The Fish Vet's Blog

The following was taken from the OFI website.

Apple snails into Europe banned
Apple snails of the genus Pomacea will be prohibited for import and keeping into the European Union. A proposal was adopted in the past week and EU member States have to implement this. This has serious consequences for the aquarium trade. Not only will apple snails be banned for import, shipments of aquatic plants must have a declaration in the health certificate that they are inspected and found free of apple snails, and at arrival into the EU they will also be inspected. It will be prohibited to sell the snails in pet shops.
Reason for the ban is the outbreak of apple snails (Pomacea insularum) in Spain, in the Ebro delta, where they were found feeding on the rice plantations. The ban applies as from 8 November 2012. There is some space in the way Member States implement all restrictions.

EUS removed from EU list
As already announced the European Commission has drafted a proposal to remove Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome from the European list of diseases. Last week the EU member States approved the text. This means that very soon new Health Certificates will be published with all references to EUS removed. The decision will be published soon.

CITES: new arowana species in appendix I
With the description of a new species of Arowana,Scleropages inscriptus, or Batik arowana it was unclear what would be the CITES status of this fish. For this reason CITES has provisionally recommended that the species should be seen as split off from S. formusus and that is should have the same status: Appendix I. At the next CoP in Bangkok, March 2013, the recommendation will be on the agenda.

Salmonella in turtles
Salmonella is often related to reptiles in the pet hobby. Some claims are exaggerated; other may have more serious consequences for the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Health Department are investing an outbreak of salmonella associated with exposure to small pet turtles. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also cautions against owning pet turtles, warning that salmonella can cause "diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and headache.

EU import ban on Malaysian koi and goldfish continued
The inspectors of the European Food and Veterinary Office have published the report of their inspection of Malaysia The report mentions the many activities undertaken by the Malaysian Competent Authority, but also addresses the issues that are not (yet) in order. Although the basic structure seems to be in order now, parts like procedures to ensure proper enforcement, were only implemented less than a month before the FVO inspection. As a result many staff in the field were as yet not familiar enough with the procedures and backgrounds. Several other issues were not yet in order.
The report did not give the European Commission a reason to change anything in their position on exports of ornamental species to the EU. In other words: koi and goldfish are still banned for import into the European Union. Malaysia will have to prove that all measures implemented will provide the proper guarantees for the EU health requirements.


Invasive Species list Spain
At the end of December 2011 the Spanish government adopted new legislation (in Spanish) with respect to Invasive Alien Species. This legislation will have a serious effect on the ornamental fish industry. Spain will work with two black lists: Annexes I and II.

Annex I, the Catalogue, contains species that are no longer, allowed in Spain; not for import and not for keeping. There are transitional rules for people who now keep these animals. Species of interest for our industry in this Cataloque: 
Plants:Azolla spp., Cabomba carolineana, Egeria densa, Eichhornia crassipes, Elodea canadense, Fallopia japonica, Ludwigia spp (except L. palustris),Myriophyllum aquaticum, Pistia stratiotes, andSalvinia spp. 
Molluscs: Corbicula fluminea, andPomacea spp. (all species!)
Crustaceans: Cherax destructor, Pacifastacus leniusculus, andProcambarus clarkii. 
Fish: Ameiurus melas, Channa argus, Channa marulius, Channa micropeltes, Fundulus heteroclitus, Gambusia holbrooki, Ictalurus punctatus, Lepomis gibbosus, Pseudorasbora parva, and Pterois volitans.
Amphibians: Xenopus laevis.
Reptiles: Chrysemys picta and Trachemys scripta.


The second list is a list with species recognized as potentially holding a risk. As far as we have understood, regions within Spain can take measures against these species. This list is much longer and includes Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio and Poecilia reticulata. 


Singapore restricts exports of aquatic plants to the EU
In the last year the UK authorities intercepted a considerable number of aquatic plants from Singapore because they were infected with white fly (Bemisia tabaci). The government of Singapore (AVA) now takes strict measures and effective Monday 16th April 2012 the following species may no longer be exported to the European Union:

1. Alternanthera spp.

2. Hygrophila corymbosa

3. Hygrophila salicifolia

4. Cryptocoryne wendtii

5. Hemigraphis spp.

6. Anubias barteri

7. Echinodorus spp.

Apple snails banned into the EU?
The proposed EU legislation on apple snails now may not just result in a ban on import of all apple snails. The draft legislation also includes that aquatic plants may only be imported from countries or farms free of apple snails. If this would be adopted this could have disastrous effects on imports of aquatic plants from many places in the world, including South East Asia. In the Spanish risk assessment for apple snails the researchers state that about 95 of all imported aquatic plants originate from areas where apple snails occur in the wild. Currently OFI cooperates with several organizations and with governments to prevent this proposal being adopted. We will update you in more detail as soon as possible. We now look for information on total export value of aquatic plants from export countries in Asia to EU. If you have such information, or if you know where we could get this, please inform the secretariat.


ENGLAND AND WALES GO FOR KHV STATUS “INFECTED”
The competent authority of the United Kingdom, Defra, has informed the stakeholders as follows:
“Following a lengthy consultation exercise and evaluation of the possible benefits and likelihood of success, it has been concluded an eradication programme will not be undertaken for KHV disease in England and Wales.

Great idea a couple of my clients might find interesting.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=b5cDGXb6Ekw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Db5cDGXb6Ekw&gl=GB

—
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.

• Click on this link for the blueprint of The Fish Vet’s Ultimate Aquaponics Design. It might be worthwhile to print this out to put next to The Fish Vet’s Ultimate Pond Design on page 38 of your copy of Fish Vetting Essentials.

• For more pictures of my aquaponics setup, see my Facebook Fan Page.

• For a video describing and showing my setup, see my Youtube Channel.

 

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):

• Page 19: Fish Anatomy – FVetEssn_Anatomy.pdf
• Page 38: Include The Fish Vet’s Ultimate Aquaponics Design – https://thefishvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/rich-aqpon-set-up-20130116.pdf
• Page 83: Bacteriology – FVetEssn_Bacto.pdf
• Page 86-7: Haematology & Serum Biochemistry – Fish Clin Path Update.pdf
• Page 154-5: Method of Administration, Per os – https://thefishvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fvetessn_peros.pdf
• Page 179: Adverse drug log- https://thefishvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/fvetessn_adversedruglog.pdf
• Page 207: For Australia’s National List of Reportable Diseases of Aquatic Animals, check out DAFF’s (Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) table of nationally reportable diseases at this link – http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/aquatic/reporting/reportable-diseases

 

Fish Vetting Medicines – Formulary of Fish Treatments (2012):

• Chloramine T – Chloramine T.pdf
• Florfenicol – https://thefishvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fish-vetting-medicines-formulary-of-fish-treatments-florfenicol.pdf
• Oxytetracycline – https://thefishvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/oxytetracycline.pdf
• Vitamin B12 – Parenteral dose is 20 mcg/kg BW.

Fish Vetting Techniques and Practical Tips DVD (2014):

• Water quality testing – See link
• Stages of fish anesthesia – See link
• Setting up an anesthetic circuit for fish – See link
• Cleaning and disinfecting equipment with Virkon – See link
• Treatment of uncomplicated skin ulcers – See link

 

Additional information for aspiring fish veterinarians:

• Roles for Aquatic Veterinarians – See presentation
• Resources for Aquatic Veterinarians – See presentation

 

Visit TheFishVet featuring in The Fish Doctor’s Youtube Channel for more useful videos.