Ornamental Fish Q&A 14

This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Ornamental Fish Q&A.

This organism was observed on a skin scraping taken from a goldfish.

Question	Answer		Article
What is it?	The photograph shows long branched aseptate hyphae characteristic of Saprolegnia. This fungus is widespread in fresh and brackish water but does not occur in the marine environment.		Link to Article
What treatment might be given?	The recommended treatments include salt or formalin dips or more prolonged water treatments using mixtures of formalin and malachite green.		Link to Article
What other precautions should be taken before treatment is prescribed?	Infection is generally regarded as secondary to other underlying factors such as poor management or chronic parasitic infestation. A complete investigation of the problem is therefore essential before initiating treatment. The chemicals used are potentially toxic so their use in the presence of substandard water quality conditions might at best be unsuccessful and at worse cause death of the fish.		Link to Article