Common Diseases And Illnesses Affecting Aquarium Fishes

Fishes, contrary to popular belief, have a longer life span than most people would believe. It is the oversight of owners that cause a high percentage of fish loss. Conducive habitats are important to fishes well-being and stability in numbers. Maintaining a low incidence of common fish diseases would increase their rates of survival.

One common fish disease is ICH. This is a type of fish disease whereby the affected fish has white colored spots all over the body. When a fish is sick it is important to check for those white spots of the size and shape of the grains of salt over its skin. This disease is caused by Ichthyophthirius in freshwater tanks and in saltwater tanks it is caused by Cryptocaryon irritants. ICH may affect the eyes and the insides of the mouth and gills of the fish besides the body of the fish.

If the fish exhibit behaviors and symptoms such as gasping for air near the surface of the aquarium or rubbing against objects, it may be due to ICH. A disinterest in food is another sign along with the indicators already mentioned earlier. The fishes seldom can fight ICH by themselves. They have to be provided copper sulfur medication to cure them. Antibiotic medication should be provided after the parasites are gone, in order to prevent them from recurring.

Another common parasite is Velvet which shows symptoms similar to ICH but with tinier and dusty spots on the fish's body. Sometimes the spots may be gray or gold in color. The spots will be tinier and so they are more difficult to spot and attention should be paid to this aspect. As with ICH, the fishes infested with Velvet also rubs against objects and gasps for air near the surface of the tank and shows difficulty in breathing if the gills are affected. Copper medication treatment is recommended for Velvet as with ICH by most of the veterinarians.

A fungal infection may also develop quite commonly in fishes which appear in gray or white color over the body of the fish. This will be sighted in the fins or the mouths of the fish. Another reason for such a disease is when fishes are are harmed by other fishes. Open wounds are highly prone to fungal infections. Suitable cures for fungal diseases are readily available from your local pet shop and can also be procured from pet suppliers registered online with ease.

Fishes are prone to bacterial infection as well. If you notice orange or red spot on the scales of the fishes, they are most probably bacterial infection. Dropsy is a frequent bacterial infection that is often noted. If the fish looks distended or has scales that bulge out, it is a sign that the infection is attacking the insides of the fish and it is. The fish would show signs of tiredness and a lack of interest in food. Medications such as penicillin, naladixic acid and tetracycline are most commonly used to cure bacterial infections.

Prevention is better than cure, and it will save you and your fishes a whole lot of trouble from treating them. The best way to provide a healthy environment for the fishes is to keep the aquarium clean. Do keep a look out for fishes that threaten or assault other fishes and keep such combative fishes apart. The size of the fish tank, fish types and quality of the water should be checked constantly too.

Dear in mind that the fishes can still fall prey to infections and afflictions at some juncture despite your best efforts. It is important to try to cure the disease as soon as possible to reduce the chances of it spreading and contaminating other fishes.