DISEASES CAUSED BY Ciliate

Ciliate are single-celled micro-organisms (unicellular organisms).

Micro-organisms which have many species living in each tank and mostly too small to see with the naked eye. They live on bacteria and and small particles floating in the actual aqurium also an additional food for small fish. And some ciliates live as parasites that live on fish body.

a.Ichthyophthirius multifillis ( white spot )

Ichthyophthirius single-celled organisms are up to 1.5 mm and can be seen clearly with the naked eye. This disease first appears on the back of the fin fish and fish ikan.pada this level are affected by this disease trying to break away from the white spot by rubbing his body on the ground or objects within aqurium .. at the next level because of the increasing number of parasites in their fish kekuning2an white. Handling can be done is to give obat2an who can kill these parasites in phase swim or float freely in the aquarium and to the fish already infected can be given obat2an who can release these parasites from the fish body. The addition of temperature and aeration can help speed the recovery of fish from this disease. With the addition of temperature will be more rapid parasite growth and immune system in fish body will work so that recovery from this disease will be more cepat.Perlu recorded under conditions of stress, decreased resistance of fish or new fish in aqurium disease can strike back at any time

b.Cryptocarian irritans ( marine ich )

Diseases of sea water aquarium fish is very similar to Ichthyophthirius in fresh water aqurium and caused also by the ciliates. Handling with obat2 fish by turning off the protein skimmer, ozonizer and UV filters.

It could also quarantine the fish to be treated and then placed back into the tank after the disease can be resolved


The Life Cycle of Cryptocaryon irritans

• Free-swimming cells called tomites are released from a mature tomont, or encrusted cyst, and go in search of a host fish, typically dying in a day or two if one is not found
• Upon finding a host the tomites attach to the gills or body and develop into parasitic trophonts, at which stage the organisms burrow into the fish and begin feeding on its tissues.
• Once well fed the trophonts stop feeding and encyst, at which stage they become inactive tomonts. These dormant cysts can remain trapped in the fish's mucus, be inbedded deep in the tissue, or drop off and fall to the bottom. Over a period of 6 to 10 days the cells inside the cysts reproduce by single-cell division, and become tomites. Once reaching maturity the cysts rupture, each releases hundreds of new free-swimming tomites, and the cycle begins again, but in much larger numbers.

Treatment Recommendations

Although copper is very effective on Oodinium, and it works well to eliminate crypto organisms in their free-swimming tomite stage, it is not as effective on the Cryptocaryon trophonts that burrow deeply into the tissues of fish. A combination of freshwater and formalin treatments administered by means of dips, baths, and prolonged treatment over a period of time in a QT is recommended.