Aquarium-fish nutrition — dietary vitamin C deficiency (“broken back”) and iodine deficiency (thyroid hyperplasia)
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com), a copyrighted veterinary reference. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, the points below are paraphrased derived fact summaries: numerical values and proper nouns are preserved from the source, but sentences are rewritten and not quoted verbatim.
Claims
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Poor dietary vitamin C can cause a deformity some farmers call broken-back disease.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Iodine deficiency can cause thyroid enlargement (hyperplasia).
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A key gap is that nutrient needs are established for only a few fish species.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* At minimum, keepers can classify a fish as carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Beyond that, exact protein and lipid needs are mostly unknown.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Many fish need more protein than most other vertebrates.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Poor nutrition causes stunted growth, deformities, weakened immunity, fatty liver, and disrupted metabolism.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Such problems may stem from a clear deficiency or from chronic nitrate exposure and/or ozone use.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Fatty liver is common in captive fish, from starvation, high carbs, excess lipid, or rancid feed.
- *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* Fish need ascorbic acid supplied in the feed.
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License & attribution
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual (merckvetmanual.com) is a copyrighted veterinary reference and is not openly licensed. Per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3, every claim above is a paraphrased derived fact summary (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten), not a verbatim quotation.
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/aquarium-fish/nutritional-diseases-of-fish