Hemorrhagic Septicemia (Red Pest)

Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also known as Red Pest due to the distinct red streaks that appear on your fish.

If the bacteria enters you fish’s circulatory system it will travel throughout, causing damage to body tissue, blood vessels, and the heart.Often resulting in internal bleeding. The buildup of fluids can then cause Dropsy.
This is a very serious condition.

Physical Signs

• Distinct bright red streaks on fins
• Patchy red discolorations on the flanks of the body
• Bulging eyes
• Bloated abdomens
• List Open sores

Behavioral Signs

• Hyperventilation (fast breathing)
• Gasping at the surface
• Erratic swimming

Potential Causes

Hemorrhagic Septicemia can be caused by various organisms or an Ammonia spike.

This is often triggered by poor water conditions with high amounts of decomposing organic debris. High levels of nitrate and a poor Redox tend to be common when Septicemia is present.

Possible Treatments

There’s no known cure for this disease. As the disease is internal, external treatments aren’t often effective, except in slight cases.
If that’s the case, treat your aquarium with a disinfectant and clean it.

To disinfect, try Acriflavine or Monacrin and use a 0.2% solution at the rate of 1ml per liter. Both will color your tank’s water but will disappear as they dissipate. If your fish don’t respond well, don’t proceed.

Your other option is to add an antibiotic to the food, good options are chloromycetin or tetracycline.

They tend to come in 250mg capsules, so if you’re mixing into 25 grams of flake food one should be enough.

A good tip is to keep your fish hungry, as they’ll be more likely to eat the mixture before it can dissipate.

Author – modestfish