Scrolling the social media feeds, it can frequently happen to come across news feed or articles talking about fish diseases. Small white spots, fin corrosion and weight loss are some of the physiological responses that may be caused by stress.

Thus, what is stress?

People usually link this word to their hectic lives, in which working, studying and experiencing our complex social dynamics can be slow down through a restful sleep, leisure and hobbies, such as looking at colourful fish that slowly swim in our fish tank.

For what concerns fish, stress is a physiological response (that is inherent of organisms) to threatening situations. Through the release of hormones, fish are able to fight or to escape the threat, in order to adapt themselves to the environment.

Short-term stress, such as escaping from a predator and defending the territory or the fingerlings, is a way in which our fish can learn, grow and survive in the environment. This kind of stress is necessary to their development, even though it requires time to bring the physical status of the animal into the ordinary one.

On the other hand, problems arise when stress becomes chronic, which means persistent in time. As a matter of fact, fish that undergone this kind of stress are always going to face difficulties in growing, reproducing and defending themselves against diverse pathogens. This leads to a rapid deterioration and premature demise.

As regards the fish tank, there are two kinds of stress which are originated by two different factors, that are biotic and abiotic factors. The biotic factors are those involving organism, which means the population in the fish tank, the bacteria in the filter of the tank and the diverse pathogens and parasites that fish may be exposed to. The abiotic factors, instead, include the setting up of an optimal fish tank according to the needs of fish (which means the choice of the decorations, lights, plants…), the water parameters (including oxygen levels and temperature), the food, the correct transportation of fish and the acclimation of new ones.

These are the reasons why it is fundamental to plan our fish tank in a proper way since the beginning. In addition to this, it is important to carefully consider three stages to prevent the kinds of problems listed above:

  • Before buying, obtain information about the needs of the fish you are willing to breed. Through specialised shops and online resources you can find the information about chemical and physical properties of the environment where fish are used to live. Plan and place your fish tank in the best way possible, providing shelters in order not to cause any inconvenience. In addition to this, introduce the right fish, respecting their needs and the time of maturation of your fish tank. For this phase we recommend the use of AMTRA CLEAN and AMTRA CLEAN PROCULT to help the biological filter stabilization.
  • At the shop carefully select the fish, observing them before buying and avoiding fish that are too skinny, that are scratching against things or that are showing unusual marks. It is also very important to monitor temperatures during transportation, equipping yourselves with thermal bags and ensuring a correct acclimation;
  • After being acclimated, it is fundamental to provide fish with an appropriate and diverse diet, planning the frequency of maintenance (through the required products for your tank) and ensuring to have in your house some useful products to manage common accidents like umic acids and water conditioner as AMTRA PRO NATURE PLUS or AMTRA CARE.

If a fish uses an amount of energy to maintain its guard status, to defend itself and to survive, it will not ever be able to show us its real appearance, proving us that we made a good job.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lorenzo Tarocchi

Lorenzo Tarocchi

Laurea Magistrale in Agriculture, Master degree in Aquaculture and Ichthiopathology

Born in 1986, Laurea Magistrale in Agriculture, Master degree in Aquaculture and Ichthiopathology. Passionate about fishing and everything that lives underwater, he began working in an Aquarium shop in 2010 and over the years in one of the major Italian ornamental fish facilities, in the meantime collaborating with the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa and with some important companies of the sector.