Common Aquarium Fish Diseases, Symptoms and Treatments

Most fishes can live long and healthy lives as long as suitable living conditions are provided. In fact, one of the highest chances for fish owners to experience fish loss is mainly due to the occurrence of common fish diseases.

One common fish disease is ICH. It is a fish disease where the infected fish gets white spots all over its 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. Sometimes in addition to the body of the fish, the ICH may attack even the eyes and interiors of the mouth and even gills.

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. Loss of appetite is another symptom associated with the above mentioned ones. 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. And since the spots are smaller they are tougher to be recognized and should be observed quite carefully. 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. They usually appear in the fins or the mouth of the fish as well. An injury to the fish induced by another fish may also be the cause of this disease. Open wounds are highly prone to fungal infections. An appropriate medication for fungal diseases can be availed from a nearby pet shop or from an online pet supplier.

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 one of the most common bacterial infections. When the infected fish usually sticks out its scales and appear bloated it is an indication that the infection had moved interior and is fatal. The fish exhibits loss of appetite and is lethargic. Medications such as penicillin, naladixic acid and tetracycline are most commonly used to cure bacterial infections.

Proper prevention measures can save your fishes from getting prone to diseases and the hassles in treating them. The best way to provide a healthy environment for the fishes is to keep the aquarium clean. You should check for aggressive fishes that attack weak fishes and try to keep them separate. The size of the fish tank, fish types and quality of the water should be checked constantly too.

Despite all your preventive efforts, your fish might still be infected with diseases at some point of time. When that happens, it is vital that you seek or give treatment as soon as possible to avoid the disease getting transmitted to other fishes.

Moses Wright is a pet lover and loves to help new pet owners deal with their pet problems at home. You can also find aquarium fish care solutions on his site.