Tilapia Disease Symptoms on Skin, Fin, or Eye

Also:

• Gills and problems breathing

Physical appearance:

• Frayed or missing fins (monogenetic trematodes, trauma from overcrowding, handling, or poor water quality especially low disolved oxygen or elevated ammonia, or nitrites)
   
• Body color dark (may be a normal sexual display by males; if also weak or sluggish may be an advanced, systemic bacterial infection. check gills, contact extension)
• Patchy scale loss (trauma from overcrowding, handling, or bacterial infection, prevent trauma or contact extension)
• One or more variable sized red sores (bacterial infection possibly caused by handling trauma if found with patchy scale loss, contact extension)
• Many tiny white spots on the skin (possible "ich" infection check skin for ectoparasites)
• Shallow non-bloddy uclers on the skin (check skin for Caligus sp)
• Skin moves or "shimmers" when held out of water (check skin for Caligus sp)
• Dull color, excessive slime (check skin for "ich" infection or monogenetic trematodes especially in salty water)
• Raised white to pinkish patches on the skin (check skin for epistylis sp, or may be bacterial infection or healing of previous scale loss. If worse, contact extension)
• Lumps growing on surface of skin (cancer tumor, or possibly dermal mycobacteriosis, contact extension)
   
• Gas bubbles between fin rays or in or around the eyes (gas bubble disease. see water analysis section on gas supersaturation)
• Eyes cloudy (check for monogenetic trematodes, especially in salty water, or contact extension)
• One eye popping (physical trauma and infection, or cancer in or behind the eye)
• Both eyes popping (gas bubble disease, or caudal kidney infection)
   
• There are thin, dark colored "worms" attached to the ventral surfaces or side of the head body or fins (Leeches, contact extension)

Behaviors:

• Scraping or "Flashing" on tank bottom (use microscopy,to check for ectoparasites)
• Fins held still, "clamped" against body (use microscopy,to check for ectoparasites)
• Not eating? (look for other symptoms listed here, or breathing problems. Use microscopy, and water analysis. Try different feed. May not be serious)
• Piling up in a heap on the bottom or clumped touching each other in a corner (check skin for Caligus sp)

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