The Fish Vet's Blog

For those who missed it, the Fellowship Report from my fact-finding trip to the USA is now published!

So, if you are interested in the veterinary health aspects of captive and wild aquatic animals, including:

Sharks, stingrays, bony fish, pinnipeds, cetaceans, manatees, turtles and penguins;
Fish farming (food fish and ornamentals); and
Aquaponics…

Follow the link below for details on how to access the FREE material:

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Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology) Murdoch, MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist | Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | Past-President WAVMA |

The Fish Vet, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services for fish and other aquatic creatures.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Looking for more books? Check out this site.

Ex-rays.

Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{

I attended Part 1 and it was good (you can watch the recording, and register for Part 2 below).

Follow me on: Facebook "Fin Page" – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPh (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

President WAVMA 2014

Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University

See advert on YouTube.

Have you ever wondered what’s what in a fish? Whether you’re gutting them for the frypan, performing a necropsy for sampling, or treating a fish, it’s handy to know what’s where in a fish.

And… Have you ever wondered what a fish looks like when they’re sliced wafer-thin and special stains are applied? Pictured above is a histology image of a baby Atlantic salmon. This is how trained Veterinary Pathologists (like myself) examine fish for diseases. We can look for patterns of organ damage at the cellular level, using microscopes, to arrive at a diagnosis. With this method, I’m able to examine fish from all parts of the country, and even the world!

See the pdf document for a labelled diagram of fish anatomy, comparing a line drawing to the histology presentation.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD Salmon anatomy labelled.pdf

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh 

DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET AUSTRALIA. 

Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

This is from a media release issued by the Dept Fisheries WA.

Fishing and swimming okay again in Cockburn Sound

 

The Department of Fisheries testing on water samples as part of the multi-agency investigation into last weekend’s fish deaths in Cockburn Sound has so far found no evidence of a chemical source being responsible.

 

Biosecurity research scientist Dr Michael Snow said the tests on water and fish tissue samples from the sound had been inconclusive but they did indicate elevated levels of a naturally-occurring bacterium that may be harmful to fish, however, this was unlikely to be the primary cause of the event.

 

“Testing will continue on samples of dead fish, along with further monitoring of water, but for now health authorities have given the all clear for fishers and swimmers,” he said.

The Department of Health advises people:

·      The water is suitable for swimming, diving and other forms of recreation;

·      The area is also suitable for fishing; and

·      We remind anyone not to swim or fish in water that looks discoloured, murky, or smells unpleasant, or where there are large numbers of dead fish.

 

Dr Snow said an investigation by the Department of Environment Regulation had to date not identified evidence of a significant reported pollution event in Cockburn Sound.

 

“Screening of water samples for the presence of harmful algal bloom species and their toxins by the Department of Health has also not identified levels of concern to human health,” he said.

“The search continues for a possible cause, through laboratory investigations on dead fish samples collected from the sound, but the wide range of tests required means that reports will not be available until at least late next week,” Dr Snow said.

 

“We investigate somewhere between 20-30fish kills per year in Western Australia. The majority are in inland waters and caused by low water quality often associated with algal blooms.

“The fact this event has occurred in more open ocean means we have less evidence of a direct cause to go on and we are having to explore all possible explanations. It may be the case that a single definitive cause cannot be identified, but we are continuing the search.”

 

Any fish kills should be reported to FISHWATCH on 1800 815 507. More information about fish kills can be found on the Department of Fisheries’ website at www.fish.wa.gov.au.

People are reminded that fishing for crabs in Cockburn Sound is prohibited, due to an ongoing closure. In addition, both Cockburn and Warnbro sounds have spawning closures on pink snapper fishing in place and the sounds are also subject to the annual West Coast demersal finfish closure.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Malone 0418 901 767

 
—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh 

DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA. 

Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

If you answer YES to any of below, read on.

*Do you keep koi?
*Are your koi kept out doors?
*Have water birds ever visited your pond?
*Do you ever show koi?
*Do you introduce new fish to your collection?
*Do you have fellow koi keepers visit your pond?
*Do you visit places that have koi?

If you answered YES to any of the above, your koi are AT RISK!

Infected fish will have multiple organs decomposing, and death ensues.

See pictured below, and read more here about koi herpesvirus –
http://tinyurl.com/ocjnn9n

HERPES IS FOR LIFE!

What does your fish mean to you? Are they more than just dollars swimming in your pond? Are they a pet? A family member? An heirloom? A life-time of dedication?

What if someone were to release a killer virus that’s highly infectious, and your entire pond of koi dies from rotting and bleeding of gills and internal organs? How would you feel?

If you’d like to have your say, come join me and the Koi Society of WA on Tuesday 8 December, 7:30pm at the Wanneroo Recreation Centre, 275 Scenic Drive (near cnr Church St), Wanneroo, WA.

Read more at this link.

Follow me on: Facebook "Fin Page" – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPh (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

I feel a little eel 😦
 
Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{

Follow me on: Facebook “Fin Page” – YouTube  – Blog –Linkedin – Twitter
 
—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh 

DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA. 

Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

 

President WAVMA 2014

 

 

Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS.

See pictured.

 

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh 

DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA. 

Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

It’s the time of the year again when many people are going away for Christmas holidays. But who’s going to feed your fish? Can you use the weekend-blocks or gel food?

Well, it really depends on how long you’re away for, and your budget. And also, the type of fish you have. For example, if you have sedentary fish that tend to be ambush predators, you do not necessarily have to feed them daily when you’re away. A good feed should last them 2-3 days. This post will address the types available in general terms.

Available are blocks (food embedded in plaster of paris) and gel food (food embedded in gelatine-like substance). I’d recommend only if you’re going away for a long weekend (2-3 days). Be careful because there is potential to cause pollution. These blocks and gel are OK for small fish, since larger fish can devour the entire amount quickly. You may like to try these feed types before you go away, to see how your fish take to them, and the effect it will have on your tank.

Automatic fish food dispensers are ideal for longer vacations. There are 3 types of aquarium fish, automatic feed dispensers:

1. Clock-movement type: slowly rotates like the hour-hand, and dispenses food twice daily (every 12 hours). These have single food compartments, and the disadvantage is the slow movement allows moisture to enter the food compartment. Works best with feed granules/pellets. Link to example.
2. Full-rotation type: at specified time/s will make a full rotation, dispensing food. These have single food compartments, and the advantage over #1 is that the quick full rotation prevents moisture from entering the food compartment. Works best with feed granules/pellets. Link to example.
3. Multi-compartment dispenser: Each compartment dispenses fully at specified time/s.The advantage is that allows the owner to pack compartments with different feed types (flakes, granules and chips). Link to example.

If you’re going ahead with auto-feeders, make sure you trial it about a month before you’ve to go away. Set you alarm clock to correspond with set feed times so you can check it works, and it doesn’t dispense too much, or too little food.

If you don’t trust technology and will get a fish-sitter in, then I suggest to pre-measure food amounts into multiple small containers, so that the fish-sitter will not be tempted to over-feed your fishes.

I’ve found on the internet, an interesting DIY fish feeder using a mobile phone match-sticks and a bottle – see link. Quite clever, but you won’t be able to be sure to remember, and you run the risk of the entire load dropping into the tank if not properly constructed.

What ever you do, make sure you give yourself enough time to try, before you go away.

I’m interested to hear your feedback on this post.

Follow me on: Facebook "Fin Page" – YouTube – Blog – Linkedin – Twitter

—
Yours sincerely,

Dr Richmond Loh DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics & Pathobiology), CertAqV, CMAVA, NATA Signatory.
Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist
THE FISH VET, Perth, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA.
Mobile Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 (0)421 822 383

Skype: thefishvet

President WAVMA 2014

Adjunct Lecturer Murdoch University | Secretary Aquatic Animal Health Chapter – ANZCVS | 2014 President WAVMA

See advert on YouTube.