Columnaris Goldfish: Causes, Signs & Treatment

Goldfish are one of the most popular aquarium fish. Unfortunately, they can be affected by a bacterial disease called columnaris disease.

This columnaris goldfish disease is caused by bacteria that affect the skin and gills of the goldfish.

Although columnaris disease is not fatal, it can cause secondary infections and affect your fish’s immune system.

What is Columnaris Goldfish

Goldfish Columnaris is a bacterial infection that affects freshwater fish’s gills, fins, and skin, most commonly goldfish.

The bacteria that cause the disease are often present in the water, so any fish that are stressed or weakened by other illnesses are susceptible to infection.

F. columnare is the Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium responsible for Columnaritis disease in fish.

This bacteria does not cause human infections. The infection is caused by the bacteria Flavobacterium columnare and can be deadly if not treated.

Causes of Goldfish Columnaris

The aetiological fish columnaris disease is a gram-negative, filamentous bacteria called Flavobacterium columnaris, which is considered to be ubiquitous in water worldwide. The causative agent can be found in both fresh and saltwater.

The host range of Flavobacterium columnare expands all the way across the globe and includes a large variety of freshwater and saltwater fish of Asia, Europe, and North America.

It is most commonly spread through contact with other fish but can also be spread through contaminated water or food.

High temperatures accelerate the progression of the disease, but low temperatures don’t affect the outcome of the illness.

Improper diet and poor nutrition are also responsible for making fish susceptible to disease.

Disorders that might have triggered such stress as poor water quality, inadequate diet, or handling the fish can lead to fish infections that turn columnaris bacteria into pathogens.

Columnaris can enter the fish by piercing the gills, mouth, or belly with small wounds.

The disease is highly infectious and is carried by contaminated nets and other laboratory equipment and improperly stored specimens, and contaminated food.

Sign and Symptoms of Goldfish Columnaris

The most common symptom of Columnaris Disease is the saddleback pattern and yellowed deposits on the gills of goldfish.

A white or gray film is visible on the gills and skin of the goldfish. This film can cause respiratory distress ( rapid breathing) and abnormal swimming.

Symptoms of columnaris include lesions on the fish’s body, fin rot, and cloudy eyes, and lesions spread quickly to the entire fish population.

Red or swollen gills, white patches or streaks on the skin or fins, and rapid breathing.

In severe infections, the fish may develop fungus on their skin and gills, and they may become lethargic and stop eating.

Goldfish Columnaris Disease Diagnosis

Freshwater goldfish (medium size, 10.56 ± 1.3 cm) showing the ‘saddle back’ pattern and yellowed deposits on the gills in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A tentative diagnosis of columnaris disease was established by microscopic observation.

Cytological examination of skin cell and fin mucus was also performed for demonstration bacilli by Romanowsky staining. Representative samples of skin and gills from the affected fish were preserved using 10% buffered formalin.

Tissues were processed in an orderly fashion. To identify cellular abnormalities in the shape of different-colored cell organelles, a 5-micrometer cross-section was cut, and histologic sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Mac Callum-Goodpaster.

How to Prevent Columnaris Disease in Goldfish

The best way to prevent columnaris disease is by keeping the water quality high and ensuring that the fish are healthy and eating properly.

Stressful conditions such as overfeeding or overcrowding can lead to an outbreak. Keeping your tank clean and well maintained will help prevent this problem quarantine new fish before adding them into your tank.

For this reason, it is important to adhere to sterile protocols to refrain from contaminating other tanks.

Preventative treatment of all shared tanks is necessary. That’s why it is critical to use sterile methods to prevent contaminating other tanks.

Therapy for all other tanks is imperative and must be carried out if each uses a shared system to filter.

Don’t overstock your tank stock compatible and healthy fish.

Test your water quality and keep water parameters stable. Oxygen levels and nitrite levels must be maintained properly to reduce stress conditions.

Don’t be too hard on your fish.

These simple tasks keep your fishes happy, healthy, and safe. Hard water makes it harder for bacteria to attach to fish.

This means that the fish will be healthier when they grow up.
Keep your goldfish tank in the shade. Don’t let them get too hot.

How to Treat Columnaris in Goldfish

There is no cure for columnaris disease, so treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms and preventing further infection.

If you notice any of these symptoms in your goldfish, it is important to isolate sick fish from the rest of your fish and seek treatment from a qualified aquarist as soon as possible.

External infections may be treated with antibiotic drugs internally.

Goldfish Columnaris can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early. Prompt treatment can reduce the likelihood of death in infected fish.

Ampicillin, erythromycin, and oxytetracycline are effective treatments for columnaris disease in goldfish. Oxytetracycline medication may be used to treat secondary bacterial infections.

Another home remedy is to add Vitamin C to the water. You can buy Vitamin C tablets at most drug stores, just crush them up, and add them to the tank. Medications are added to water or mixed with fish food.

Salt can be added to the water to prevent osmotic stress on the fish. Add one tablespoon of salt for every 5 gallons of water. You can also add methylene blue and hydrogen peroxide to the water. Both of these treatments should be used for at least ten days.

Copper sulfate, acriflavine, furan, and potassium permanganate. Copper sulfate, potassium permanganate, acriflavine, and furan may be applied to the water to reduce the spread of internal infection. Probiotics that contain beneficial bacteria may be used to maintain good water quality.

In conclusion, columnaris disease is a serious bacterial infection affecting Goldfish and other fish. It is important to be able to identify the symptoms of columnaris Disease so that you can get your fish the treatment they need as soon as possible.

There are many different ways to treat Columnaris Disease, so it is important to consult with a veterinarian or fish specialist to determine which treatment is best for your fish.