Dr Loh will be consulting in Melbourne this Saturday.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Since 2004, Dr Loh has been providing professional veterinary care for the fish at Boronia Aquarium in Melbourne and for its customer base. The monthly trips to Melbourne are usually the first Saturday of each month, but please always ring ahead to check. Between the visits, Dr Loh works with his colleagues at Boronia Aquarium to continually improve on the good practices to make them the best practices in the ornamental fish retail industry.

Call 03 9762 2044 to make an appointment to see him this Saturday the 3rd of March 2012.

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Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil (Vet Path) MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology) DipPMVeterinarian / Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University / Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter ANZCVS
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Looking for books? Check out this site.

Why does my goldfish change colour?

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

I just had an enquiry about why this person’s pet goldfish changed colour.

The short answer is that their skin colour is under genetic and hormonal control and it is normal.

The colour change is usually from a black/bronze to orange, to white. The colour change usually starts from the abdomen/flanks and spreads to the extremities. When this happens, the colours at the extremities usually become more intense. Fish normally start changing colour from 3-6 months of age or even later. So, the bronze goldfish you originally bought could become a gold goldfish, or even a white goldfish!

On another note, some people may have goldfish with pale colouration and notice that when they are placed in their outdoor pond, their colour becomes brighter. This is the effect of the sunlight and other natural foods that become available to the fish in outdoor situations.

Just be aware that excessive slime making the fish dull in colour, dark/black patches in unusual parts of the body, blisters and ulcers are signs of disease and prompt veterinary attention would be needed to obtain a correct diagnosis and treatment to remedy the situation.
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Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil (Vet Path) MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology) DipPM

Veterinarian / Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University / Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter ANZCVS
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Fish feasting on feet – A Fix or a Fad?

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Food for fish?

There’s this apparently therapeutic spa treatment for feet using small fish to chew off dead skin.

Try googling “fish spa”, “garra rufa” and the like and you’ll find multiple articles about it. Are the health claims true? Can it treat psoriasis and other skin conditions?

These fish pedicures, using “doctor fish”, can be found in most touristy locations in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China and Japan.

The latest news is that rather than therapeutic, the fish spas can actually facilitate transfer of infections!

Check out the information provided in these links – http://www.wellnesswa.com.au/2009/12/q-a-where-can-i-get-a-fish-pedicure-in-perth/
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2050342/Fish-pedicures-foot-spas-spread-HIV-hepatitis-C.html
Food for thought.

Dr Loh teaches about fish health and water quality at Murdoch University today.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

All set and ready to go. Spiked water samples for testing and fish for health checks. Students will also learn about fish anaesthesia and conducting necropsies.

Do goldfish grow to the size of their tank?

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish
I received a fairly lengthy question yesterday from the UK. To summarise the question, it was about whether goldfish only grow to the size of the tank (the full question/s follow this answer).
Growth in fish, like other organisms, are influenced by many factors including nutrition and hormonal influences. The one thing though, the people mean when they talk about talk about goldfish growing to the size of its tank is to do with their regulation of growth hormones. Goldfish are one that produce growth inhibitory hormones (e.g. somatostatin) and in nature, it’s their way of reducing intraspecific competition by suppressing growth of other goldfish. This is a particularly useful survival mechanism especially if you’re a “big fish in a small pond”! In a tank situation, and if partial water changes are not performed regularly, this hormone can build up and suppress the goldfish itself! And in this way, it is also a survival mechanism whereby it will not outgrow its pond!
Other fish do not produce such potent hormones and this is why they can outgrow the aquarium they live in. These fish tend to be “big fish in a big pond”. Their survival strategy is to get as big as they can to avoid being eaten by someone else. The barramundi and Murray cod are great examples of such fish.
Fish wastes are generally not ideal for fish to live in. They would have anti-nutritional effects and nitrates are known to suppress the immune system. If conditions are not optimal, fish will not thrive and will not grow.
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Yours sincerely,Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil (Vet Path) MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology) DipPM

Veterinarian / Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University / Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter ANZCVS
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383
On 27/02/2012, at 18:54,
Dear Richmond Loh,
I came across your information on Koi-vet.com under the ‘Fish Vets Listing’ section and I was wondering if you could possibly help me.

I have recently been investigating and trying to find out the truth behind the issue of Goldfish growth, how it is affected through stunting and what it is in particular that causes stunting to begin with.

There are many rumours, opinions and myths floating around, which makes it hard to discern the facts from the fiction. I was wondering if you could help me with the understanding of this topic. Or know of any papers/research that could help point me in the right direction.

At the moment, the main things I come across when I speak to others, is that stunting is caused due to the fish being kept in small aquaria, poor water quality or under feeding.
While I can appreciate these are all valid points, how do these factors cause the growth to cease? Through looking around I have begun to see people say, that due to hormones a goldfish can continue to grow, regardless of it’s tank size, if it has good water quality. It makes me wonder, what hormones they are referring to and the biology behind this? Along with what counts as small aquaria? When is a tank, too small for a goldfish?

Another interesting rumour I’ve heard is that when a goldfish is stunted, it’s body stops growing, but it’s internal organs do not? Is this true?
I am also curious, at how a goldfish is affected, if it’s stunted at different sizes. For example is a goldfish stunted at 8 inches, much healthier than one stunted as a juvenile?

If you could provide any answers, or further help, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you for your time,
May I wish you the best for the future,

Ms A. Taylor



Challenges when discussing fish welfare are…

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Dr Loh will be presenting the topic of fish welfare to 3rd year veterinary students today at Murdoch University.

One of the challenges when discussing fish welfare is that there are 3 main definitions about what constitutes good animal welfare.

The first is a ‘nature-based’ definition where it requires fish to feel good experiences and be free from negative experiences like fear and pain.

The second is a functions-based definition where it requires fish to be in good health, meaning they grow well, are free from disease, reproduces, etc.

Then there is the ‘nature-based’ definition where fish are to be able to lead a natural life and express the full range of behaviours as they do in the wild.

These definitions are not always congruent with each other… These will be explained in the lecture today.

Scholarships available for Australian Fish Health Professionals.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

I have been lucky enough to receive this scholarship which I will be using to attend Aquavet II mid this year (“Aquatic Animal Health Training Scheme”). Now you can also apply to receive a federal grant towards furthering yourself in the fish health sector.

See forwarded email below:

From: Jo-Anne Ruscoe [mailto:jo-anne.ruscoe@frdc.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 23 February 2012 12:01 PM
Subject: People development awards / scholarships now open

 

FRDC development Awards

FRDC invites you to consider the following opportunities for professional development and also distribute this information to your members and colleagues – it would be great if you could have a think about suitable people and encourage them to apply.

 

Applications are now open for the following FRDC development Awards.

 

  • · Aquatic Animal Health Training Scheme
  • · International Travel Bursaries
  • · Visiting Expert Bursaries

 

Information on the Awards and how to apply can be found at http://www.frdc.com.au/communitypeople/scholarships

Applications close 23rd April 2012

The FRDC contact for the Awards is Jo-Anne Ruscoe

(02) 6285 0423 or email jo-anne.ruscoe@frdc.com.au

 

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Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
BSc BVMS MPhil (Vet Path) MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology) DipPM

Veterinarian / Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University / Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter ANZCVS
The Fish Vet, Perth, Western Australia. Mobile Veterinary Service for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383