The Fish Vet's Blog

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Have you asked someone to help feed the fish while you’re away? Have you recently introduced new fish to your tank/pond? Have you recently cleaned the filter and tank/pond?

Well… if you answered “Yes” to any of these, you might be in for a shock!

Can your fish survive you being away?

Many non-fish people don’t know how much to feed fish and aren’t attuned to checking for signs of poor water conditions or sick fish. And your instructions on feeding might go astray because well-meaning friends feel they want to feed them more.

New introductions can be a source of new diseases. And while you’re away, there’s no one who knows your fish better than you, to check on their health.

Some people can over clean their filters and aquaria/ponds and disturb their healthy biofilters and biofilm. You might run into ‘new tank syndrome’ where ammonia and/or nitrite can reach dangerous levels.

If you’re going away for less than two weeks, fish can readily fast for that period. Alternatively, prepare multiple containers with pre-measured amount of feed, one for each day.

In terms of water quality issues, never wash your filters too thoroughly. It’s a good idea to get your water tested regularly (weekly is recommended).

For infectious diseases, it’s a good idea to get your fish regularly screened by your fish veterinarian (once or twice a year is recommended).

Q: Why do whales migrate annually?

A: For a sea change.

Check out some happy snaps from my trip in Singapore at

http://tinyurl.com/mtgw67m

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There had been some heated discussions on ways to control carp. So, here’s a link shared by a colleague on the acceptable, and unacceptable ways for carp control.

From
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/species/carp/control-information

Anyone interested in reducing numbers of carp in an area, whether private waters or part of a natural river system, needs to consider a range of issues before proceeding.

What options are available to control carp?

Carp is a significant pest species and understandably, many people have a strong desire to eliminate them or at least reduce their numbers.

Unfortunately, the options available for the public to effectively control carp are limited and any one option on its own is unlikely to be effective.
The only generally available legal methods for carp control (subject to those involved having the appropriate permits or approvals) are:

Legal recreational fishing methods, including as part of public fishing events

Harvesting by a licensed commercial Inland Restricted Fishery (IRF) carp endorsed fisher

Installation of carp separation cages on fishways or wetland regulators
Wetland management including exclusion screens

Draining and drying of private waterbodies

Stocking of native fish
Which option(s) is suitable for a particular situation depends on a range of factors, such as the type of waterway where the carp are found, whether it is privately owned or publicly managed, and the resources available for control work.

What about other methods like traps and poisons?

The following methods are not legal and Industry & Investment NSW will not support or issue permits for their use:

Use of fishing equipment in non-compliance with the fisheries regulations. The normal fishing rules apply to all forms of fishing, even fishing to control pest fish. Use of fishing gear in illegal ways is not acceptable and may lead to prosecution.

Rotenone – Industry & Investment NSW holds a permit from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to use rotenone for pest fish control in some circumstances under very strict conditions, but its use must be supervised by trained officers from the Department. Use of rotenone in other circumstances is illegal.

Other chemicals, electrical devices or explosives – it is illegal to use any other substance (eg. lime or copper sulphate) as a fish poison. Other methods such as electrofishing cannot be used without a specific permit from Industry & Investment NSW.

How do we dispose of the carp we catch?

You need to plan how to humanely euthanase any carp you capture – particularly if there are likely to be large numbers involved (eg. draining a dam or a community fishing event).
Information on humane and acceptable methods of euthanasing fish can be found on the Department’s animal welfare page.

Industry & Investment NSW promotes ethical and conservation-based fishing, and one of its key messages is that fishers should only catch what they need and use what they catch.

. Even though carp are a pest, it is still unethical to waste them or treat them inhumanely.

Before commencing any carp control attempt, make sure you have a plan in place to use the captured carp.
If you expect to catch large numbers, it may be possible for them to be utilised by a commercial operator. In the first instance you could contact a licensed commercial fisher to offer them the catch; carp-endorsed fishers may be contacted via the Department’s Commercial Fisheries Management section at Cronulla (9527 8411). Note that harvested carp cannot be sold, unless taken by a commercial fisher. Alternatively, contact a carp processing company, fish farm or other enterprise in your area directly.
For smaller quantities, options include eating, using as pet food, or composting.

Two fish went into a bar, and one was a-salted.

🐠👊🐟

I came across something worrisome on the net (yeah, that’s not unthinkable). Anyway, in the current climate of a one-health system in the battle against antibiotics resistance and overuse of antibiotics, we’d need to tighten up the availability of such medicines, otherwise they may no longer be prescribed by veterinarians, and worse, they may no longer be effective for when WE want to use it ourselves. It is predicted that there could be a significant rise in fatalities associated with bacterial and viral infections if this occurs.

Let us practice good judgement prior to reaching for the antibiotics, whether it be for fish, your other pets or for yourselves.

 

For your information…

Download it using this link – Turtle eNews

Go to –
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFishVetDrLoh

Read more –
http://www.ted.com/conversations/11620/should_shark_fishing_be_banned.html

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Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology) Murdoch, MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia.
Veterinary Medicine for fish.
W: http://www.thefishvet.com.au
E: thefishvet
P: +61 (0)421 822 383

President WAVMA.org