Mushroom Fish? Check Characteristics, Causes, and How to Treat Here!

Mushroom fish may not be found infrequently when cultivation takes place. Not without reason, this fungal infection is triggered by several factors such as lack of fish nutrition, injuries to the fish's body, lack of dissolved oxygen in the water, and high organic matter content in the pond. However, you don't need to be afraid anymore to treat fungus on fish! Curious how? Find out in this article, come on!

Types of Fungi that Attack Fish

Not all fungi are dangerous and not all fungi can infect fish. Before knowing how to treat fungal fish, you need to know the types of dangerous fungi that can infect fish. Here are the types:

1. Saprolegnia sp.

Saprolegnia sp. is a fungus belonging to the class Oomycete. This fungus is quite dangerous for fish because it can attack adult fish to fish eggs. Mold Saprolegnia sp. can cause disease cotton wool on fish. This fungus can also be a trigger for bacterial attacks columnaris as well as other parasites.

Mushroom agar Saprolegnia sp. does not appear in the fish pond, you are required to maintain the quality of the pond water. In addition, you are also advised to avoid cultivating fish with high densities to prevent the appearance of this fungus.

2. Branchiomycosis sp.

This fungus, known as gill rotting fungus, usually begins to infect fish when they are stressed. Stress on fish can be caused by environmental factors that are not good, the pH of the water is too low, the level of oxygen in the water decreases, and the amount of dirt that settles at the bottom of the pond.

When infected with a fungus Branchiomyces sp., the fish will look lazy to move and the gills will also harden and turn pale. Fungal transmission Branchiomyces sp. from one fish to another can happen very quickly.

This fungus will spread its spores in pond water and infest the fish in the pond. To avoid this, you can manage your pool properly and change pool water regularly. 

3. Ichthyophonus sp.

Mold Ichthyophonus sp. infect fish through the digestive tract. Fungus infected fish scales Ichthyophonus sp. the heavy phase will turn out to be rough like sandpaper. This fungal attack is mild to moderate. However, in some cases, the shape of the fish will also experience changes such as becoming crooked and accompanied by grayish wounds.

Fish Diseases Caused by Fungi

1. White Spots

White spot disease in fish is a disease caused by a fungus Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Since it was first detected in Taiwan in 1992, this white spot disease has spread globally. When it gets worse, these white spots can spread throughout the fish's body. In addition, the body of fish affected by white spot disease will turn pale reddish. The fish also becomes weaker and their intestines empty due to lack of appetite.

2. Cotton Wool

The most common fungal infection disease is cotton or cotton wool that attacks the skin, fins, and mouth of the fish. This disease is caused by a fungus Saprolegnia. Mold Saprolegnia in fish is the most frequently attacked in this disease. Then there are also mushrooms Achyla and several other fungi that also cause this infection.

If you have contracted this disease, there will be wounds, white coating, and white spots on the surface of the fish's body. Diseased fish cotton wool will also move very slowly and look lethargic. 

This disease appears due to the decay of leftover food at the bottom of the pond and the water temperature is too high. To prevent this, you can improve feeding management and maintain the water temperature at 28 °C.

3. Systemic Fungal Infection

Systemic fungal infection is a fish disease that is still quite rare and is considered very difficult to diagnose and treat. This disease is caused by a fungus Icthyophonus. If it has been infected with systemic fungi, the fish will show signs of general decline in health. Fish that are most susceptible to this disease are stressed fish that live in poor quality water and environments. You can treat fish infected with systemic fungi by using malachite green.

4. Rotten Gill Disease

Rotten gill disease is indeed rare in fish, but this disease will be very deadly once it becomes infected and is not treated immediately. This disease can make it difficult for fish to breathe because their gills are covered with mucus and become moldy. This infection is usually caused by a fungus Branchiomyces. Fish that are stressed and live in ponds with high ammonia or nitrate content are fish that are most susceptible to gill rot disease.

How to Treat Mushroom Fish

Fungus in fish is caused by several things, namely improper feeding, poor water quality, and transmission from other fish. Therefore, to prevent and treat fish infected with fungi, you can carry out the following treatments.

1. Proper Feed

To get rid of fungi that infect fish, you can give fish feed that contains vitamins A, D3, C, E, and aloe vera. Foods that contain these nutrients have been proven to be good for the metabolic system and digestive health of fish. With quality food, fish will be healthier and able to fight fungal infections in their bodies.

2. Anti-Fungal Medicine

One of the natural ingredients that can be used as an anti-fungal drug is the sap of frangipani leaves and stems. The sap of frangipani leaves and stems contains substances that can treat fungal attacks Saprolegnia sp.. Usually the dose of frangipani leaf and stem sap used is as much as 10 kg per 100 ㎡.

3. Adequate Water Temperature and Circulation

Mushrooms will usually grow in a moist environment. Therefore, the temperature of the pool water must be warm enough to treat fish from fungus. The water temperature that is warm enough to treat freshwater fish from mushrooms is 29-34 °C for 3-6 days of treatment. At this temperature, the fungus will die easily, so the treatment of fish from fungal infections can be faster.

To eradicate mold, you also need to provide good circulation in the pond. Good circulation can be obtained from using an aerator, a device that produces air bubbles in fish ponds. The bubbles produced by the aerator will move the water, resulting in an exchange CO2 And O2. Thus, rate CO2 in the water will decrease and levels O2 will increase.

4. Isolate infected fish

To prevent transmission of fungal spores in ponds, you need to move fish that look sick to a different place. Place the sick fish in the isolation pond and give Randa nunut leaves as an anti-fungal drug, then let stand for 60 minutes. Meanwhile, you also need to clean, drain and replace pool water with new water to prevent the development and spread of fungus that was already in the pool. This separation is done until the fish are healthy, usually about 3 to 6 days.

5. Maintained Pool Cleanliness

To prevent and treat fish from fungal attacks, you must maintain the cleanliness of the pool water. Always keep the fish habitat clean, especially water. Clean the habitat from leftover food that settles at the bottom of the pond because the ammonia it will cause can contaminate the water. Also clean the pond from organic waste piles, inorganic waste, and other materials that can potentially trigger the growth of fungi.