s site
Doctor Loh brings theory down to Earth and provides a practical approach to fish vetting with his series of publications.
I’ve simplified the link to something you can remember – http://tinyurl.com/FishVettingSeriesUpdates
Fish Vetting Essentials (2011):
Fish Vetting Medicines – Formulary of Fish Treatments (2012):
Fish Vetting Techniques and Practical Tips DVD (2014):
Additional information for aspiring fish veterinarians:
Visit TheFishVet featuring in The Fish Doctor’s Youtube Channel for more useful videos.
My dad was surfing the net today and found a YouTube video of a DIY Aquaponics setup. He read to my mother about how this guy described his setup and every now and then, remarked that it’s just so similar to his son’s setup.
Lo and behold, the person signed off as Dr Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet!
So funny what my 76yo father finds on the net!