Fish Disease Ick
If your tank is maintained regularly, you should have little incidence of Fish Disease Ick that is hazardous to the health of your fish.
Many times your fish can be saved, but if you do not act quickly your pet may be too far gone by the time you start treatment. If you notice something amiss in your tank, take a look at the list below to determine what it actually is that your fish have and how to treat it.
When you look at your fish for Fish Disease Ick, determine if they also have little tiny white dots - This is probably Ich (Ichthyophthirius), a parasite which is rather common. Although quite common, this disease can kill all your fish if not treated in time. Since it is usually caused by poor water quality, it is treated with water changes and medication that can be put into the tank. You can buy treatments for Ich at your local pet store or online.
If you see that your fish have Grayish cottony patches on their skin or gills, this is probably a fungus caused by decaying matter in the tank. If you haven’t cleaned your tank in a while and there is lots of food and fish waste on the bottom this may be the cause. Easily cured if caught in time, you can buy a remedy for this at the local store or online – and of course you should clean out your tank!
Diseases don’t keep to themselves so the Fish Disease Ick might also happen in fish with rotting fins. Likely caused by bacteria, this is another disease that happens due to poor water quality. Fish that are stressed are more likely to be affected. Isolate any fish that show this problem to keep it from spreading to your other fish. Treat the tank with medicine formulated specifically for this problem.
If you notice your fish scraping against the bottom then he may have flukes. Flukes are a parasite that attach the gills and skin of the fish – once again poor water quality can be to blame. This disease is difficult to get rid of and the tank should be treated at the first sign of outbreak.
If you notice that your finned friends seem to be fish gasping for air Perhaps your tank does not have enough oxygen? Try adding a airstone that will add oxygen to the water through air bubbles. Plus it looks neat in the tank!
When medicating your tank for Fish Disease Ick, Follow exactly what the directions say. Make sure you add the amount specified for your tanks size – too much or too little will not be good for the tank. In the future planning periodic water changes and “vacuuming” the tank will help prevent disease.